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Home Collections Roasts

Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder

By Nagi Maehashi
808 Comments
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Published10 Jun '18 Updated9 May '25
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This slow cooked lamb shoulder will be the juiciest, most incredible lamb roast you have ever had! With rosemary and garlic stuffed into incisions, it infuses this lamb roast with the most incredible flavour as well as adding a subtle perfume to the lamb gravy.

Lamb shoulder has more flavour and is easier to cook than lamb leg. Virtually foolproof, minimal effort, and incredible meat that is so tender that you won’t need a knife to carve this! Want to upgrade to the Rolls Royce version? Try the Ultimate 12 Hour Roast Lamb or browse the entire Roast Lamb recipe collection.

Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder in a baking pan, fresh out of the one

Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder is the ultimate lamb roast

Being born into a foodie family, there is always a flurry of emails leading up to a Sunday Night Roast. It usually goes something like this:

My brother (the “serious” foodie): Let’s do a standing rib roast. Dry aged from Victor Churchill (PS A gourmet expensive butcher in Sydney!)

Me: That’s ridiculous. It will cost $100!

Brother: If we’re gonna do a roast, we should do it right. I’m not doing a lamb leg from Coles!

Me: Who said you’re cooking? I’M the Roast Queen, remember?

Brother: Self proclaimed titles carry no weight.

Me: How about a slow cooked lamb shoulder?

Brother: OK. That’ll do. I’ll do the sides.

Sister: I don’t mind. Just tell me what I need to do.

Mum: Send me a shopping list.

And thus the roles and responsibilities for a Sunday Night Roast are set.

Gravy being poured over Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder on a plate with a side of roast potatoes and salad, ready to be eaten

Lamb Shoulder

Lamb shoulder is not as popular as lamb leg – and I truly do not understand why. It has more flavour and it’s far juicier. The only “downside” I can think of is that it needs to be slow cooked, it can’t be cooked hard and fast like a classic Roast Lamb Leg that’s cooked until perfectly pink and juicy inside.

On the other hand, because lamb shoulder is a juicier cut, it’s incredibly forgiving so if it’s in the oven for too long, it’s still going to be gloriously juicy.

Photo of raw lamb shoulder, preparation of Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder

Overhead photo of Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder dinner with lamb, roast potatoes and salad

I love using the technique of stuffing rosemary and garlic into incisions to infuse the meat with flavour. You can really only do this with rosemary because the sprigs are stiff enough to stick into the holes.

And also it works well for this recipe because it is slow roasted – the flavours do not infuse as well into the meat with a traditional roast that only takes 1 1/2 hours or so. So take advantage of it in this recipe!

OK, signing off! Love to hear if this makes it to your Sunday Night family dinner! – Nagi x


My favourite side dishes for roast lamb

Potatoes au gratin (Dauphinoise Potatoes) fresh out of the oven
Potatoes au Gratin (Dauphinoise)
Close up of Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots on a tray, fresh out of the oven
Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
Truly Crunchy Roast Potatoes - par boil, rough up the surface, dust with semolina then bake in a very hot oven in preheated oil. Based on a Nigella recipe.
Truly Crunchy Roast Potatoes
Close up of Duck Fat Potatoes fresh out of the oven
Duck Fat Potatoes – Crispiest, Best Roast Potatoes EVER!
Close up of Balsamic Dressing being drizzled over rocket salad with shaved parmesan
Rocket Salad with Balsamic Dressing and Shaved Parmesan
Pouring lemon dressing over green bean salad
Green Bean Salad
Cauliflower Cheese in a baking dish, fresh out of the oven ready to be served
Cauliflower Cheese
These Roasted Sweet Potato Stacks have crispy edges, are buttery, salty and sweet with a hint of rosemary. Terrific Sweet Potato side dish! recipetineats.com
Roasted Sweet Potato Stacks
Close up of freshly made Baked Mac and Cheese
Baked Mac and Cheese
Close up of a spoon scooping up a serving of creamy garlic parmesan Broccoli Casserole
Side Dishes
Close up of spoon scooping up Mashed Potato
Creamy Buttery Mashed Potato
Close up of Paris Mash (Rich & Creamy Mashed Potato) being scooped up with a spoon
Paris Mash (Rich Creamy Mashed Potato)
Close up of forkful of Green Bean Salad with Cherry Tomatoes and Feta
Side Salads
Rustic brown bowl of Creamy Cauliflower Mash topped with a drizzle of butter
Creamy Mashed Cauliflower

More Roast Lamb Recipes

I love a good roast lamb – so I’ve shared a few over the years!

