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Home Collections Roasts

Slow Cooker Roast Lamb Leg

By:Nagi
Published:16 Nov '17Updated:13 Apr '22
464 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

Hands down the easiest way to cook lamb leg, this Slow Cooker Roast Lamb Leg is fall apart tender and incredibly succulent. 2 minutes prep, pop it in the slow cooker, brown it briefly in the oven while you make a killer gravy using the lamb juices. A roast made for sharing with family and friends!

After more lamb leg ideas? Browse all my roast lamb recipes!

The most succulent and easiest lamb leg ever, this Slow Cooker Roast Lamb Leg takes minutes to prepare. The gravy is incredible! recipetineats.com

Slow Cooker Roast Lamb Leg

In my world, there are only 2 ways to cook a leg of lamb: either perfectly cooked so it’s pink and juicy inside (see my classic Roast Lamb with Gravy), or long and slow so it’s fall apart tender.

There is no in between!

Well, there is. But it’s dry and no amount of gravy can salvage it. It’s also very sad. 😂

Fall-apart-tender slow cooked lamb leg can either be done in the oven or in the slow cooker. Click here for the slow roasted oven recipe, this is the slow cooker version!

The most succulent and easiest lamb leg ever, this Slow Cooker Roast Lamb Leg takes minutes to prepare. The gravy is incredible! recipetineats.com

I know it sounds counter-intuitive to use the words “roast lamb” and “slow cooker” in the same sentence. But actually, it’s the right description for this recipe because it is cooked in the slow cooker and finished off in the oven to get that beautiful browning. And also to reheat it, in case the slow cooker finished and it was sitting on the warm function for a while.

The most succulent and easiest lamb leg ever, this Slow Cooker Roast Lamb Leg takes minutes to prepare. The gravy is incredible! recipetineats.com

My slow cooker is a standard size round one and I was able to fit in a 1.9kg / 3.8lb lamb leg purchased from the grocery store (Woolworths in Australia) because the shaft of the leg comes cut so it can be bent to fit into the slow cooker. Vereeee practical!

I’ve used a small full lamb leg here, but it can easily be made with half lamb legs which don’t have the shaft so they will easily fit inside a standard slow cooker.

And of course, if you have one of those oval shaped slow cookers, you could make this with a full size lamb leg! After all, arguably one of the best things about roast lamb are the leftovers. Sandwiches with lamb and gravy. SO GOOD!!!

The most succulent and easiest lamb leg ever, this Slow Cooker Roast Lamb Leg takes minutes to prepare. The gravy is incredible! recipetineats.com

Gravy for Roast Lamb

And while it’s browning in the oven, we make a quick gravy using the juices in the slow cooker.

No need to deal with the clunkiness of making the gravy in a roasting pan, like you do when you roast lamb in the oven. Nope, this is a super simple one made in a saucepan using butter instead of the drippings in the roasting pan. And of course the juices left in the slow cooker.

All. That. FLAVOUR!

The most succulent and easiest lamb leg ever, this Slow Cooker Roast Lamb Leg takes minutes to prepare. The gravy is incredible! recipetineats.com

The most succulent and easiest lamb leg ever, this Slow Cooker Roast Lamb Leg takes minutes to prepare. The gravy is incredible! recipetineats.com

This is the sort of food made for sharing with family and friends. I know there’s something grand about placing a whole lamb leg on the table as a centrepiece. But a pile of incredibly juicy, tender lamb is just as impressive in my books – and there’s no need to pass the plates over and wait for it to be carved. Just dive right in! – Nagi xx


More Roast Lamb Recipes

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

A classic, perfectly cooked Roast Lamb Leg with a classic smooth, rich gravy. It's Lambalicious! recipetineats.com
Roast Lamb Leg with Gravy
Greek Butterflied Lamb Leg on a platter, ready to be shared
Greek Butterflied Lamb Leg
Slow Roast Leg of Lamb on a white plate with part of the meat pried off to show how tender it is
Slow Roast Leg of Lamb
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
Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder
Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder in a baking pan, fresh out of the one
Roast Lamb

Slow Cooker Roast Lamb Leg
Watch how to make it

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Slow Cooker Roast Lamb

Slow Cooker Roast Lamb Leg with Gravy

Author: Nagi
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 10 hrs
Total: 10 hrs 5 mins
Dinner, Slow Cooker
Western
5 from 114 votes
Servings5
Tap or hover to scale
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Recipe video above. The easiest, most succulent roast lamb you'll ever have! This is not the carving sort of lamb, you can just tear the meat off using tongs.

