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!
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!
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.
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!!!
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!
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!
Slow Cooker Roast Lamb Leg
Watch how to make it
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Slow Cooker Roast Lamb Leg with Gravy
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:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Contemplating being a stowaway.
I don’t want to come across as a snob, but seriously Dozer, if you’re going to stowaway on a boat, you can do better than that!!!
My Roast lamb turned out incredible
I took the roast to a church pot luck and the LOLs
(Little old ladies) are evangelistic about what an amazing cook I am
Thank you for make my me look so good
My true amazement is how simple and how little prep time it took to prepare your recipe
Thank you again
GARY FIEVEZ 5 star rating for sure!!!😁😁😁
I’m so pleased to hear that Gary! Thanks for letting me know! N xx ❤️
Hi Nagi,
Great receipe! I’ve used it for shoulder and leg and it’s been great. I’ve also really enjoyed your other receipes – they’re great! Can I use this same receipe for beef?
Cheers,
Rem
YES! Just sub it straight in!
I’m always scared of roasts for exactly the reasons you’ve said but followed your recipe (only difference was I used a shoulder instead of a leg) and it came out beautifully. Thank you for this marvellous recipe!
Fantastic to hear Melanie! Thank you for leaving a review. N x ❤️
sodium is much tyo high for me WOW over 1000 grams my leg of lamb steaks were only 2o0 something. but not as big was 2 sm steal=ks no bone sticking out so it fit in my sm oval cooker. great receipe thanks
Hi Mary Jo! Feel free to reduce the amount of salt used! N x
Oh my, this was superb! First time I have made a roast lamb in the slow cooker (not sure what took me so long) and everyone was super impressed! I try to avoid gluten so for the gravy, I used tapioca to thicken it. Thank you for this simple but impressive recipe!
Just made a this recipe in the slow cooker and the lamb takes amazing. I put it on at 8:30 and just took it off and it’s all melted of the bone. I did seer both sides of the lamb leg before I put it in the slow cooker and it’s still looks carmailsed.
Thanks for the receipe! Would reccomend
I’m so pleased to hear that Misha! Thank you for trying my recipe! N xx ❤️
Hi Nagi, I’ve enjoyed reading all these posts. I have a 2 kg leg of lamb and a slow cooker. I cooked a slightly smaller leg the other day in a slow cooker for 4 hours on auto and although it was tender I found it a little dry and not fall apart. I want tomorrow night’s dinner to be special. Can you make some suggestions please. The recipe I am using says to boil the lamb for 10 minutes and after cooling, brown it in butter and then place in the slow cooker with a mix of Port, Balsamic, Red wine and garlic. I would be so grateful for an immediate response as I would love it to have that succulent fall apart texture.
Hi Ros! Even for a smaller leg, there’s a minimum time required to make it fall apart. 🙂 Umm, do you want help on how to cook this other recipe?? I’m a bit confused.
What should I do for the slow cooker if it’s a boneless lamb roast?? Help I’m serving it tonight!!
Just follow the recipe still! 🙂 N x
Made this last night for 8. Wow! Used a 2.3kg lamb leg cooked it for 8hrs on slow then oven for 1hr.. melt in your mouth good and so helpful considering I was at work all day and was home in time to finish off the cooking process and put the veggies on. My guests were impressed.
Thank you for the review Linda, it’s so terrific to hear you enjoyed this! N xx
Hi Nagi,
Is there a reason you brown it in the oven at the end as opposed to browning it in a pan prior to slow cooking? I’m wanting to make this recipe this coming Saturday and was wondering because a lot of other recipes say to brown it first. Yours looks the best though 😉
Thanks in advance!
Matt
HI Matt! You lose a lot of the browning during the slow cooker time (it sweats off), so I brown at the end to get that lovely caramelisation! 🙂
Hi Nagi, this looks great but I’m running short of time!!! It’s 9am, and I’ve just put a 2.6kg shoulder in the slow cooker and really want to serve it by 6pm…..can I cook it on high for some/all of the the time? Timing advice greatly appreciated😊
Sorry for the late reply! 5 – 6 hours on high should be perfect! N x
Absolutely fabulous ! We enjoyed it so much, made some Yorkshire puddings to go with it.
