Lamb and potatoes are cooked low and slow to melt-in-the-mouth perfection.
This recipe is worth making for the delicious smell alone! As the roasting lamb blips away in the slow-cooker during the day, the unbelievable perfume of this dish will fill your home – your family will be hovering in the kitchen and constantly asking when dinner will be ready!
Slow-cooker Lamb Shoulder might take a full day to cook, but this is mostly a hands-off affair, and I promise it is SO worth it. There are only 15 minutes of prep in the morning and it’s impossible to get wrong, thanks to the slow-cooker. There are parts of the recipe that you can make ahead of time, which is great if you are entertaining, and I’ve provided the details below. However, if not making ahead, you’ll have to start this dish first thing in the morning.
The garlicky, lemony lamb cooks down to melt-in-the-mouth heaven in the slow-cooker, then is crisped up in the oven. Meanwhile, the potatoes become super tender and soak up the gorgeous gravy. You can omit the oven-crisping step, but I find this little bit of extra effort is worth doing as I love the caramelised results.
Even better, the leftover lamb and gravy can be frozen, then later thawed and repurposed in other delicious dinners, such as my Greek Slow-roasted Lamb Shoulder Tacos and Leftover Mediterranean Lamb Pizza, so the recipe is great value.
You can use the lamb in Greek Slow-roasted Lamb Shoulder Tacos, Leftover Mediterranean Lamb Pizza, in wraps or pita with tzatziki, added to a warm grain salad, or tossed into a pasta dish.
You could omit the potatoes and serve the lamb with creamy mashed potatoes, couscous or steamed rice. You could also serve this dish with roasted vegetables – I like a combination of eggplant (aubergine), capsicum (bell pepper), zucchini (courgette), red onion, tomatoes OR carrots, cauliflower, pumpkin and broccoli. You can roast the veggies on a separate baking tray in the oven at the same time as the lamb. The lamb also works well with steamed greens like broccolini (tenderstem broccoli) or peas (pictured) or a fresh Greek salad or green leafy salad. Garlic bread and soft dinner rolls are great for soaking up the gravy.
The lamb is ready when it’s fork-tender and falls apart easily. If it’s still firm after the recommended cooking time, continue slow-cooking it and checking every 30 minutes until the desired tenderness is reached.
Amazingly, it’s not required with this recipe! The browning is done AFTER slow-cooking in the oven. This method is much easier and the final roast in the oven creates extra flavour and a deeper coloured, caramelised crust on the lamb.
Slow-cooked Beef Stroganoff Recipe
Slow-cooker Beef Stew Recipe
Slow-cooked Osso Buco Recipe
Slow-cooked Traditional Goulash Recipe
Rosemary and Garlic Lamb Leg Recipe
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Aalyah meads says:
Hi Nicole! I absolutely love this recipe and am having my family coming over so I will need to do approx 3x lamb shoulders – do you recommend slow cooking them all in just the oven (I have a large Miele oven) If so can this slow down the cooking / anything I should change about the process do you think?
Nicole says:
Hi Aalyah! This is such a great idea for a family gathering! 😊 With 3 lamb shoulders, the slow-cooker can be tricky just because of space, so the oven is a really good option here. To adapt it, cook them low and slow in the oven, covered, to mimic the slow-cooker. Place the lamb in large roasting dishes (or a couple of trays), add the liquid from the recipe, cover tightly with foil, and cook at 180°C (350°F) (160°C/325°F fan-force) for around 4.5–5.5 hours, or until the meat is falling apart. For the potatoes, I’d recommend adding them for the last 2–2.5 hours of cooking. If they go in right at the beginning, they can become too soft and lose their shape. Adding them later means they’ll still soak up all that flavour but hold together nicely. Make sure everything is sitting in the liquid and not overcrowded – if the trays are too full, just allow a little extra time. Once the lamb is tender, uncover and increase the heat (or pop under the grill/broiler) for 15–20 minutes to get that golden finish. It’s a very forgiving recipe, so just go by how easily the lamb pulls apart. I hope that helps! Nic x
Claudia Dani says:
Hi Nicole , the rosemary garlic lab shoulder is marinating over night for tomorrow ortodox Easter celebration here. In Romania. We got a whole lamb from the butcher and still have the two front legs..I would like to make them in slow cooker using this recipe. Would this work? Both are about 2.5 kgs. Thank you. 🙏🏻
Nicole says:
Hi Claudia, how special – Easter in Romania sounds amazing! 🥹 Yes, this will absolutely work in the slow-cooker using that recipe. I’m so sorry I didn’t respond sooner. With two front legs (around 2.5 kg each), just keep in mind:
– You may need to cook them in batches depending on the size of your slow-cooker.
– Cook on low for 8–10 hours or until the meat is fall-apart tender.
– Make sure there’s enough space around the meat so it cooks evenly.
You won’t get the same caramelised finish as the oven, but the flavour and tenderness will still be beautiful. If you can, you could finish it in the oven or under the grill (broiler) for a bit of colour. I hope that helps. Happy Easter. 🐣 Nic x
Claudia D says:
I am so thankfull for finding your insta account! I made the above slow cooker recipe even if I did not get your response in time! Lamb was tender yet slightly crusty on top. The potatoes ended up so velvety inside with a crunchy outside! The rosemary garlic lamb shoulder was absolutely a hit! I will leave a review on that recipe shortly!
Nicole says:
Hi Claudia, I am SO happy you managed to make this and it worked out well! 🧡 Nic x
Danielle says:
Hi Nicole! I am looking to make this but in a smaller portion (cooking for just myself) and using a small round 5ct slow cooker. Is it possible in this smaller slow cooker? If so what size do you recommend for the lamb shoulder?