Slow Roasted Lamb Leg with rosemary and garlic
Slow Roast Leg of Lamb
Rack of lamb on a plate with salsa verde
Rosemary Garlic Marinated Rack of Lamb (Roasted)
Roast lamb leg with roast potatoes
Roast Lamb Leg with Gravy
The most succulent and easiest lamb leg ever, this Slow Cooker Roast Lamb Leg takes minutes to prepare. The gravy is incredible! www.recipetineats.com
Slow Cooker Roast Lamb Leg
Slow Roasted GREEK Leg of Lamb - Tender fall apart lamb made the Greek way! Super easy.
Greek Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb
Slow Cooked Lamb Shawarma is meltingly tender and has the most heavenly fragrance. Quick to prepare, sensational for gatherings! recipetineats.com
Slow Cooked Lamb Shawarma
Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder in a baking pan, fresh out of the one
Roast Lamb

Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT

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Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder in a baking pan, fresh out of the one

Slow Roasted Rosemary Garlic Lamb Shoulder

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 15 minutes mins
Cook: 3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Total: 3 hours hrs 45 minutes mins
Lamb, Roast
Western
4.99 from 235 votes
Servings4 – people
Tap or hover to scale
Print
  • 891
Recipe video above. Lamb shoulder is cheaper, juicier and easier to roast than leg. Infused with rosemary garlic flavours, this is not the sort of roast for carving, just pull the meat off with tongs. Make Crazy Crunchy Roast Potatoes while the lamb is resting!  

Ingredients

  • 1.8kg / 3.5 lb lamb shoulder (bone in) (Note 1)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 onion, quartered (no need to peel)
  • 1 head garlic , cut in half horizontally
  • 3 garlic cloves , cut into slivers
  • 8 sprigs rosemary
  • 1 cup water

Gravy

  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 2 cups beef broth (or 1 cup red wine + 1 cup water)
  • Salt and pepper
Prevent screen from sleeping

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 240°C/465°F (220°C fan forced).
  • Rub the lamb with the olive oil, salt and pepper.
  • Use a thin, sharp knife to make 12 incisions in the lamb, deep as you can but without piercing through the bottom of the lamb. (See photo in post and video
  • Stuff bits of rosemary and garlic slivers into the holes (chopstick helpful!)
  • Place the onion, halved garlic bulb and rosemary in the base of a roasting pan. Place the lamb on top. Pour water around.
  • Cover with lid or tightly with a double layer of foil. Place in the oven, and TURN DOWN to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan).
  • Slow roast, covered: Roast, covered with the foil, for 3 hours. (Note 1 for different sizes).
  • Brown it, uncovered: Remove foil, check to ensure there's still liquid in the pan. If not, add 3/4 cup water (otherwise onion/garlic will burn). Turn up the oven to 220°C/425°F and roast for a further 20 to 30 minutes, until the skin is browned and crisp.
  • Check if ready: By now, you should be able to part the meat with two forks – if not, just cover and return to oven at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) until you can do so.
  • Rest: Remove lamb from the roasting pan and transfer to a plate. Cover loosely with foil then a couple of tea towels and let it rest for at least 20 minutes, up to a couple of hours (after this, you may want to reheat).
  • Serve with gravy (below). If you want to go all out, make Duck Fat Potatoes or Super Crispy Roasted Potatoes!

Gravy

  • Tilt the pan and use a spoon to remove all but around 2 tbsp of fat (try to avoid scooping out any juices).
  • Place the roasting pan on the stove over medium high heat. Add the flour and stir to mix in with the fat. Cook for 30 seconds. 
  • Add the stock gradually and stir to combine. Use a potato masher to mash the onion and garlic, making sure that all the garlic squeezes out of the skin. 
  • Allow it to simmer for 1 to 2 minutes until it is just before your desired consistency (it will thicken a bit as it cools), then remove from the stove. Season to taste with salt and pepper, strain into bowl being sure to squeeze all juices out of garlic etc, then transfer into gravy jug.

