Kleftiko is a traditional Greek recipe for unbelievably tender and succulent lamb. Simply marinate then sit back and let your slow cooker, Instant Pot or your oven do all the hard work!
Take a look at my other popular Greek Recipes!
Published 2017, updated 2019 in collaboration with ‘Lamb – Try It Love It’
I realise that as summer approaches I have been unconsciously navigating towards the recipes of my Greek childhood.
Lamb is very popular in Greece but I was not a fan when I was little! Thankfully we live to grow, and I have rediscovered Lamb Kleftiko from the perspective of an adult and grown to appreciate this very simple dish.
This recipe is one of the most popular and highly rated on Supergolden Bakes and I am so glad to be able to update it with a killer marinade, oven and Instant Pot instructions PLUS a recipe video – take a look.
What is Kleftiko?
Kleftiko is a traditional Greek recipe for tender slow cooked lamb. The name translates as ‘bandit’s lamb’, meat that was stolen and cooked in a pit to avoid detection.
These days, it is simply seasoned lamb that’s slow-cooked with potatoes until it is so tender it falls off the bone. The meat is sometimes enclosed in parchment paper or aluminium foil to mimic the thieves (kleftes) method of cooking.
This Greek lamb recipe is simply tailor-made for the slow cooker, especially when it is hot out and you want to give your oven – and yourself – a break. You can literally put it on in the morning, forget about it for most of the day and have an amazing dinner waiting for you several hours later.
And I am very glad to report it is equally easy – and just as tasty – to make in an Instant Pot for a fraction of the time. My thanks to the many readers who kept asking me to adapt this recipe for the pressure cooker!
Which lamb cut to use
This recipe uses on-the-bone lamb shoulder which is a cut that needs to be cooked slowly to reach maximum tenderness.
Be mindful that your lamb joint needs to fit in your slow cooker / Instant Pot when buying it – you may be somewhat limited as to what size you use.
You can also use butterflied leg of lamb which has the bone removed or lamb shanks. This might work better for smaller crock pots and pressure cookers.
Greek Lamb Marinade
When I first posted this recipe the lamb was not marinated, simply seasoned and cooked. If you have time however then marinating the lamb overnight will add flavour to your kleftiko recipe. You can also use this for any slow-roasted lamb or even for souvlaki.
The marinade is made up of herbs, lemon juice & zest, garlic, anchovy paste and olive oil. If anchovy paste is hard to find – or not to your taste – you can leave it out.
The cooking juices from the lamb will be so tasty if you use this marinade… Use a gravy/fat separator to remove some of the oily residue and mix it with the shredded lamb or reduce it slightly and use as gravy.
Slow Cooked Lamb
This recipe NEEDS a long and slow cooking time which is why your crockpot is perfect for it. Avoid opening the lid as this ADDS time to your recipe – every time you open the lid the temperature will drop.
Your Kleftiko will look a little grey and unappealing after several hours in the moist heat of the slow cooker. While this doesn’t affect the taste one little bit, you might want to give the lamb joint some colour by sticking under a hot grill (broiler) for a few minutes.
How to make lamb kleftiko
Take a look at this step by step tutorial – please note you will find the full recipe, including ingredients in the recipe card at the end of this post.
OPTIONAL Start by making the lamb marinade a day ahead of cooking this recipe. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and then rub over your lamb shoulder. Season liberally with salt and pepper, transfer to a suitable lidded container and leave to marinate in the fridge overnight.
The following day, heat a large pan and sear the lamb for several minutes on each side until nicely coloured. You might need to press down on it so it browns evenly. Set the lamb aside and give the potatoes and onion a turn in the same pan until the start to colour a little.
Deglaze the pan with a splash of the white wine and transfer to the slow cooker. Add the lemon slice, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and fresh thyme and top with the seared lamb. Pour in the stock, remaining wine and vinegar. Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours – no peeking!
Test the lamb – it should feel very tender if pierced with a knife. The internal temperature should be 62°C/ 145°F (medium rare), 71°C/160°F (medium), or 76°C/170 °F (well done).
Leave the lamb to rest for 10 minutes loosely covered with foil before shredding or slicing to serve.
