How To Slow Cook Lamb Shoulder

Slow Roast Lamb Shoulder cooked until meltingly tender and falling off the bone! This easy lamb shoulder recipe can be cooked in your crockpot or the oven.

Simply cover the lamb shoulder with my Moroccan-inspired marinade, then cook low and slow until the meat is succulent and juicy. Serve with potatoes, chickpeas and spinach or your choice of sides.

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Shredded Lamb Shoulder on a vintage platter over a bed of vegetables

As you know I love cooking with lamb. There's so many different ways you can prepare lamb – from super-quick lamb chops to slow-cooked leg of lamb.

Lamb shoulder is an often overlooked cut of lamb. Hard-working and marbled with fat, it needs to be cooked at a low temperature for several hours.

The fat renders as it cooks, basting the joint and resulting in meat that's incredibly soft and flavourful.

You can slow roast lamb shoulder in the oven – a large shoulder joint feeds between 6-8 and will need to be cooked for at least 5 hours or longer.

If you are cooking for fewer people, then opt for a half shoulder joint which serves up to four people. I prefer to cook a half shoulder of lamb in a slow cooker.

It will need the same length of time as the oven, but is more energy efficient and will free up your oven for other things. May I suggest my Simnel Cake if you are making this lamb roast for Easter?

Overhead view of a roasting tin with roast potatoes, chickpeas, spinach and slow cooked lamb shoulder

SPICED LAMB SHOULDER

Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!

Start by marinating the lamb shoulder, whether you choose to slow cook it in a crock pot or slow roast it in the oven. You can use just olive oil, salt and pepper or get more creative.

I opted for Moroccan-inspired flavours this time, using honey, minced ginger and garlic, cumin seeds and lots of warming spices.

Rub the marinade over the lamb and place in a covered container in the fridge overnight or for at least 30 minutes. This will also allow the lamb to come to room temperature before cooking.

SLOW COOKER LAMB SHOULDER

Drizzle your crock pot with olive oil and add sliced onion and new potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat in the oil. Add the stock – you can use beef or lamb stock.

Potatoes, onions and stock in a slow cooker

Place the lamb, fat side up, over the vegetables. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4-5.

Marinated half shoulder of lamb positioned over otatoes, onions and stock in a slow cooker

If you wish to crisp up the lamb then transfer to a roasting tin and blast it under the grill (broiler) until nicely browned.

Removing cooked lamb from a crockpot using tongs

Meanwhile add the chickpeas and spinach to the crockpot and cook for a further 30 minutes on HIGH.

Potatoes, chickpeas and stock in slow cooker

Transfer the vegetables to a platter and check the seasoning. Squeeze lemon juice over them and add the pine nuts and pomegranate seeds.

The lamb should be perfectly tender and literally melting off the bone. Forget carving, shoulder of lamb is best suited to pulling / shredding with two forks.

Close up on tender slow roasted lamb shoulder on a bed of potatoes, chickpeas and spinach, being shredded with two forks

OVEN ROASTED LAMB SHOULDER

Add sliced onion to your roasting tin and place the marinated lamb over it. Add lamb stock or wine and cover tightly with foil. Cook at 160C /140Fan (325F/300Fan) for 3-5 hours depending on the size and weight of your joint.

Raw lamb shoulder covered with marinade over sliced onions in a roasting tin

Add peeled chopped potatoes, tossing them to coat in the lamb juices, and cook for an additional hour, or until the potatoes are tender. You will probably need to top up the liquid in the pan.

Spiced lamb shoulder in a roasting tin with chopped potatoes

Take the foil off the lamb, and add chickpeas to the roasting tin. Cook for a further 20 minutes until the lamb is golden and falling off the bone.

Rest your lamb shoulder, loosely covered with foil, for at least half an hour before serving. At this point you can add spinach leaves to the pan which will wilt in the lamb juices.

Transfer the potatoes and chickpeas to a platter and scatter with pine nuts, pomegranate seeds and chopped coriander. Place the lamb on top for a lovely presentation or simply shred the meat using two forks and toss it with the vegetables before serving.

How long will it take to cook?

It's hard to overcook lamb shoulder, especially if you are cooking a large joint. You will know the lamb is ready when the meat is so tender you can easily shred it with a fork. If you are cooking your lamb shoulder in the oven, check whether you need to add more stock in the pan after 2-3 hours.

If you are slow cooking lamb in a crockpot, then you can pretty much leave it to cook unsupervised. The slow cooker cooks by locking in heat and moisture so you can guarantee the meat will be succulent and juicy.

Slow cookers can vary however – older models with ceramic pots tend to heat up more slowly and require longer cooking time. Check the lamb joint fits into your crock pot first!