Recipe Notes:

1. Lamb shoulder – not to be confused with lamb leg which is a leaner cut of lamb with different cooking qualities. For lamb leg, use this recipe – Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb. Shoulder is fattier and therefore juicier, and with better lamb flavour.
  • Smaller lamb shoulder (around 1 kg) – cut down roasting time while covered by 20 minutes (doesn’t change by much, shoulder meat needs a minimum time to breakdown);
  • Boneless lamb shoulder – reduce covered cook time by 20 minutes. A 1.8kg bone in lamb shoulder will weigh about 1.3kg with the bone removed;
  • Rolled boneless lamb shoulder (~1.1 – 1.3kg) – cook time per recipe. 
  • 2 x ~1.5kg/3lb shoulders – fit into one pan (they will shrink, so ok if touching), add 30 minutes to cover slow roast time.
2. Roasting potatoes – If you are making the Truly Crunchy Roast Potatoes, place the pan with oil in it in the shelf beneath the roast at step 8 i.e. when the lamb is being browned. Refer to separate recipe for full instructions.
3. Servings – a 1.5kg/3lb lamb shoulder yields about 700g/1.4lb of meat once cooked. This is because the meat shrinks while cooking, there’s a giant bone running through the middle and a thick layer of fat on the surface that mostly melts. I find that a shoulder of that size serves about 4 people. Maybe 5 (not in my family!).
4. Nutrition per serving. This does not take into account the fat discarded before making the gravy and also assumes that all the gravy is used.
Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder Nutrition
Originally published February 2015, updated with new photos, new commentary and video – AND Life of Dozer added!

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 398gCalories: 575cal (29%)
Keywords: lamb shoulder, roast lamb shoulder, slow roasted lamb
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

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  • Slow Roasted Lamb Leg 
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Life of Dozer

Hmm. Not surprising he’s interested in what’s going on here….

Dozer the golden retriever peeking around the corner at Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder being photographed

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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

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808 Comments

  1. Neil says

    July 15, 2021 at 7:05 pm

    5 stars
    Wonderful easy way to roast amazing shoulder of lamb. The gravy is terrific as well.

    Reply
  2. Anwar Jumabhoy says

    July 4, 2021 at 10:41 pm

    I must say this is idiot proof. Had a 2.25kg shoulder which I put into the oven for 4 hours. Then browned and rested for half-hour. Was perfect.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      July 5, 2021 at 5:29 pm

      Amazing Anwar, that’s great to hear!! N x

      Reply
      • Anwar Jumabhoy says

        July 5, 2021 at 11:59 pm

        5 stars
        Amazing also considering that in 35 years of marriage, this is the first time I have ventured into the kitchen. I am going to try your Spanish Paella next week.

        Reply
  3. Muhammad Zaman says

    June 29, 2021 at 12:11 pm

    5 stars
    Unbelievably tasty. I was initially apprehensive about using lamb shoulder, but it turned out a delicious combination of soft and crispy. Takes some time to cook but the results are well worth it.

    Reply
  4. Maria Moraleda says

    June 29, 2021 at 6:06 am

    Can I use cornstarch instead of flour for the gravy to make it gluten free?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 29, 2021 at 7:37 pm

      Hi Maria, you sure can – use 1 tbsp of cornflour and mix with 3 tbsp of water to make a slurry before adding it in. Enjoy! N x

      Reply
  5. Emily Herne says

    June 21, 2021 at 5:24 pm

    5 stars
    Just sublime! I combined with your 12hour lamb shoulder recipes to do a marinade on the lamb instead of inserting garlic & rosemary just as personal preference but this was more convenient time wise. Everyone was blown away, the bone slid out clean as a whistle. Never going to use another method for lamb shoulder!

    Reply
  6. Lossie says

    June 20, 2021 at 10:30 pm

    5 stars
    Melt in your mouth deliciousness, the meat simply fell off the bone. Added bonus, my kitchen smelt amazing. Thank you.

    Reply
  7. Annette says

    June 19, 2021 at 7:13 pm

    Oh my god! Wow! No other words required.

    Reply
  8. JT says

    June 19, 2021 at 5:43 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipe. Have made it a few times and it’s always a hit. Tonight we are having it wrapped in homemade tortillas.