Cooking in an Instant Pot
Follow the same instructions and method to cook this in a pressure cooker. It will need 45 minutes on high pressure and then allow about 25 minutes for natural release.
The meat will deliciously succulent when cooked – this method is more suited for slicing the lamb rather than shredding it.
Can I cook Kleftiko in the oven?
You sure can! In fact with the oven you are not restricted as to the size of the lamb and you can use a bigger cut if you are serving a crowd.
I have employed my favourite trick of using a roasting bag for to cook this lamb joint in the oven – it replaces the parchment paper without any of the fuss.
You will need an extra large roasting bag, such as those used for turkeys. Please be very careful when opening it as you can easily burn yourself with the steam.
If you can’t find a roasting bag that’s a suitable size you can use parchment paper or foil to create a sort of enclosed tent to cook the lamb in. Use the instructions for the homemade pastrami to see how to make this.
Serving Suggestions
This recipe would make a great easy Easter lamb roast maybe with some spanakorizo as a side dish.
You could shred it pulled-pork style if you wished to – would be delicious served in pita wraps with some tzatziki. Or you can serve it with the potatoes, lemon wedges and a Greek salad for the full experience!
By the way, most people recommend red wine as a good match for lamb. I prefer white wine or ice-cold beer simply because I am quite contrary 😉
NEED MORE LAMB RECIPE INSPO?
Greek lamb kleftiko
Ingredients
For the lamb marinade
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lemon zest only
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp anchovy paste optional
- 3 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
- salt and freshly ground pepper to season
For the lamb kleftiko
- 1.2 kg | 2 1/2 pounds lamb shoulder (or see notes)
- 1 kg | 2 pounds baby potatoes skin on
- 1 red onion peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 lemon slices
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 80 ml | 1/3 cup white wine
- 80 ml | 1/3 cup lamb or chicken stock
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme
To serve
- 5 tbsp crumbled feta optional
- lemon wedges
- handful fresh oregano and thyme leaves to garnish
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients for the marinade together in a small bowl and rub over the lamb.
- Season the lamb liberally with salt and pepper transfer into a lidded container and store in the fridge overnight.
- Take the lamb out of the fridge for 30 minutes. Preheat the slow cooker (this will speed your cooking time considerably) while you prepare the lamb.
- Heat a large non-stick frying pan and sear the lamb over high heat on all sides until nicely browned. Set aside.
- Add the potatoes and onion to the pan and fry, stirring, over high heat until the potatoes are starting to colour a little. Deglaze the pan with splash of the wine. Season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer the potatoes to your slow cooker. Add the cinnamon stick, lemon slices and bay leaves.
- Top with the seared lamb. Pour the wine, stock and vinegar over the lamb.
- Cook on low setting for 7-8 hours, or until the lamb is tender if pierced with a knife and falling off the bone.
- If you wish to brown the lamb for some colour (this is optional) place under a hot grill for about 5 minutes. Rest for 10 minutes, loosely covered.
- Shred or carve the lamb into portions and serve over the potatoes sprinkled with a little feta cheese, garnished with the fresh herbs and with extra lemon wedges on the side.
Instant Pot method
- Follow steps 1-5 and cook in your Instant Pot for 45 minutes at high pressure. Allow around 25-30 minutes of natural release.
- If you wish to brown the lamb for some colour place under a hot grill for about 5 minutes. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing to serve.
Oven method
- Follow steps 1-5. Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F).
- Place the potatoes and onion on in a large (turkey) roasting bag and top with the lamb. Add the cinnamon stick, lemon slices and bay leaves. Place on a heavy deep roasting tray.
- Add 60ml (1/4 cup) of white wine or stock and seal the bag. Add a small hole to allow some steam to escape.
- Cook for 3 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and very carefully open the roasting bag – the steam can give you a nasty burn so protect your hand!
- Return to the oven for another 30 minutes to brown if needed. Check the internal temperature with a digital thermometer. It should be 62°C/ 145°F (medium rare), 71°C/160°F (medium), or 76°C/170 °F (well done). Leave the lamb to rest for 10 minutes loosely covered with foil before slicing to serve.
