Lamb for Babies: When to Start and How to Serve It by Age
- From around 6 months
- Not a common allergen
- Cook through, no salt
Lamb can be offered from around 6 months, once your baby has started solids. It’s a good source of iron, which babies need from their food from around 6 months. Slow-cook it until it’s tender enough to shred, or use minced lamb in soft koftas, meatballs and sauces. Cook minced lamb all the way through, with no pink, and leave out salt and stock cubes.
📲 39 Bibful recipes with lambHow to serve it by age
-
6–8 months
✋ Finger food (BLW)
Long strips of slow-cooked, very tender lamb to hold and suck, or soft lamb kofta fingers.
🥣 Purée or spoon
Minced lamb in a soft sauce, mashed or blended with vegetables.
-
9–12 months
✋ Finger food (BLW)
Shreds of slow-cooked lamb, or small soft meatballs.
🥣 Purée or spoon
Minced lamb with rice, lentils or vegetables, like a mild shepherd’s pie.
-
12+ months
✋ Finger food (BLW)
Small pieces of tender lamb and koftas from family meals.
🥣 Purée or spoon
Shepherd’s pie, mild stews, tagines and lamb with rice.
Have lamb at home? See what you can cook
Add a second ingredient to see matching Bibful recipes.
39 Bibful recipes with lamb
Butter & Rosemary Lamb Chops15 min · from 6 months
Courgette Mash with Lamb Mince23 min · from 6 months
Minced Lamb & Veg Sauté25 min · from 6 months
Free to start, with 50+ recipes free · iPhone & Android · no account needed
Preparation tips
- Slow-cook for softness. Lamb shoulder cooked low and slow until it shreds is easy for babies to manage.
- Mince cooked through. Cook minced lamb until there’s no pink left and the juices run clear.
- Skip salt and stock cubes. Flavour with herbs, garlic or mild spices instead; stock cubes and gravy granules are salty.
Frequently asked questions
When can babies eat lamb?
From around 6 months, once your baby has started solids, slow-cooked until tender or as soft minced lamb.
Is lamb good for iron?
Yes. Red meat like lamb is one of the best sources of iron for babies, and the iron in it is easily absorbed.
How should I cut lamb for my baby?
At first, offer long strips about the size of an adult finger, tender enough to shred, for your baby to suck and gnaw. From around 9 months, offer small soft shreds or meatballs.
More first foods
- 🍎 Apple
- 🥑 Avocado
- 🍌 Banana
- 🥩 Beef
- 🫐 Blueberries
- 🍞 Bread
- 🥦 Broccoli
- 🎃 Butternut squash
- 🥕 Carrot
- 🥦 Cauliflower
- 🌿 Celery
- 🧀 Cheese
- 🍗 Chicken
- 🫘 Chickpeas
- 🥥 Coconut
- 🥒 Courgette
- 🥚 Egg
- 🫛 Green beans
- 🫘 Lentils
- 🥭 Mango
- 🥛 Cow’s milk
- 🥣 Oats
- 🍝 Pasta
- 🥜 Peanut
- 🍐 Pear
- 🫛 Peas
- 🥔 Potato
- 🦐 Prawns
- 🫑 Red pepper
- 🍚 Rice
- 🐟 Salmon
- 🥬 Spinach
- 🍓 Strawberries
- 🍠 Sweet potato
- 🥄 Tahini
- Tofu
- 🍅 Tomato
- 🌰 Walnut
- 🥛 Yogurt
Turn this into tonight’s meal
Bibful turns what's in your fridge into age-appropriate weaning meals — no account needed. Available now on iOS & Android.
This page is general information, not medical advice. It follows NHS Start for Life and World Health Organization guidance on introducing solid foods. Always stay with your baby while they eat, and speak to your health visitor or GP if you have concerns about feeding, allergies or choking.