Azerbaijani Fried Lamb Confit (Ət Qovurması)

Name: Azerbaijani Fried Lamb Confit (Ət Qovurması)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 55 min
Cuisine: Azerbaijan
Ingredients: 2 lb (900 g) boneless lamb shoulder or leg, cut into 1½ in (4 cm) chunks; 4 oz (115 g) lamb tail fat, diced (or 4 oz/115 g unsalted butter); 2 tbsp (30 g) unsalted butter; 1 large onion, thinly sliced; ½ cup (120 ml) water; 1 tsp fine salt, or to taste; ½ tsp ground black pepper (optional)

Ət qovurması Say it: aht go-voor-MAH-suh

By the Passport Plate editors. Published November 7, 2026.

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Ət qovurması arrives as a festive Azerbaijani centerpiece, yet the method is a practical two-stage cook: lamb chunks first give up their juices in a pot, then meet hot rendered tail fat until the edges are dark gold and crisp. Soft onions melt into the same fat, turning sweet and glossy. Eat it hot with bread and sumac, or pack it beneath a layer of fat as a cold-weather staple; either way, the flavor stays squarely on the lamb and salt.

Azerbaijani Fried Lamb Confit (Ət Qovurması)

Ət qovurması

Pronounced aht go-voor-MAH-suh

Serves: 6
Prep: 25 min
Cook: 1 hr 30 min
Total: 1 hr 55 min
Level: Medium

Gluten-free

Also nut-free and egg-free.

Allergens: contains milk. Check labels on packaged ingredients.

Ingredients

6 servings

For the dish

2 lb (900 g)900 g (2 lb) boneless lamb shoulder or leg, cut into 1½ in (4 cm) chunks
4 oz (115 g)115 g (4 oz) lamb tail fat, diced (or 4 oz/115 g unsalted butter)
2 tbsp (30 g)30 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter
1 large onion, thinly sliced
½ cup (120 ml)120 ml (½ cup) water
1 tsp fine salt, or to taste
½ tsp ground black pepper (optional)

Method

Wash the lamb and dry it thoroughly with paper towels. Place one-third of the diced tail fat in a sturdy pot, add the lamb and water, and bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Remove any foam that rises, lower the heat to medium, and leave the pot uncovered, giving it an occasional gentle stir, until the liquid is gone and the meat has rendered its own fat, 30–40 minutes.
Take the lamb out and keep it to one side. If the pot needs it, clean it out, then melt the rest of the tail fat together with the butter in a broad heavy pan over medium-high heat.
Add the cooked lamb to the hot fat in batches when needed and fry it, turning it from time to time, until the pieces are a deep golden brown with crisp edges, 15–20 minutes. Keep the pieces spaced so they do not crowd the pan.
Scatter in the sliced onion and fry for another 8–10 minutes, stirring gently, until the onion has softened, turned golden, and started to brown at the edges.
Stir in the salt and black pepper, if using, toward the end of cooking and toss everything to coat. Take the pan off the heat.
Serve the qovurma hot, or allow it to cool and press it into a clean jar, covering the meat fully with rendered fat so it keeps longer.

Regional variant: Qovurma with potatoes (kartoflu ət qovurması)

Peel 2 medium potatoes and cut them into large cubes. Once the onions in step 4 are soft, add the potatoes, cover the pan, and cook on low for roughly 20 minutes, turning once, until they are tender and golden. If the pan looks dry, add a small splash of water. The result is a more substantial one-pan meal.

Cook's notes

Shoulder is the better choice here than leg: its extra intramuscular fat keeps the finished meat juicier.
If the pan threatens to scorch, ease the heat down a little; this dish should fry to a deep color, not burn.
To store it the traditional winter way, put the cooled meat in a sterilized jar, pour hot rendered fat over it until it sits ½ inch above the meat, and refrigerate.

Serve with

Pair it with lavash or tandir bread, fresh herbs, sliced onion and sumac, or serve it next to pilaf.

Make ahead and storage

Let it cool, cover the meat with rendered fat, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks; warm it gently before serving.

Azerbaijani Fried Lamb Confit (Ət Qovurması)