    Reply
  9. Sandy Marwick says

    June 18, 2021 at 2:38 pm

    My 12 year old calls this ” fall apart meat”. This is a good thing, as thanks to orthodontics it’s the only kind she can currently eat. Making it for dinner tonight safe in the knowledge that she’ll eat it and the rest of the family will be happy too!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 19, 2021 at 1:37 pm

      Oh poor little thing! I’m so glad she can eat this though!! N x

      Reply
  10. Michaela says

    June 2, 2021 at 6:09 pm

    I have a La Crusette dish that has a lid – I use it for lamb shanks and other slow cooked meals – could I do the shoulder in it?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 4, 2021 at 3:03 pm

      Yes 100% Mikaela!! N x

      Reply
      • Siobhan O'Reilly says

        April 16, 2022 at 9:50 am

        Hi!
        If I was to put two 2kg bone in lamb shoulder joints in the same pan, what would the cooking time be?
        I’m making tomorrow so I have my fingers crossed you’ll see this!
        Happy Easter

        Reply
  11. Janice Falconer says

    May 30, 2021 at 3:04 pm

    5 stars
    This is my go-to roast leg of lamb recipe – it’s a taste sensation every time and a guest favourite.

    TIP – I always add turmeric and a little chilli flakes to my version to give it extra spice.

    Reply
  12. W says

    May 24, 2021 at 6:25 am

    5 stars
    I did it with a 3kg bit of shoulder but extrapolated time and portion size. I was sceptical but it came out so well, very tender and moist. Thanks very much for a great method.

    Reply
    • Ankur Sinha says

      June 18, 2022 at 9:38 pm

      Have a similar size.. what were your extrapolation times?

      Reply
  13. Ami says

    May 22, 2021 at 8:08 pm

    5 stars
    Amazing. Followed recipe for 1.1kg boneless shoulder, by reducing roast time by 20 mins. The meat was super juicy and tender.

    My kid insisted she didn’t like lamb as i cooked dinner. Now she wants leftovers for breakfast 😁

    Reply
    • John says

      May 30, 2021 at 7:22 pm

      Amazing recipe, we loved it at home. Looking forward for a nice lamb sandwich for lunch tomorrow 😋

      Reply
  14. trevplumb@hotmail.com says

    May 20, 2021 at 1:18 pm

    WOW!!!!!

    Reply
  15. Melissa Teo says

    May 17, 2021 at 8:39 pm

    Love love love this recipe! So easy to follow and the lamb shoulder turned out really succulent and delicious as. My husband went back for seconds and thirds!

    Will def be making it again! 😍

    Reply
  16. Raj says

    May 13, 2021 at 12:55 pm

    5 stars
    This is just an amazing way to make juicy tender lamb. Thanks Nagi!

    I made a traditional “raan” with lamb shoulder following your timings. Different spices to the recipe, but it came out pretty well. Not sure how to post a pic so here’s a link:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/COy8cfOrLOGypz2bJC4S16FjX8DXWkeeOfJgbI0/?igshid=vtsavzu1qc05

    Reply
  17. Kylee Beard says

    May 3, 2021 at 7:18 pm

    5 stars
    Beat roast ever. I’ll never buy a leg or shanks again!

    Reply
    • Nick says

      May 9, 2021 at 6:33 pm

      Your comment has inspired me Kylee, i will slip to the butcher and buy this shoulder cut.
      Thanks for the encouragement you didn’t even know you helped with..

      Reply
  18. Kate says

    April 21, 2021 at 9:17 am

    Help! I’ve been given a 4.3kg lamb shoulder and it’s huge! It fits in my pan but I’m wondering how long to cook for if 1.5kg is 3hours…

    Reply
    • Mina says

      April 25, 2021 at 6:06 am

      We also have one 3.2kg and wondering about the length of time it needs – is 5h the right time?…

      Reply
  19. Pam says

    April 12, 2021 at 6:05 am

    5 stars
    Looka here Nagi…. We ALL owe you some money! Period.

    Reply
  20. Michelle says

    April 11, 2021 at 9:04 pm

    This is hands down the best roast I’ve ever made! First time slow cooking and hooked, even my teen who is going off meat went back for seconds

    Reply
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I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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