Ingredients

  • 2.0 kg / 4 lb lamb leg, bone in (Note 1)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • black pepper
  • 2 large garlic cloves , minced
  • 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme OR rosemary (or 2.5 tsp finely chopped fresh)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cups / 500ml beef stock (or chicken) (Note 2)
  • 1 sprig rosemary , optional

Gravy:

  • 50 g / 3 tbsp butter
  • 3 tbsp / 40 g flour (any white)
  • 2 cups / 500 ml braising liquid from slow cooker , strained
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Place lamb in slow cooker or on work surface. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, thyme or rosemary and garlic. Drizzle over oil, then rub on both sides.
  • Pour beef stock into slow cooker, add sprig of rosemary (if using).
  • SLOW COOK on low for 10 hours, or pressure cook on high for 1 hour 40 minutes. (See oven version here)
  • The lamb should be tender enough to pull off with tongs, but still holding together (just!). Carefully remove lamb from slow cooker and transfer to tray.
  • Drizzle lightly with oil (any). Bake at 200C/390F for 20 minutes or until browned. Remove and rest for 10 minutes before serving with gravy.

Gravy:

  • Strain liquid in slow cooker into a bowl - you will have more than the 2 cups of broth you added, I usually have over 3 cups. Measure out 2 cups of liquid, reserve remaining liquid just in case.
  • Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook for 1 minute.
  • Add a bit of liquid, mixing as you go so it dissolves. Then add remaining liquid. Whisk if there are lumps.
  • Increase to medium high heat and cook, stirring regularly, until thickened to your taste. Use remaining liquid to thin if required.

Recipe Notes:

1. Make sure you get a lamb that fits in your slow cooker! I have a standard size round slow cooker and I was able to fit in a 1.9kg/3.8lb lamb leg which had the shaft partially cut so it bends which I got from Woolworths. In Australia, you can purchase half lamb legs (also Woolworths) which come without the shaft /bone which will fit in easily into a standard slow cooker. If you have an oval slow cooker, you can probably fit in the lamb leg even without the shaft cut.
A 2kg / 4 lb bone in lamb equates to about 1.5kg/3lb boneless lamb, same cook time.
If your lamb is about 1 - 1.25kg / 2 - 2.5lb, you can reduce the cook time to 8 hours. If your lamb is larger than 2.25kg /4.5lb, increase it to 12 hours.
2. If you use chicken broth, the gravy is slightly lighter in colour. The reason I use broth and not just the lamb juices is that lamb juices are very...well, LAMBY. 🙂 Too lamby for gravy. I find that 2 cups of broth combined with lamb juices = perfect gravy flavour.
3. OVEN: See the Slow Roasted Lamb Leg recipe!
4. Servings - 2kg/4lb bone in is about 1.5kg / 3 lb of meat which reduces to about 1.2kg/2.4lb of meat after cooking. This serves 4 generously or 5 for normal servings (in my opinion!).
5. Nutrition - This is a conservative calculation because it doesn't take into account the lamb fat and drippings that are discarded (which accounts for plenty of the calories!). Unfortunately I don't know how to estimate that, so I've not made an adjustment to exclude discarded fat.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 357gCalories: 747cal (37%)
Keywords: Roast Lamb Leg, Slow cooker roast lamb, Slow Roast Leg of Lamb
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

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464 Comments

  1. Em says

    April 21, 2022 at 8:36 pm

    5 stars
    Ah-mazing!! Converted us to slow cooker method! ♡

    Reply
  2. Neil illingworth says

    April 18, 2022 at 5:09 am

    5 stars
    Cooked this for Easter Sunday in the UK. I did a 2kg whole leg for 10 hours and it came out perfectly! I had to use my hack saw to fit it in my 6.5l slow cooker! The 20 mins in the oven afterwards is a stroke of genius…we all fought over the crispy bits! (Browning it before wouldn’t have been so good). I also added a slug of red wine to the beef stock. The gravy was quite rich and oh so delicious, but to suit everyone’s taste I diluted it a little with the water from the vegetables we were cooking and thickened with some corn flour. I’m in my 50’s and can honestly say this was the best lamb I’ve ever had (let along cooked) and was loved by the whole family and grandparents! Thank you so much!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      April 18, 2022 at 10:42 pm

      That’s so nice to hear Neil!! And my family fights over the crispy bits too!!! N x

      Reply
  3. Tina C says

    April 16, 2022 at 6:17 pm

    Hi Nagi. Can you brown the lamb before putting in slow cooker or will it dry out?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      April 19, 2022 at 4:10 pm

      You can brown it first Tina! N x

      Reply
  4. Rhys says

    April 14, 2022 at 8:17 am

    Hi Nagi, I have the same fast slow cooker as you. Would it be possible to do this on the pressure cooker setting?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      April 14, 2022 at 12:41 pm

      Yes Rhys – Step 3 of the recipe has the pressure cooker instructions! N x

      Reply
  5. Anna says

    April 10, 2022 at 7:12 pm

    Hi Nagi. I only have a slow cooker and not an oven. Will the lack of baking at the end adversely affect the finished product? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      April 11, 2022 at 7:31 pm

      It will be very pale Anna – blasting in the oven gives it the colour. It will taste good though! N x

      Reply
  6. Aimee says

    April 3, 2022 at 2:49 am

    If I use a boneless leg of lamb is the cook time the same? Thanks!

