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    Where Is My Spoon > Recipes > By Courses > Meat

    Lamb Shoulder in the Slow Cooker

    Published by: Adina March 24, 2021 · Last modified: August 25, 2023 Leave a comment

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    overhead picture of lamb roast being served on a wooden board.

    Easy to make lamb shoulder in the slow cooker, amazingly delicious, fall-off-the-bone meat served with a rich gravy.

    Jump to Recipe
    close up of a slow cooker shoulder of lamb served with potatoes.
    Jump to recipe
    • What do you need for slow-cooking lamb shoulder?
    • How to roast lamb shoulder in the slow cooker?
    • Tips
    • Prepare in advance?
    • What to do with leftovers?
    • What to serve with slow cooker lamb?
    • More lamb recipes
    • Lamb Shoulder in the Slow Cooker

    The perfect fuss-free recipe for cooking lamb shoulder in the slow cooker for Easter. The shoulder of lamb and a few veggies, a slow cooker, and just forget about it. Use the time to cook the sides or bake an Easter cake, go for a walk, or whatever. The crock pot will take care of the main dish.

    Just season the meat, chop some veggies, and turn on the machine. Forget about it! You can’t undercook or overcook the meat; there is no need to check the internal temperature, nothing at all.

    The meat just falls off the bone; you can shred it with a fork, and there is no need for a knife. When I took the pictures for this post, I wanted to lift one piece of the shoulder by grabbing it by the bone. Well, I had the bone in my hand, but the meat was left in the pot. That tender!

    Once the cooker has done its job, all you have to do is to make the sauce. And that takes a couple of minutes as well. And it’s so delicious!

    overhead picture of lamb roast being served on a wooden board.

    What do you need for slow-cooking lamb shoulder?

    • The meat: The shoulder is the perfect cut for slow cooking; it’s juicy and full of flavor. I had a 2 kg/ 4.4 lbs piece, and I asked the butcher to cut it at the joint; the shoulder was too big for my cooker. If your piece is a little bigger or smaller, it will not matter when it comes to cooking time.
    • Vegetables: 2 carrots, one large onion, 4-5 garlic cloves.
    • Liquids: dry red wine and stock. If you happen to have lamb stock, do use it. Otherwise, chicken stock is fine as well.
    • Spices: salt, pepper, dried rosemary.

    What could you add?

    • Fresh rosemary: I use it all the time when cooking this shredded lamb. However, I could not find fresh rosemary anywhere last time, so I had to replace it with dried. Do use fresh, though, if you have it. Stuff bits of it together with the garlic into the slits you will cut into the meat.
    • Anchovies: They add an extra delicious saltiness. Cut it into tiny pieces and insert it into the slits together with the garlic.
    • Other spices: for a Moroccan touch, for instance, rub the meat with ras-el hanout, I did that a few times, and we all loved it.
    lamb shoulder, stock, wine, vegetables, spices arranged on the table.

    How to roast lamb shoulder in the slow cooker?

    • Peel and cut the carrots and the onions into large pieces. Place in the crock pot. Add salt and pepper.
    • If the shoulder is not already divided at the joint and it does not fit in the slow cooker, you will have to divide it at the joint now.
    • Trim all excess fat from meat, I do trim a lot of it, and I also remove the thick layer of fat on top. Really last time, it was almost 1 cm/ 0.4 inches thick; I just cannot leave it there; the gravy drippings would be oily beyond rescue. And there is enough fat left on the meat to ensure a juicy roast even after removing that huge piece of skin.
    • Rub well with salt, pepper, and rosemary.
    • Make incisions into the lamb using a sharp thin knife. The incisions should be deep but take care not to pierce all the way through the meat.
    • Stuff the slits with slivers of garlic. If using rosemary or anchovies, cut them into tiny bits and use them to fill the cavities as well.
    • Arrange the meat in the cooker over the veggies.
    raw lamb shoulder preapared with garlic.
    collage of two pictures of a slow cooker filled with raw vegetables and meat.
    • Pour the wine and the stock around the meat. Not on top; you don’t want to wash away the seasoning.
    • Turn on the slow cooker and cook for 5 hours on high and for 7-8 hours on low.
    • The cooking time depends on the type of pot you have. Mine has a ceramic pot and that will heat much slower than slow cookers with metal pots. Make sure to read the cooker’s instruction manual regarding the cooking times.
    • You will know that the lamb is ready when it is incredibly soft, and you can pull the meat apart easily with a fork.
    • Let the slow cooker lamb shoulder rest while you make the gravy, covered loosely with foil.

    Gravy:

    • Remove as much fat from the drippings as possible (See tips).
    • Pour the gravy into a saucepan and bring to a boil. (1)
    • In the meantime, mix the cornstarch with a few tablespoons of cold water, enough to obtain a thick yet pourable paste.
    • Slowly whisk the slurry into the gravy. Let simmer for half a minute or so, then turn off the heat. (2)
    • Taste the gravy and add seasoning, if necessary. I rarely do; this kind of gravy is already rather well-seasoned most of the time.
    collage of two pictures showing lamb gravy made from drippings.

