How to Boil Mutton (Step by Step + Video)

Boiling meat can be daunting for those new to cooking. Get it right and you have a delicious meal; get it wrong and you’ll have tough, flavorless meat. Mutton isn’t cheap, so the last thing you want to do is ruin a great cut of meat. To help you avoid the pitfalls, below you’ll find a guide for how to boil mutton perfectly, every single time.

How to Boil Mutton

Follow the step-by-step guide below to learn how to boil mutton so it will taste great for you and any guests you invite over for dinner.

Step 1: Shed the Fat

Your first step is to remove any packaging from around your cut of mutton and use a knife to remove any extra fat. You want the mutton to be fairly lean, so do your best to remove extraneous fat without cutting into the muscle.

Step 2: Prepare the Pan and Water

Find a deep pan that your mutton fits inside, put it on the stove, and pour 2.5 liters (8.5 cups) of water into it. Turn on the heat to medium-high and bring the water to a boil.

Step 3: Prepare Your Vegetables

Mutton is best when boiled with some vegetables for taste, so while you wait for the water to heat up, chop up a large carrot into discs and prepare a white onion by removing the skin and cutting into it in a cross shape on one side to release the flavor.

Step 4: Add the Mutton

When the water is bubbling, add the mutton. Be careful not to drop the meat into the pan in case the boiling water splashes. If worried, use cooking tongs to place it in the water.

Step 5: Add Vegetables

Add your carrot and onion to the pot along with ½ tsp of black peppercorns. 

Step 6: Bring to a Boil and Simmer

Bring your water back to a boil and add a lid to the pot, if possible. Leave it for five minutes and then use a small sieve to remove the foam layer that may have developed on the top of the water.

Step 7: Add Salt and Cook

Add 1 tbsp of salt, then reduce the heat to a low setting, replace your lid, and leave it to cook for two hours. 

Step 8: Check Readiness

After two hours, your mutton should have faded to a light grey/brown color. To check if the mutton is ready to serve, slowly slide a knife into the meat. If it slides in easily, your meat is ready to serve. If not, replace the lid and check it again in 10 minutes.

Step 9: Drain

Place some paper towel or a clean dishtowel on your cutting board, turn off the stove, then remove the mutton from the pan. Put the mutton on the towel and gently pat it dry. Remove the towel and your mutton is ready to serve and carve!

Step 10: Serve

Carve your mutton and serve with the carrot discs and mashed potatoes, or any other recipe you have planned. 

How to Boil Mutton FAQ

How long does it take to boil mutton?

It takes 2 hours to boil mutton on a stovetop on low heat.

Can I boil mutton in a slow cooker?

Yes, you can use the same technique outlined above to boil your mutton in a slow cooker or pressure cooker. See the table below for optimum boiling times for each setting. Check the mutton regularly once you reach the shortest optimum boiling time.

Cooker and Heat	Optimum Boiling Time
Standard Stovetop	2 hours
Slow Cooker on Low	6-8 hours
Slow Cooker on High	4 hours
Pressure Cooker	40 minutes

What are some of the ways I can serve mutton?

You can use and serve mutton in many of the same ways you would use large joints of beef and pork. Add your mutton to a curry, serve it with mashed potatoes, serve it over rice with spicy roasted vegetables, or add it to soups and stews.