    Reply
  7. Fiona says

    March 22, 2022 at 5:17 pm

    Hi Nagi, I don’t have a slow cooker, can I use a stovetop and how can I use Stovetop.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 22, 2022 at 6:17 pm

      You can use the oven Fiona, but not the stovetop for this one. Sorry! N x

      Reply
  8. Shelley says

    March 13, 2022 at 9:45 pm

    5 stars
    I have made this a couple of times. Made it today again, and it was absolutely delicious. The meat was falling off the bone. I love your recipes Nagi.

    Reply
  9. Philippa Grant says

    January 11, 2022 at 7:16 pm

    Do you think this could be done on high to shorten the cooking period? I have a 2.6kg leg but don’t have 12 hours to ensure it is done perfectly.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 24, 2022 at 3:10 pm

      If you want to shorten the cooking time on a large slow cook cut then it’s better to use a pressure cooker. You can cook it on higher heat but it will most likely dry out as the connective tissues that keep it juicy don’t break down quickly. N x

      Reply
  10. Beezel says

    January 1, 2022 at 8:47 pm

    5 stars
    Loved this lamb! I used fresh Herbs rather than dry, and it tasted amazing!! I also used the fresh rosemary sprig suggested 😉
    I like that it’s not too herby and very easy to put together. I skipped the oven part because its nearly 40deg here in Adelaide, and was still yummy.

    My kids, including 10 month old loved it.

    I love ur recipes and my very young kids do too, ur def my go to place for cooking recipes. Will be buying ur book as soon as I can ☺️

    Reply
  11. Andrew says

    December 28, 2021 at 12:12 pm

    5 stars
    OMG!!! The meat just fell off the bone and melted in the mouth!!! I used a full led of lamb from the butcher and it was HUGE (3.74kg). It was a rookie error as I preordered from the butcher thinking they’d have cute little legs (like Woolworths) not legs from a mammoth lamb. Anyway, I slow cooked it for about 14hours and then it stayed in the cooker (staying warm) for another 30mins before I put it in the oven. Wow … the meat was superb and I had so many comments! Once again you have given us another brilliant recipe! Thank you!!!

    Reply
  12. Lee says

    December 26, 2021 at 10:16 am

    5 stars
    I made this for Christmas lunch and it was absolutely delicious, The meat was melt in your mouth and the gravy was divine. I hope you had a Merry Christmas Nagi.

    Reply
  13. Jan says

    December 24, 2021 at 4:17 am

    Hi Nagi!

    I usually make small slits with a knife all over the leg and stuff it with pieces of bacon which I rolled in a spice mix (salt, pepper, crushed corianderetc), garlic and rosemary sprigs…
    Then I aggressively brown the leg all over in a large pan before putting if on a bed of cut onions in the slow cooker with coarsely chopped carrots and potatoes…bhen there is no need browning it afterwards in the oven which makes it much easier go handle as well.
    Also reduce the liquid afterwars in a pan and add a little butter and maybe a bit of Bisto powder as thickner if necessary.
    The onions add a lovely taste and flavour to the meat and gravy…

    P.S. Love your recipes!

    Reply
  14. Lorraine says

    November 3, 2021 at 1:57 am

    Hi Nagi, just wondering what the best way would be to freeze my leftovers please as I live alone and love the idea of having beautiful lamb tucked away for sandwiches etc?

    PS How’s the book going?

    Reply
  15. Andrea Gaisa says

    October 2, 2021 at 11:26 pm

    Hi! This sounds great! 🤩 I’m just wondering if the lamb should grat. fried for a few minutes each side before going in the slow cooker. With other roasts this is done to seal it, but I’m with if it’d be better in terms of eliminating bacteria to not start off with raw meat? 🤔 What are your thoughts?

    Reply
    • Donia says

      April 8, 2022 at 8:01 pm

      Hi my oven will be full of other things. Can i stove top seal it abit before it goes into slow cooker?

      Reply
  16. Tom says

    October 1, 2021 at 11:45 am

    Love this recipe! Recently started using fat skimmed off the top of the slow cooker juices instead of butter for the gravy, gives it a great hit of extra flavour.

    Reply
  17. sharni granich says

    September 21, 2021 at 12:41 pm

    Hi Nagi
    Do I have to turn the lamb over I have a slow cooker with glass lid

    Reply
  18. Gideon says

    September 6, 2021 at 6:49 am

    Hi Nagi. Going to try this tomorrow night! Instead of one big piece, I have 3 x 1k lamb shoulders. Should I still aim for 12 hour cooking time? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      September 6, 2021 at 11:35 am

      Hi Gideon, cook time will be dependant on the weight of each piece – how much is the heaviest shoulder? N x

      Reply
      • Gideon Chain says

        September 6, 2021 at 3:20 pm

        Hi! The heaviest piece is 1.2kg..? Thanks!

        Reply
  19. New to Lamb says

    August 28, 2021 at 10:55 pm

    My leg of lamb is frozen. Is it obligatory to thaw it before putting it in the slow cooker?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      August 30, 2021 at 2:26 pm

      Yes most definitely!! N x

      Reply
  20. Anna says

    July 27, 2021 at 6:11 am

    Can you use lamb shoulder for this recipe?

    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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