This tender, moist, and flavorsome Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder is extremely easy to make with a little preparation. You can make the perfect lamb roast every single time with my few simple tips.
Jump to:
This Roast Lamb Shoulder will be an amazing centerpiece whether it is for a Sunday Roast dinner or for a special occasion such as Thanksgiving or Easter.
It requires the minimum hands-on time, simply put everything on a tray and let the oven do the rest.
And the best part is that you don't need to worry about undercooking or overcooking the lamb!
Why This Recipe Works?
- Low cooking temperature and a slow cooking time allow for the most succulent lamb meat.
- The lamb shoulder is a beautifully rich & tender cut of meat that tastes great when cooked with garlic and fresh rosemary.
- Same as the Kuzu Tandir Kebab - Turkish Roasted Lamb and Boneless Leg of Lamb recipes, this slow-cooked lamb requires minimum preparation, you can dump it in the oven and entertain your guests!
- Slow Roast Lamb Shoulder is a great way to feed a crowd if you have a lot of people to serve for roast dinner. If you manage to have some leftovers, there are many ways to use them. You can make Maqluba (Makloubeh), or Slow Cooked Lamb Ragu with leftover lamb, or simply use them in a sandwich or wrap!
- The juices from the lamb mixed with the stock, rosemary, onions, and garlic make an incredible base for homemade gravy.
Lamb Shoulder
The shoulder of lamb is a tougher cut of meat with a generous amount of fat on top as well as marbled throughout the whole joint. It is perfect for slow cooking at a low temperature, allowing the fat to melt throughout the joint, and giving you soft and juicy fall-apart meat.
The lamb shoulder is my favorite cut of meat and I use it for my other lamb recipes such as Tavë Kosi (Elbasan Tava), Guvec (Turkish Lamb Casserole), and Sac Kavurma (Turkish Lamb Sauté).
Also, it is a slightly cheaper joint than a leg of lamb but when cooked properly, it tastes as delicious. This recipe is for a large lamb shoulder that weighs around 2.7 kg - 2.9 kg (6 lbs - 6.4 lbs). It is enough for big parties of up to 8 people and requires 4 hours of cooking time.
Ingredients and Substitutes
- Lamb shoulder - I used a large lamb shoulder that weighs 2.7kg (6lbs) for this recipe. The cooking time varies depending on the size. For a smaller size shoulder or half of a shoulder, cook for 3 hours, or until the lamb is falling off the bone easily.
- Rosemary - Fresh rosemary is a great flavoring for lamb and I use it generously. You can use thyme or bay leaves if you prefer.
- Garlic - 2 heads of garlic will give an amazing flavor to the lamb and also to your homemade gravy. I cut them in halves and use them to elevate the lamb. After the lamb is cooked, I keep the roasted garlic to use for flavoring soups and stews.
- Onions - They add a slightly sweet flavor to the lamb while cooking. Any onions would work for roast lamb shoulder.
How to Slow Roast a Lamb Shoulder?
Making this tender and juicy Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder is surprisingly easy and straightforward. Here are a few simple steps that you need to follow:
Cook the Lamb Shoulder
Rub the lamb shoulder all over with salt and pepper. Set it aside to marinate at room temperature for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 140° C (285° F). Cut the garlic heads in halves. Peel and cut the onions in halves and place them on a large and deep baking tray along with rosemary sprigs and garlic heads.
Place the lamb shoulder on top of the flavorings and add 1 liter of water to the tray.
Cook the lamb for 4 hours, or it falls apart easily when touched with a fork.
Place the lamb into a large plate and cover it with tin foil, and let it rest somewhere warm for 30 minutes. While resting the lamb, start preparing the gravy.
Prepare the Gravy
Remove as much fat as you can from the oven tray, add the ½ liter of stock and place it on medium heat. Deglaze the pan, making sure you scrape all the brown goodness into the stock.
Let it boil for 10 minutes, remove from the heat and then pass it through a fine chinois or a sieve into a small saucepan. Press firmly on the vegetables to squeeze all the juice out of them.
Place the saucepan on medium-low heat and let the stock simmer for another 15 minutes.
Prepare the slurry by mixing 2 tablespoons of cornflour with 3 tablespoons of cold water.
Slowly whisk the slurry into the gravy. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes then remove the pan from the heat.
Taste the gravy and add seasoning, if necessary. You rarely would need extra seasoning. Transfer it into a sauce jug and serve it with plated Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder meat and your favorite side dishes.