Video
Notes
Nutritional Info
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Teresa Yee says
Hi Lucy
I’m from Malaysia. My family and I fell in love with Greece more than a decade ago. It’s during our annual visits that we discovered Kleftiko and ever since then we’re hooked!. But this year the pandemic put a dent in our annual plans and so to satisfy our cravings during lockdown, I found your recipe and decided to give it a go.
I prepped 3.2kg of lamb leg + shank and divided between the pressure cooker and slow cooker. Both were equally delicious! I followed your recipe and multiplied the ingredients to suit.
There are only 4 of us and we polished off the lamb in 3 days😂. I cooked the lamb for Father’s Day (last weekend) and my family suggested another round of your wonderful ‘kleftiko’ dish.
A big thank you to you and please stay safe.
Lucy Parissi says
Love to hear it worked out so well! I am missing Greece myself so much right now – nice way to experience the food from afar. Sending you much love xxx
Teresa Yee says
Hi Lucy
I was wondering; any ideas on what kind of rice recipe that would complement the lamb kleftiko?
We ate it with crusty bread, quinoa and chia wraps plus plain boiled white rice which by the way was utterly delicious…2nd round in the making ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
PS: tried 2 other recipes offered by others but my family unanimously chose yours…
Lucy Parissi says
Hi Teresa – so glad you enjoyed the Lamb Kleftiko! I have two rice recipes which would be great with this
Herby Dill Rice https://www.supergoldenbakes.com/dill-rice/
and for a Greek recipe try Spanakorizo https://www.supergoldenbakes.com/greek-spinach-rice-spanakorizo/
Zizzy says
I cooked this in an Instapot. I just put everything in the slow cooker selection, except for the potatoes. I did not marinade the meat (I started cooking at 3:00 on a Friday morning and wanted to serve around 3:00 pm the next afternoon and I new i would sleep too late to start the slow cook). Added new potatoes around 12:00 and served late lunch around 4:00. The BEST lamb ever. Lover it and a wonderfull recipe :):):) Deserves 6 stars.
Lucy Parissi says
You have made me SO HAPPY on a day when I was feeling down. Deserves 6 stars needs to be quoted on the recipe! Thanks so much Zizzy 🙂
Zizzy says
Ha Ha – no thnk you, for an awsome recipe and so easy!!!!! Just sent it to a Greek friend of mine ‘cos I think she will love it. Don’t feel down – anyone that cooks like this needs a medal. They should have an Oscar-type award for cooks lol. This would win, guaranteed :):):)
Lucy Parissi says
Awwww you are really too sweet! Try the Beef Stifado if you like Greek recipes, it’s a good one!
christine rose says
cooked this for valentines day, it was amazing and cooked lovely, we had the left overs as a gyros wrap a few days later, going to try this marinade with some chicken and pork wraps
Lucy Parissi says
That’s is nice to hear Christine! And am especially jealous of those wraps 🙂
Paul says
Fantastic recipe. We cooked this in an oven bag. Had no anchovy paste so used mashed sardine instead. Also added a little celery. Cooked for 2.5 hours then left in the hot oven as it cooled for about 45 minutes to rest.
Lucy Parissi says
So glad you liked it! Good tip re: anchovy paste too 🙂
Linda says
Hi Lucy ,The lamb I have weighs almost twice as much as you have given.I want to cook it in the oven do I just double up on the time.If not how much longer would you recommend.?
Lucy Parissi says
Hi Linda – I would cook for the same time and test it with a digital thermometer – that’s really the only way to accurately determine if it is done. Alternatively check the cooking instructions (if any) for length of cooking. If in doubt I would cook for 40 minutes per 500g (1lb), plus 40 minutes at 170C /340F. Hope this helps
Carol Bonosaro says
What happened to the chicken stock in the oven method recipe?? A bit confusing. And it would be helpful to know if you do anything with the marinade that’s left – throw it in with the lamb, potatoes and onions? Saute the potatoes and onions in it?
I put in both the wine and chicken stock and used it – when the lamb and potatoes were done – to make a gravy. Very good.
Lucy Parissi says
I specify you add 60ml of stock or wine to the bag. The marinade is also thrown in. Glad you liked it, will check the recipe again to make sure instructions are clear. Thanks for your comment!
Ellie says
Hi!
