Difference Between Lamb and Mutton [Are you being misled?] (2024)

Age Difference Between Lamb and Mutton

Lamb meat is simply meat from young sheep under one year of age.

Mutton is the meat of mature sheep, harvested between 2 to 3 years of age to produce mutton cuts.

To go a bit deeper, there are two Lamb sub-categories based on the specific age of lamb at harvest:

• Baby Lamb – Refers to lamb meat aged 6 to 10 weeks old. This type of lamb is famous for making incredibly tender Lamb chops due to its small size and less gamey flavor.
• Spring Lamb – Refers to the meat of Lamb between 5 to 6 months old. This variety of Lamb is among the most desirable cuts on the market.

There is one Mutton Sub-Category based on the specific age of mutton at harvest:

• Yearling Mutton – the meat is from sheep between 12 to 24 months.

In the United States, most retailers sell Lamb meat 24 months or older, thus making it Mutton.
Although, it will likely be (mis) labeled and marketed as Lamb, which is allowed but quite misleading for consumers as Mutton is considered inferior in quality, taste, and texture to real Lamb i.e. under 12 months.

Image: Young Lamb left and 3-year-old Sheep (Mutton) on the right.

Taste Difference Between Lamb and Mutton

Mutton meat has a more robust and gamey taste than cuts of lamb.

Lamb boasts a very delicate, mild even slightly sweet flavor. Lamb has more of a natural clean grass-fed taste.

Although, the Mutton’s bolder flavors are softened when slow-cooked or braised since these cooking methods break down the tougher Mutton meat fibers. Mutton can also be very fatty.

When purchased from reliable retailers who offer top-quality Lamb cuts, you will find that Lamb does not have the same gamey taste as Mutton. The Lamb's delicate meat pairs well with a host of popular Lamb Sauces and Lamb Marinades.

This is perhaps the biggest reason most Americans do not like Lamb... because they have in fact always been sold Mutton which is gamey and has a greasy consistency especially when fried or grilled.

Which tastes better, Lamb or Mutton?

There is nothing quite like spring Lamb straight off the grill.

Also, due to the sheer tenderness of lamb compared to mutton, you can eat lamb rare and really enjoy it which is not the case with more tough mutton.

Meat Color Difference Between Lamb and Mutton

Lamb meat features a lighter, pink color when raw.

Mutton meat often has a deep, dark red hue.

Smell The Difference Between Lamb and Mutton

Raw Lamb meat has a sweet and fresh smell. You can almost smell the grass from the lovely light meat of Lamb.Raw Mutton meat has more of a pungent smell with a definite aged gamey scent on the nose. Wool-producing sheep that were harvested 2 years or older will also have a definite oily smell due to the presence of lanolin in the sebaceous glands.

Price Difference Between Lamb and Mutton

Lamb is among the more costly meat cuts available on the market.

Mutton as Lamb - Are You Getting The Wool Pulled Over Your Eyes?

With Mutton being so cheap in comparison, it should come as no surprise that Mutton (and Goat meat) is regularly sold to US consumers as Lamb and at Lamb prices.In the US, the Grading into Lamb, Yearlings, and Mutton is voluntary and therefore left to producers to classify. This in turn leaves the door open to some tinkering and mislabelling.

For an insight into just how bad the problem is in the US, check out the video report below.39 restaurants and food trucks in Los Angeles and New York that sold Lamb were lab tested to see if they were selling genuine Lamb.

Sadly, 23% of the samples analyzed came back as Goat, Mutton, Beef... even Chicken!

How to Tell the Difference Between Lamb and Mutton just by looking?

So you don't get caught out buying Mutton at Lamb prices at the grocery store, or being served Mutton when you ordered Lamb at a restaurant, here are 4 key visual differences to watch out for:

Rib Size Differences Visual Illustration Below

Mutton Rib bones are much thicker and denser as the animal was much older.

Lamb Ribbones are much smaller and more delicate than those of Mutton.

Cut Size and Color Differences Visual Illustration Below

Image: Mutton Loin Chops, darker color and large size.

Image: Lamb Loin Chops, lighter meat color, and much smaller size than the same cut of Mutton.

The difference in bone size, cut size and meat color are by far and away the easiest ways to tell Lamb from Mutton.

Tenderness Difference Between Lamb and Mutton

Lamb meat cuts are tender and soft, particularly when harvested at six months or younger. Lamb meat is easy to chew due to its tenderness.Since Mutton is produced from much older sheep, Mutton meat is much tougher than that of Lamb. Also, more fat is usually found in mutton cuts since a greater concentration of fatty acids develops in the animal over time.

Cooking Method Difference Between Lamb and Mutton

Lamb is versatile and may be prepared differently depending on the cut.

For example, Lamb Loin Chops taste incredible when cooked quickly and served grilled, pan-fried, or even in an air fryer whereas Lamb Shanks are preferred for pressure cooking.

Lamb has a lovely balance of lean and fat making it perfect for enjoying Lamb leftovers as Lamb meat reheats nicely without drying out like pork for example.

Image: Air Fryer Lamb Chops

Mutton, however, really needs slow cooking due to the meats' age and toughness. Although, braising and incorporating the Mutton into stews is a great way to enjoy Mutton and an easy way to break down all the tough fibers.

Image: Bengali Mutton Curry. A good example of a popular Mutton dish that needs long slow and low cooking in liquid to tenderize the tough meat fibers of Mutton meat.

Popularity by Region: Lamb versus Mutton

Mutton meat is commonly found in Middle Eastern, Indian Subcontinent, Mongolia, and South American cuisines.

In contrast, Lamb meat is preferred in Australia, Europe, New Zealand, and Canada. Therefore, you will find more Lamb cuts in these places over Mutton.

Why Americans don't like the Taste of Lamb?

Is Goat Meat the Same as Lamb or Mutton?

No, Goat is very different from Mutton and Lamb.

Goat is a completely different animal species i.e. Capra hircus while Lamb and Mutton come from Sheep i.e. Ovis aries.

In terms of tenderness and taste, Goat and Mutton do have similar traits of being tougher and more gamey whereas Lamb has a much more refined taste and softer mouthfeel.

After reading this quick guide to Lamb and Mutton differences, we hope that you will be able to distinguish between each type of sheep meat to ensure you get the most bang for your buck.

Conclusion

• Lamb is less than 1-year-old meat from a sheep.
• Mutton is older than a year, generally 2 to 3 years old.
• Lamb is about 60 to 70% more expensive than Mutton.
• Lamb is tender and can be fried or grilled.
• Mutton is tougher and needs slow cooking.
• Mutton is gamey and quite fatty.
• Lamb has a sweeter more subtle flavor.
• A lot of meat sold as Lamb in the US is in fact a 2-year-old Mutton.
• Mutton is popular in the Middle East.
• Lamb is more popular in Europe.