It’s a keeper:-)
Thanks for the great review Heleen! I’m SO pleased to hear you enjoyed it! N xx
Wow, reading all the comments I can’t wait to make this Nagi!
Unfortunately I can’t eat gluten 🙁 any substitute for the flower that you can recommend?
Thanks heaps for the recipe! X
Lorraine
Hi Lorraine! Add 1 tbsp cornflour instead 🙂 N x
Hello,
Just wondering if I do not have any dried thyme , can I use fresh thyme ?
Thank you and can’t wait to try it …
Hi Yee! Yup for sure, use the leaves and use about 50% more 🙂 N xx
Hi nagi, I’ve brought lamb shoulder instead of leg as I’ve never tried it before, I’ve seen your lamb shoulder receipt but I was wondering whether I could use this one for the shoulder? The weight is 1.6444kg, what cooking time would you suggest as I want to cook it in a slow cooker.
Thanks Ky
Hi Ky! This recipe is absolute perfect for shoulder 🙂 Use the same cook time, shoulder is a wee bit tougher – N x
Hi Nagi!
Thanks so much for taking the time to put together and share these awesome awesome recipes!
I stumbled on your site yesterday when I was looking for a quick fix for left over rice and beans. My family LOOOVED it: you were right on he Enchilada sauce:-)
Want to make this lamb for a holiday coming soon and wanted to know: how much black pepper should I use?
Thanks!
Hi Sarah, you’re most welcome! 🙂 I use about 1 tsp – go hard! N xx
Thanks so much!
Made this and it was illegal goodness on our pallets. Fall apart tender: my 6 month daughter gummed it away! 🙂
The vision of your daughter! 😂
Hi! How long would it take in the pressure cooker ?(before finishing it off in the oven)
Hi Jana! The pressure cooker directions is in the recipe – 1.5 hrs on high 🙂
Hello 🙂 I do not have access to an oven. Can I skip the last step of finishing it off in the oven? I was thinking perhaps I could shred it and mix the gravy through to create more of a “pulled lamb” meal?
YES! That is a brilliant idea :0 Also another idea is to shred it then pan fry it briefly. OMG it is amazing. It’s like a lamb version of pork carnitas!
Hi Nagi.
Planning on trying the slow cooker roast lamb on Saturday to feed the extended family. I have a 3 kg leg of lamb. How long do you suggest I cook it for in the slow cooker please? To speed up the cooking time could I cook it on high for a few hours then low for a few maybe?? Looking forward to tasting the lamb!! Cheers
PS If I were doing it, I’d do 6 hours on high in slow cooker, but leave 2 hours spare to cook longer just in case. 🙂
Thanks Nagi. I ended up cooking the 3kg lamb leg on high for 2 hours and the low for 10 hours and it was a great success! All the guests were very impressed with the relish meal! Cheers
I’m so happy to hear that Simone! Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know – N xx
Hi Simone! 12 hours on low should do it – there’s only so “wide” a leg can get after a certain weight point, if that makes sense? Yes to speed it up you could do some on high then part on low. But the correlation between high and low isn’t direct, it changes with length of cooking time. To be safe, I would do 5 hours on high, open and check then slow cook as required to finish. Or just slow cook on high for the whole thing. It stays warm for ages in the slow cooker, then finish it off in the oven when ready to serve!
Amazing! I don’t think I’ll ever cook a leg of lamb the regular way again. This was so easy and I didn’t have to worry about it drying out 🙂
Nagi, your name is becoming famous in our house!
That’s so great to hear Leah! Thank you for letting me know – N xx ❤️
So I had a Mother’s Day quandary – I was out of the house by 4:30am to go to a friend’s place for the all important Eurovision final… but my mum was coming for lunch! What to do? Borrow a slow cooker and make this amazing lamb of course! I found a 1.7kg half leg that cooked perfectly in 8 1/2 hours, plus the gravy was to die for (I used chicken stock). The lamb crisped up beautifully in the oven and I can’t recommend this recipe enough. It felt like I was eating a lamb shoulder but with the price of a leg – happy days! Thanks for this lunch-saving recipe Nagi!
I LOVED hearing this Beck!! I am so super happy that it worked out for the all important Mother’s Day! I’m going to blow right past the 4.30am rising for Eurovision final….. did the yodelling / rapping pair win? 😉