Do you mean 2 tablespoons of anchovy paste or 2 teaspoons? I just made up my marinade and used 2 tablespoons as per the recipe but it looks a lot and my marinade doesn’t look like the pictures! My lamb is marinating now so hopefully it’ll be ok and not too salty?
Thank you
Ellie
Lucy Parissi says
sorry Ellie was on holiday. It’s teaspoons hope it turned out ok!
Graham says
Hi Lucy
I cooked this a few weeks ago before you updated the recipe, and it was perfection!
I’m trying the updated version (marinated) today so fingers crossed.
However, do you still have a link to the original recipe?
I’d like to print that one out.
Regards
Lucy Parissi says
Hi Graham – the marinade was part of the original recipe but it wasn’t isolated as a ‘marinade’, it was simply added into the recipe as you cooked it. Please let me know how the updated version turns out, it should be as good -if not better – than the original. I will have a look to see if I have a printout of the original somewhere and get back to you.
Stephen says
Hi Lucy, I wonder if you could advise please.
I’d like to marinate the Lamb overnight to give it a good flavour like I remember from my younger days.
Do you have, or can you suggest, a good marinade recipe that I could use for my Kleftiko and also when using the Slow Cooker
if I use a med setting could I reduce the cooking time?
Lucy Parissi says
Hi Stephen – I like using this marinade (https://www.supergoldenbakes.com/one-pot-greek-roast-lamb-with-potatoes/). As for cooking time, generally you can halve the cooking time if you use the high setting in a slow cooker. But for much faster results you can use a pressure cooker. I need to test this recipe for the Instant Pot but I am thinking 45 mins on high pressure plus 10 minutes natural release would be about right.
Katy says
Ooh – do you have the instant pot version yet? And if not if I used in the instant pot on slow cook is it still 9.5 hours? Thank you!
Lucy Parissi says
Hi Katy, I haven’t tried it yet and if I am honest I haven’t used the slow cook function on the Instant Pot. I would try to update ASAP once I have tested it
Hayley says
I was just wondering if the liquid should be covering the lamb it seems a little low on the liquid?
Lucy Parissi says
Hi Hayley, it worked fine for me, the liquid should not be covering the lamb. My slow cooker is 4.5L and it worked but if you feel you need to add more you can – you won’t be using the liquid in the end though.
Jackie says
What size slow cooker is this recipe for?
Lucy Parissi says
I used a 4.7L Crockpot
Sara says
Should I be basting the lamb or turning it during the cooking time?
I’ll be doing my spuds in the oven – should I sit the lamb on additional onion or something or remove stock and create more of a rub?
Thank you!
Lucy Parissi says
You can turn it, if you like, but it’s not essential in a slow cooker. I would add a couple of onions so it can sit on them.
Kate says
Any idea of the rough calorie count for a serving?
Lucy Parissi says
I am really sorry Kate, I haven’t got that handy but I am hopefully updating my recipe cards to include nutritional information soon. Apps like My Fitness Pal have calorie calculators though I am not sure about how easy they are to use on a recipe.
Paola says
This looks delicious! i just don’t know where to find lamb shoulder. I live in the US. Any idea who sells it?
Lucy Parissi says
Hi Paola – thanks for pointing that out I would never have known! I had to ask my US blogging buddies for an answer and it it seems that lamb is just not as popular in the US.Apparently Kroger has some cuts and you might be able to ask the meat deparment to order some for you. However lamb shoulder is not even listed on the ‘learn your cuts of lamb’ website and I am thinking BRT boneless leg of lamb might work in this recipe instead. Some people have suggested you might be able to find lamb in the freezer department but not fresh so worth checking that. If you let me know where you are based I am sure I can find some info more specific to your area.
Alternatively you could use pork instead of lamb and I am thinking pork shoulder trimmed of most of the fat would work. There’s even beef kleftiko and in this case brisket might be a good choice. Basically you want meat with a bit of fat not a super lean cut. Hope this helps!
Karen says
This sounds delicious and I would like to try it tomorrow night. Can you tell me if the 1.2 KG weight is for a bonus please or with Bone in
Lucy Parissi says
Sorry for not replying sooner Karen I was laid up with a cold! The weight is the uncooked lamb with a small bone in
Ellie says
Haha! I thought so! I used a whole jar but it was delicious! Just had potatoes round 2! X