Nicole says:
Hi Danielle, great question! 😊 Yes, you can absolutely make this in a smaller slow-cooker. The main thing is making sure the lamb fits comfortably in the bowl. For a 5 litre (quart) slow-cooker, I’d recommend a piece around 1.2–2 kg (1–41/4 lb). If you’re cooking a smaller piece (around 1–1.5 kg/2–31/4 lb), you can reduce the cooking time slightly – I’d aim for about 6–7 hours on low instead of the full time. That said, lamb shoulder is very forgiving, so if you’re unsure, it’s always better to err on the longer side – you’re looking for that fall-apart, pull-apart texture. Hope you love it – it’s such a beautiful one! Nic x
Lauren says:
Beautiful recipe! Cooked it for the first time tonight and realised when I was making the gravy that I forgot to add the beef stock to the slow cooker. Even without it, it turned about beautiful after 9 hours of cooking on low. All other parts of the recipe were followed.
Will definitely make this one again.
Nicole says:
Hi Lauren, so glad this was delicious even without the stock! 🙌🏻 Happy to hear you’ll be making this again. Thanks for the rating. 🧡 Nic x
EVA says:
Can’t wait to surprise my family at EASTER
THANK YOU !
Nicole says:
Fantastic, Eva! Let me know how you go! 🧡 Nic x
Rita says:
How can I make this in the oven – don’t have a slow cooker
Nicole says:
Hi Rita, I developed this lamb recipe specially for people who wanted a recipe for the slow-cooker. However, I do have other slow-cooked lamb recipes that can be cooked in the oven, such as Rosemary Garlic Lamb Shoulder with Gravy. I hope this helps! 🧡 Nic x
Moreen says:
This lamb is just amazing! I made it a couple weeks ago and it was a hit!
Can I ask, if I buy a 2.5kg lamb shoulder in bone, how long should I cook it in the slow cooker?
Nicole says:
Hi Moreen, so glad you enjoyed this recipe! 🙌🏻 For a 2.5 kg lamb shoulder I would cook it for 12 hours on low. The meat should be falling off the bone … if it isn’t, keep cooking in 30-minute intervals until it’s just right. ❤️ Nic x
Moreen says:
Thank you so much!! One more question please – my potatoes the first time didn’t go crispy. Should I cook them for longer in the oven or pat them dry when I take them out of the slow cooker.
Nicole says:
Hi Moreen! I’m so glad you loved it 😊 The potatoes won’t go completely crispy in this recipe – they’re more soft and tender from the slow-cooker, then golden and caramelised on the edges once finished in the oven. If you’d like a bit more colour, you can:
– Spread them out a little more in the roasting pan
– Or give them a light drizzle of oil before the oven step
But I wouldn’t worry about patting them dry – they’re not designed to be super crispy like roast potatoes, more soft inside with those golden edges. 🧡 Nic x
Sonz says:
Left overs… what leftovers??? That was the most amazing lamb I have ever made. It was ‘banging’ as the kids said. I will make this time and time again. Thank you ! (Btw, I didn’t have time to finish in the oven.. I just reduced the stock…. and it was still amazing).
Nicole says:
Hi Sonz, wow, you’ve really made my day with this beautiful feedback! 🥰 🙌🏻 I’m beyond thrilled that the kids thought the lamb was “banging”! 🤣 So happy you all enjoyed it and thanks for the rating. Nic x
Nicole says:
Hello, what slow cooker do you have?
Nicole says:
Hi Nicole, I have the Russell Hobbs Slow Cooker and Sous Vide. However, I also have a Breville Fast Go Slow Pressure Cooker with a slow-cooker function, so I tend to use that. I would recommend this one as you can do both pressure and slow-cooking. There’s actually a post on my site where I talk about the pros and cons of various kitchen appliances. Hope this helps! Nic x
Lizette says:
This recipe is so good!! I just made it for (Canadian) Thanksgiving dinner and it was such a hit. Also the directions to make it ahead of time are so helpful for not having to be in the kitchen much when entertaining! Will absolutely make this again.
Nicole says:
Hi Lizette, thanks so much for sharing this beautiful feedback. I am so touched you chose this for your Thanksgiving meal! Wow! And so great you found it easy. Thanks for the rating too. Nic x
Becky says:
Got the thumbs up from the UK for Sunday dinner!! going to add some traditional Yorkshire puddings and roasted parsnips next time 🙂
Nicole says:
Wow, Becky, I am so happy to hear this hit the spot for you! Yummmmm – Yorkshire puds and roast parsnips … they will be delish. Thanks so much for the rating too, Nic x
Kim says:
Hi, can you make this recipe in an instant pot?
Nicole says:
Hi Kim, I haven’t tested it, but will try and update the recipe asap! Thank you for your lovely message. Nic x
Nicole says:
Hi Kim, I haven’t tested this yet, but this is what I would do:
To cook this in a pressure cooker, follow the recipe as is to Step 2, but use 1 cup (250 ml) beef stock (instead of 2 cups). Cook the lamb in the pressure cooker on high pressure – 90 minutes, natural release – 20 minutes. (If the lamb is large and very meaty, go to 100 minutes.) Then transfer the lamb and potatoes to a baking tray. Finish in the oven at 220°C (425°F) (200°C/400°F fan-forced) for 20–25 minutes to crisp. For the gravy, use 1 cup (250 ml) of juices exactly as written – the pressure cooker juices will be a little richer because less liquid was added.