Lamb Shoulder slow-roasted until perfectly tender and falling off the bone. My easy lamb shoulder recipe can be cooked in your slow cooker or the oven. Choose a half shoulder if cooking in a crockpot (serves up to four) or a full shoulder joint if roasting in oven (serves up to 8).
1kg(2+ lbs) lamb shoulder, bone in - check if it fits!
400g(14oz) canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
200g(7oz) baby spinach
Lamb / Oven Method
2kg(4+ lbs) lamb shoulder, bone in
6medium floury old potatoespeeled and cubed
480ml(2 cups) lamb stock, more to top up as needed
400g(14oz) canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
200g(7oz) baby spinach
To serve
seeds from one pomegranate
3tbsppine nuts or chopped pistachios
small bunch coriander (cilantro)chopped
lemon wedges
salt and pepper
Instructions
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.
Video
Notes
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.