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
Serving Suggestions
This delicious fork-tender Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder is perfect with all your favorite roast dinner side dishes such as Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips, Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts, Gluten-Free Yorkshire Puddings, Swede and Carrot Mash, Duck Fat Roasted Potatoes, Homemade Mini Pigs in a Blanket, Cranberry Sauce with Orange Juice, and Baked Cheesy Cauliflower.
Other side dishes you can serve slow-cooked lamb are Pomme Purée (Creamy Mashed Potatoes), Potato Boulangere, Crispy Sauté Potatoes With Garlic, Beetroot and Feta Salad, and Bulgur Pilavi (Turkish Bulgur Rice Pilaf).
Top Tips From the Chef
- Take the meat out of the fridge at least an hour before cooking to ensure it reaches room temperature.
- Make sure to keep the meat raised on some onions and garlic as they will add extra flavor to the gravy and also keep the lamb out of the liquid. You can also use some celery and/or carrots with or instead of onions and garlic.
- The cooking time for the lamb shoulder depends on the size of the joint and the temperature/efficiency of the oven. You can use a fork to check if the lamb shoulder is cooked. When you can pull the shoulder bone out easily, leaving just the meat behind, your Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder is ready to take out of the oven.
- To easily separate the lamb fat from the stock, pour it into a jug and place it in a large bowl filled with ice. When the stock is cooled down, put it into the freezer to help the fat layer set. When the fat is set on top, remove it using a spoon and your stock is ready for making the gravy.
Recipe FAQs
If you manage to have some leftovers, there are many ways to use them. You can make Maqluba (Makloubeh), or Slow Cooked Lamb Ragu with leftover lamb, or simply use them in a sandwich or wrap!
You can also add them to soups, and stews or make salads with them. They are also great for making curries or sautéing with some vegetables. Check out my Et Sote and Guvec (Turkish Lamb Casserole) for inspiration.
The leftovers of Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder will keep for up to five days when refrigerated in an airtight container.
Yes, they freeze beautifully. Place them in an airtight container when they are fully cooled and keep them in the freezer for up to 5 months.
Related Recipes
For more delicious lamb recipes why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this incredibly tender and moist Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!
Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2.5 kg shoulder of lamb
- 2 heads garlic
- 2 large onions
- 5 sprigs rosemary
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 l water
For the gravy
- ½ l chicken, lamb, or beef stock
- 2 tablespoon cornflour
- 3 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Rub the lamb shoulder all over with salt and pepper. Set aside to marinate at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 140° C (285° F).
- Peel and cut the onions in halves and place them on a large and deep baking tray along with rosemary sprigs and garlic.
- Place the lamb shoulder on top of the flavorings and add 1 liter of water to the tray.
- Cook the lamb for 4 hours, or it falls apart easily when touched with a fork.
- Place the lamb into a large bowl and cover it with tin foil, and let it rest somewhere warm for 30 minutes.
- While resting the lamb, start preparing the gravy.
- Remove as much fat as you can from the oven tray, add the ½ liter of stock and place it on medium heat.
- Deglaze the pan, making sure you scrape all the brown goodness into the stock.
- Let it boil for 10 minutes, remove from the heat and then pass it through a fine chinois or a sieve into a small saucepan. Press firmly on the vegetables to squeeze all the juice out of them.
- Place the saucepan on medium-low heat and let the stock simmer for another 15 minutes.
- Prepare the slurry by mixing 2 tablespoons of cornflour with 3 tablespoons of cold water.
- Slowly whisk the slurry into the gravy. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes then remove the pan from the heat.
- Taste the gravy and add seasoning, if necessary. You rarely would need extra seasoning.
Notes
- Take the meat out of the fridge at least an hour before cooking to ensure it reaches room temperature.
- Make sure to keep the meat raised on some onions and garlic as they will add extra flavor to the gravy and also keep the lamb out of the liquid. You can also use some celery and/or carrots with or instead of onions and garlic.
- The cooking time for the lamb shoulder depends on the size of the joint and the temperature/efficiency of the oven. You can use a fork to check if the lamb shoulder is cooked. When you can pull the shoulder bone out easily, leaving just the meat behind, your Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder is ready to take out of the oven.
- To easily separate the lamb fat from the stock, pour it into a jug and place it in a large bowl filled with ice. When the stock is cooled down, put it into the freezer to help the fat layer set. When the fat is set on top, remove it using a spoon and your stock is ready for making the gravy.
Nutrition
This post uses affiliate links. This means that if you click on them and then buy something, we get a small amount of commission to keep the site running, but it doesn’t cost you anything more.
Salima
We are a big fan of lamb and this recipe turned out perfectly! My family and I really enjoyed it! It was incredibly tasty!