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 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.
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.
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
More Roast Lamb Recipes
I love a good roast lamb – so I’ve shared a few over the years!
Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Slow Roasted Rosemary Garlic Lamb Shoulder
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
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:
- 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.
Nutrition Information:
BEST OF SUNDAY SUPPER ROASTS
Life of Dozer
Hmm. Not surprising he’s interested in what’s going on here….
Thibaut says
Looks awesome ! I’m making this recipe on Saturday, I can’t wait !! Quick question : should I remove the lamb shoulder from the fridge few hours before (so that it reaches room temperature) ? Or should I start from a cool shoulder ?
Many thanks !!!!
Thibaut
Nagi says
Hi Thibaut! For the long cook time for this recipe, no need to take it out earlier 🙂 It’s important for recipes where the internal temp is very important or required to be at an exact temp for the protein to be perfectly cooked. This one is slow cooked so it’s not one of those recipes. 🙂 N x
Thibaut says
Great, thanks for the tip ! I’ll let you know how it goes 🙂
Kimmie says
Thank you for the recipe! I was a tad bit nervous as I’d never cooked lamb before, but it turned out SOOOO yummy, falling-apart tender and incredibly flavorful. I don’t like rosemary so didn’t use it, and the roast did not miss it at all. I didn’t have goose fat for the taters, so I put the lamb fat in a big sauce pan on the stove to get it really hot and added small halved red potatoes. I let them cook right there for a bit then finished them in the oven…mmmm! Thick crispy outsides, tasty, smooth centers; the perfect side for this roast. This will definitely be a regular on the menu!
Nagi says
That’s so great to hear Kimmie! I’m so pleased you enjoyed this, thanks for taking the time to let me know! N x
Claire says
This was an amazing recipe!! This was my first ever attempt at a roast – made a few modifications to suit my circumstances but still found the recipe to be amazing. My oven stopped working after I turned it down from the preheat temperature so I had to borrow my parent’s Weber which saved the day – still followed the same cooking times etc. and it was perfect. I also could not find a shoulder with the bone in so used a boneless cut from Woolies, about 1.25kg and didn’t change the cooking times after reading the other comments above. It was delicious and I will definitely be using this recipe again! Thank you!
Nagi says
That’s terrific to hear Claire! Thank you for sharing your feedback! N x ❤️
Tess says
Hi there!
I am planning on making your lamb shoulder tomorrow eve.
I would like to find out what the best way is to reheat the meat without drying it out?
Tess
Nagi says
I’m sorry I am too late for the response! I reheat this in the microwave, it’s so moist ! 🙂 N x
Kiki says
We had this for Thanksgiving Dinner yesterday and we loved it! Thanks for the great recipe. It will be or new go-to . Greetings from Canada, Kiki
Nagi says
That’s so wonderful to hear Kiki! Thank you for letting me know! N xx
Yael says
For the first time ever I have a boned, rolled shoulder of lamb rather than on the bone. How would you adjust this recipe for that? Thanks!
Nagi says
Hi Yael! I’d still use the recipe as is 🙂 Shoulder is very forgiving!
Dafna says
Wonderful! Can’t wait to try it!
IS it good to make it Thebes’s day before, let rest in fridge and serve for dinner the following day?
If yes, what is the best way to warm it up? Covered? With gravy on it?
Thanks
Dafna
Sue says
Hi Nagi, I have cooked this several times and it has been amazing. I am cooking it today for my husbands family but my husband has got 3 boneless lamb shoulders 1.3kg, 1.4kg and 1.5kg each. They can fit in the one tray but I was hoping for some advice on cooking time. Also they have been tied with string should I keep this on till when the lamb is cooked uncovered. Thanks heaps Sue
Nagi says
They fit in ONE TRAY?? Wow! I think 4 hours will do it then. 🙂 Yes keep the string on if you want, they help keep the shape! N x
Danielle says
Hi Nagi!
I just came across your recipe and am super excited to make it. However, the shoulder I have is a little over 1kg only. What times do you suggest for a smaller piece?
Thanks so much!
Nagi says
Hi Danielle! I still think it needs the bulk of the cook time because it’s about meat thickness and a smaller/larger piece doesn’t vary so much in thickness, if that makes sense?? I think 2.5 hrs for the covered cook time should be enough – i.e. reduce overall cook time only by 30 minutes 🙂 N x
Noelle says
Wow! Amazing recipe, foolproof! Have made several times, and turns out perfect without fail. Thank you Nagi!