LEG OF LAMB INTERNAL TEMPERATURE GUIDELINES
The best way to check your lamb is cooked to your liking – and safely – is to check the temperature with a digital thermometer. Insert the probe in the thickest part of the joint, avoiding the bone. The guidelines below are for the UK, it is possible that these recommendations are slightly different in other countries.
––––––––––––––––––
Medium: Internal temp. 70-75°C (157-167°F)
Well-done: Internal temp. approx 75-80°C (167-176°F)

The lamb is best eaten on the day you cook it – and it will disappear pretty sharpish if you are serving a family!

In the unlikely event that you have roast lamb leftovers, you can use them to make a delicious Moroccan Tagine, stir them into Harira Soup, add them to Shepherd's Pie or make a lamb ragu.

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For the Marinade

▢ 3 tbsp honey
▢ 2 tbsp olive oil
▢ 2 tsp cumin seeds
▢ 1 tbsp minced ginger
▢ 1 tbsp minced garlic
▢ 2 tsp smoked paprika
▢ 2 tsp turmeric
▢ 1 tsp ground cumin
▢ 1 tsp ground cinnamon
▢ 1 tsp sea salt
▢ 1 tsp ground black pepper

Lamb / Slow Cooker

▢ 2 red onions sliced into rounds
▢ 8 medium new potatoes
▢ 240 ml (1 cup) lamb stock
▢ 1 kg (2+ lbs) lamb shoulder, bone in – check if it fits!
▢ 400 g (14oz) canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
▢ 200 g (7oz) baby spinach

Lamb / Oven Method

▢ 2 kg (4+ lbs) lamb shoulder, bone in
▢ 6 medium floury old potatoes peeled and cubed
▢ 480 ml (2 cups) lamb stock, more to top up as needed
▢ 400 g (14oz) canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
▢ 200 g (7oz) baby spinach

To serve

▢ seeds from one pomegranate
▢ 3 tbsp pine nuts or chopped pistachios
▢ small bunch coriander (cilantro) chopped
▢ lemon wedges
▢ salt and pepper

SLOW COOKER LAMB SHOULDER

Start by marinating your lamb: combine marinade ingredients, pierce lamb with a sharp knife and coat in the marinade. Place in a covered container in the fridge overnight or for at least half an hour at room temperature prior to cooking.
Drizzle your crock pot with olive oil and add sliced onion and new potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat in the oil. Add the stock.
Place the lamb, fat side up, over the vegetables. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4-5. The lamb is cooked when perfectly tender and literally melting off the bone
If you wish to crisp up the lamb then transfer to a roasting tin and blast it under the grill (broiler) until nicely browned.
Meanwhile add the chickpeas and spinach to the crockpot and cook for a further 30 minutes on HIGH.
Transfer the vegetables to a platter and check the seasoning. Scatter with the chopped herbs and and add the pine nuts and pomegranate seeds. Mix with the shredded lamb and serve.

OVEN ROASTED LAMB SHOULDER

Start by marinating your lamb: combine marinade ingredients, pierce lamb with a sharp knife and coat in the marinade. Place in a covered container in the fridge overnight or for at least half an hour at room temperature prior to cooking.
Add sliced onion to your roasting tin and place the marinated lamb over it. Add lamb stock or wine and cover tightly with foil. Cook at 160C /140Fan (325F/300Fan) for 4-5 hours depending on the size and weight of your joint. Bear in mind that if you are adding potatoes they will need to cook for at least an hour, or a bit longer.
Add peeled chopped potatoes, tossing them to coat in the lamb juices, and cook for an additional hour, or until the potatoes are tender. You will probably need to top up the liquid in the pan.
Take the foil off the lamb, and add chickpeas to the roasting tin. Cook for a further 20 minutes until the lamb is golden and falling off the bone.
Rest your lamb shoulder, loosely covered with foil, for at least half an hour before serving. At this point you can add spinach leaves to the pan which will wilt in the lamb juices.
Transfer the potatoes and chickpeas to a platter and scatter with pine nuts, pomegranate seeds and chopped coriander. Place the lamb on top for a lovely presentation or simply shred the meat using two forks and toss it with the vegetables before serving.

How long should I cook lamb shoulder for?

It's hard to overcook lamb shoulder, especially if you are cooking a large joint. You will know the lamb is ready when the meat is so tender you can easily shred it with a fork.

If you are oven roasting lamb shoulder, then check whether you need to add more stock in the pan after 2-3 hours. If you are slow cooking lamb in a crockpot then you can pretty much leave it to cook unsupervised.

The slow cooker cooks by locking in heat and moisture so you can guarantee the meat will be succulent and juicy. Slow cookers can vary however – older models with ceramic pots tend to heat up more slowly and require longer cooking time. Check the lamb joint fits into your crock pot first!

Nutritional information provided is for the slow cooker version which serves four, including the trimmings.