Stuffed Sheep Casings recipe

Added 27 October 2026

Stuffed sheep casings are a traditional home-style dish popular across Middle Eastern and Mediterranean regions. Natural sheep casings are thoroughly rinsed and filled with a seasoned mix of rice, ground lamb, and warm spices before being gently simmered. It is typically prepared for special weekend family meals or festive gatherings.

Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Nut-Free Egg-Free Soy-Free

Units: Metric (g, kg) US (oz, lb)

Ingredients

• 100 g Sheep casings
• 0.25 cup White vinegar (60 g)
• 1 medium Lemon (100 g)
• 1 cup Arborio rice uncooked (201 g)
• 250 g Ground lamb
• 1 medium Onion (150 g)
• 2 cloves Garlic (10 g)
• 2 tbsp Olive oil (27 g)
• 1 tbsp Tomato paste (16 g)
• 1 tsp Cumin powder (2.2 g)
• 0.5 tsp Ground allspice (1.2 g)
• 0.5 tsp Black pepper (1.2 g)
• Salt, to taste
• 6 cups Water (1.42 kg)
• 2 leaves Bay Leaf (0.4 g)

• Ingredients in total: 2.34 kg
• Weight lost in cooking: 1.5 kg (mostly water boiling off)
• Net weight (cooked): 840 g · 4 servings of about 210 g

Method

1. Rinse the salt off the sheep casings in cold water, then soak them in a medium bowl filled with lukewarm water, the white vinegar, and the juice of half a lemon for 30 minutes to soften and clean them.
2. Flush cold tap water through the inside of each casing section to ensure the interior is clean and untangled, then drain well.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the uncooked short-grain rice, ground lamb, finely diced onion, minced garlic, olive oil, tomato paste, ground cumin, ground allspice, black pepper, and salt until thoroughly mixed.
4. Slide one end of a casing strand onto a small funnel tip, tie off the opposite tail end with cotton kitchen string, and gently push the rice mixture into the casing.
5. Fill the casings loosely to only about two-thirds capacity so the rice has room to expand without bursting the casing during cooking, then tie off the remaining open end.
6. Place the stuffed casings into a 5-litre pot, add the water, bay leaves, and the remaining lemon half, and set over high heat until it comes to a rolling boil.
7. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a tight lid, and simmer gently for 50 to 60 minutes until the casings are tender when pierced with a fork and the rice inside is fully cooked.
8. Lift the cooked stuffed casings out of the broth using tongs, transfer to a platter, cut into individual portion pieces, and serve warm.

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Nutrition and nutrient score for this recipe provided by GapPlate

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