Greek Lamb Kleftiko (Slow Cooker or Oven)
, Updated Jun 20, 2025
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This Greek lamb kleftiko is melt-in-your-mouth tender, packed with lemon, garlic and herbs, and served with perfectly soft potatoes.. Simply marinate then sit back and let your slow cooker, Instant Pot or your oven do all the hard work!
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.
I made this for my family tonight and it was an absolute winner. The lamb turned out perfectly – succulent, flavorsome and very moreish.
– Helen ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Melt-in-the-mouth lamb – Cooking low and slow turns even a humble cut into something incredibly tender and flavorful.
- Bright, zesty flavor – A beautiful balance of lemon, garlic, and herbs gives this dish an unmistakable Mediterranean vibe.
- One pot, no fuss – Pop everything into your slow cooker and let it work its magic. No oven, no stress.
- Perfect for entertaining or meal prep – Feels fancy, but it’s secretly low-effort and great made ahead.
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 until it is so tender it falls off the bone. The meat is sometimes enclosed in parchment paper or 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!
Lamb Kleftiko Ingredients
This recipe uses bone-in lamb shoulder which is a cut that needs to be cooked slowly until it becomes fall-off-the bone tender.
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.
Add my killer Greek lamb marinade, made up of herbs, lemon juice & zest, garlic, anchovy paste and olive oil for maximum deliciousness. The cooking juices from the lamb will be so tasty if you use this marinade…
Add potatoes, onions and maybe even red peppers or plump fresh tomatoes to your kleftiko – anything seasonal goes!
How to make Lamb Kleftiko in the Slow Cooker
Marinate the lamb
- 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 or for at least 4 hours.
Cook your kleftiko
- Heat a large pan and sear the lamb for several minutes on each side. 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 color.
- 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.
Can I cook kleftiko in the oven?
I have employed this awesome hack 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 and a Greek Salad (Horiatiki Salata) as a side dish.
You could shred it pulled-pork style if you wished to – would be delicious served in pita bread with tzatziki sauce.
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 😉
Recipe Notes
- If your slow cooker has a searing function then you can brown the lamb and create the entire recipe in the slow cooker insert (avoiding extra dirty pans).
- Use a fat separator to remove some of the oily residue and mix it with the shredded lamb or reduce it slightly and use as gravy.
- You can leave the potatoes out if you would prefer to cook them separately. My Greek potato salad, Lemon Potatoes or Smashed Potatoes are all good options!
Storing and Reheating
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze the cooked lamb and sauce (not the potatoes) in freezer-safe bags or containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Microwave: to reheat, place in a microwave-safe dish with a splash of water. Cover and heat in 1-minute intervals until hot all the way through.
- Oven / Air Fryer: Place in a baking dish, cover with foil, and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 20–25 minutes, or until piping hot throughout.
- Stovetop: Gently reheat in a covered pan over low heat with a few spoonfuls of stock or water, stirring occasionally.
You will also like
If you made my Lamb Kleftiko recipe, I’d love to hear what you thought! Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below — it means so much and helps others find the recipe too.
And don’t forget to tag #supergoldenbakes on Instagram or TikTok if you share your plate — I love seeing your take on it!
📌 Save this recipe on Pinterest so it’s ready for your next Greek-inspired feast.
Greek lamb kleftiko
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
For the lamb marinade
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lemon zest only
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp anchovy paste optional
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
- salt and freshly ground pepper to season
For the lamb kleftiko
- 1.2 kg (2 ½) 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 (⅓ cup) white wine
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) lamb stock or broth
- ½ 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.2 tbsp olive oil, 1 lemon zest only, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp anchovy paste, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp dried oregano, 1 tbsp dried thyme
- Season the lamb liberally with salt and pepper transfer into a lidded container and store in the fridge overnight.1.2 kg (2 ½) pounds lamb shoulder, salt and freshly ground pepper
- 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.1 kg (2 pounds) baby potatoes, 1 red onion, 80 ml (⅓ cup) white wine
- Transfer the potatoes to your slow cooker. Add the cinnamon stick, lemon slices and bay leaves.2 lemon slices, 2 bay leaves, ½ cinnamon stick
- Top with the seared lamb. Pour the wine, stock and vinegar over the lamb.1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 80 ml (⅓ cup) lamb stock
- 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 (this is optional) place under a hot grill / broiler 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.1 tbsp fresh thyme, 5 tbsp crumbled feta, lemon wedges, handful fresh oregano and thyme leaves
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.
Notes
- The cooking juices from the lamb can be transferred to a fat/gravy separator to remove some of the oil. Mix with the shredded lamb or simmer for 30 minutes at low temperature until slightly reduced to use as gravy with the sliced lamb.
- You can use butterflied leg of lamb instead of lamb shoulder, cut into large pieces if needed.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
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
sorry Ellie was on holiday. It’s teaspoons hope it turned out ok!
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
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.
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?
Hi Stephen – I like using this marinade (https://www.supergoldenbakes.com/wordpress/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.
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!
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
I was just wondering if the liquid should be covering the lamb it seems a little low on the liquid?
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.
What size slow cooker is this recipe for?
I used a 4.7L Crockpot
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!
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.
Any idea of the rough calorie count for a serving?
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.
This looks delicious! i just don’t know where to find lamb shoulder. I live in the US. Any idea who sells it?
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!
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
Sorry for not replying sooner Karen I was laid up with a cold! The weight is the uncooked lamb with a small bone in
Haha! I thought so! I used a whole jar but it was delicious! Just had potatoes round 2! X