Nagi says
That’s fantastic to hear Noelle! Thank you for letting me know – N xx
Stefan says
Nice recipe, I roughly followed it and the results were great. Finished it on the BBQ at the end. It was perfect.
Nagi says
That’s so terrific to hear Stefan! Thanks for letting me know! N xx
Melanie Smith says
I’m cooking this for the third time this year. It’s a favourite of ours and always turns out beautifully. My only problem with it is trying to be patient as the smells coming from my kitchen are delicious! x
Nagi says
I KNOW!!! That’s the killer with all slow cooked things, isn’t it? 🙂 N xx
Anthea says
I just cooked my first roast lamb shoulder and so I googled, found & followed this recipe… it was definitely 5 stars & now my ‘go to’ lamb recipe! Thank you… it was so easy & delicious!
Nagi says
WHOOT! So pleased to hear that Anthea, thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know! N xx
Talia says
Unbelievable! This was amazing! I’ve been following you on Instagram and drooling over your posts for a while now so when I stalked your website for dinner ideas over the weekend I just knew that this would be a winner! I’m a whizz at baking a cake but have never been good with a roast. Even the ones my mum likes to call the” neverfail” roasts from the supermarket have bombed in my hands! But not this! Nagi, you’re the best! And that gravy … oh my! Thanking you … with every bite! X
Nagi says
Oh I love that thought of you drooling after me on Instagram! 😜 So pleased you enjoyed this Talia, thanks for letting me know! N xx
Karina says
Thank you cooked this for some special guests tonight and wow it was amazing thank you so much for making this dinner party a success
Nagi says
That’s terrific to hear Karina! Thank you for letting me know! N xx
Jen says
I’ve just checked my 1.7kg after the final 30min at 220c and it’s definitely not falling apart. It was room temp when put in the oven. Following your method to the tee but needs more time. It won’t get much rest time now because everything else will ruin
Nagi says
I’m sorry to hear that Jen, 4.5 hours at the provided temps should be more than enough. Did you use the right temp for the oven type you have? N x
Angela says
Hi Nagi,
Would this recipe work for Beef blade roast?
I’m not experienced with roast beef..
Nagi says
Hi Angela! Sorry not for blade, its a lot leaner. 🙁
R G Smith says
I followed this recipe to the letter with a 2kg shoulder of lamb, so I increased the cooking time by 30 minutes to compensate. The lamb was cooked and fairly tender, but it was not falling off the bone. It needed another 90 minutes to be at the stage where it could be separated with two forks. Fortunately, I didn’t have guests, so this was not a huge burden, but I would have been very annoyed if this was the centre-piece of a dinner party. I am not making this up! This was the exact result at the temperatures and times given. Once it was cooked, it was delicious however.
Nagi says
Hi RG! Your took much longer than 3 1/2 hours? Gosh, I must confess I’m quite surprised by that. Did you use the right temp for the type of oven you have? i.e. standard vs fan/convection?? I was actually planning to make this for Easter so I will recheck the cook times.
Ashley Elwood says
Nagi, I’m so excited to try this for Easter, except that I would like to put this in a croc pot instead. Can you recommend high or low and for how many hours? I was thinking low for up to 8 hours. Thoughts?
Nagi says
Hi Ashley! 10 hours on low, then pop it onto a tray, drizzle with oil and brown in the oven for 20 minutes. Follow this recipe for slow cooker lamb leg, except use this shoulder recipe instead re: rosemary, garlic etc 🙂 DELISH! https://www.recipetineats.com/slow-cooker-roast-lamb-leg/
Ashley Elwood says
Perfect. Thanks so much!
Rachel says
How do I adjust the cooking time for a smaller, 2 lb, roast?
Nagi says
Hi! Just reduce the covered cook time a bit, maybe about 20 minutes? I find that the thickness of the roast doesn’t vary that much even if the weight does so the cook time doesn’t change that much. Hope that helps!
Quintin says
Great instructions turned out beautiful !!!! I’m so stuffed I couldn’t stop eating it haha.
Nagi says
Just what I like to hear!!! So pleased to hear you enjoyed it Quintin, thanks for letting me know! 🙂 N xx