    Tips

    Do remove the excess fat from the raw meat, or the gravy will be too greasy. To remove more fat from the gravy, place the drippings into a large shallow bowl and refrigerate for about 10-15 minutes while the meat rests. It will be easier to remove the fat from the surface using a large flat spoon.

    As mentioned above, read the slow cooker’s instruction manual regarding cooking times. Cookers with a ceramic pot might need longer than cookers with a metal pot.

    Each time you open the pot to check the meat, add another 10-15 minutes to the cooking time.

    fall-apart lamb roast on a wooden board.

    Prepare in advance?

    • You can prepare the slow cooker lamb in the evening: excess fat removed, seasoned, and stuffed with garlic and herbs. Cut the veggies into chunks. Cover and refrigerate.
    • Once ready to cook, all you must do is transfer the food to the crock pot and add the wine and the stock.

    What to do with leftovers?

    • You will probably have some; the piece of meat is rather large. I often make leftover lamb ragu with pasta. You can also make burgers or sliders, stuff pita bread or wraps, make salads, or add to soups or stews.
    • The leftovers keep well in the fridge for 2-3 days, and they can be frozen in freezer bags or airtight containers for about 2 months.
    lamb roast served with oven potatoes on a vintage platter.

    What to serve with slow cooker lamb?

    • butter vegetables on a plate close up.
      Buttered Vegetables
    • brown plate full of hungarian cabbage and noodles haluski.
      Hungarian Cabbage and Noodles (Haluski)
    • fried potatoes and onions in a skillet.
      Fried Potatoes and Onions
    • close up small potato piece stuck on a fork
      Caramelized Potatoes - Icelandic Side Dishes
    • Buttered Peas
    • French-Style Green Beans
    • Confit Potatoes
    • Smashed Potatoes
    • Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

    More lamb recipes

    • Baked Lamb Chops
    • Slow-Cooked Lamb Shoulder (in the oven)
    • Irish Lamb Stew
    • Slow Cooker Lamb Ribs
    • Lamb Ribs in the Oven
    • Slow Cooker Lamb Curry

    Do you like this recipe?

    Please leave a good rating in the recipe card below. Stay in touch through social media: Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram. Don’t forget to tag me #whereismyspoon when you try a recipe!
    overhead picture of lamb roast being served on a wooden board.

    Lamb Shoulder in the Slow Cooker

    Easy to make lamb shoulder in the slow cooker, amazingly delicious, fall-off the bone meat served with a rich gravy.


    4.60 from 27 votes
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    Course: Meat Recipes
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 5 hours hours
    Total Time: 5 hours hours 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 people
    Calories: 529kcal
    Author: Adina
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    Ingredients 

    Lamb:

    • 4.5 lbs lamb shoulder 2 kg
    • fine sea salt and ground black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
    • 2 carrots
    • 1 large onion
    • 4-5 garlic cloves
    • a few sprigs rosemary or 3-4 anchovy fillets optional (Note 1)
    • 1 cup dry red wine 250 ml/ 8.5 fl. oz/
    • 1⅓ cups lamb or chicken stock 300 ml/ 10 fl. oz/

    Gravy:

    • the pot drippings
    • 3 tablespoons corn starch
    • 3-4 tablespoons cold water
    • fine sea salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    Lamb:

    • Prepare vegetables: Peel and cut the carrots and the onions into chunks and place them in the crock pot. Add sea salt and pepper.
      2 carrots + 1 onion + ½ teaspoon + ¼ teaspoon pepper
    • Prepare lamb: If the shoulder doesn’t fit in the slow cooker, you will have to divide it at the joint. Trim all excess fat from meat, I do trim a lot of it, and I also remove the thick layer of fat on top. Rub well with salt, pepper, and dried rosemary. If using fresh rosemary, leave out the dried one.
      4.5 lbs/ 2 kg lamb shoulder + salt + pepper + 1 teaspoon rosemary
    • Make deep slits into the lamb using a sharp thin knife; take care not to pierce all the way through the meat. Stuff the holes with slivers of garlic. If using rosemary or anchovies, cut them into tiny bits and use them to fill the cavities as well.
      4-5 garlic cloves + a few rosemary sprigs OR 4-5 anchovy fillets
    • Arrange the meat in the cooker over the veggies. Pour the wine and the stock around the meat, but not on top of it.
      1 cup/ 250 ml wine + 1⅓ cup/ 300 ml stock
    • Slow cook for 5 hours on high and for 7-8 hours on low. (Note 2). You should be able to easily pull apart the meat with a fork.
    • Let rest for a while you make the gravy, covered loosely with foil.

    Gravy:

    • Remove as much fat from the drippings as possible (See tips).
    • Pour the gravy into a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil.
    • Thicken gravy: Mix the cornstarch with a few tablespoons of cold water, enough to obtain a thick yet pourable paste. Slowly whisk the slurry into the gravy. Let simmer for half a minute or so, then turn off the heat. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
      3 tablespoon cornstarch + 3-4 tablespoon cold water

    Notes

    1. Both are optional but delicious. If you decide to use them, cut them into tiny bits and press them into the slits in the meat together with the garlic. If using fresh rosemary, leave out the dried one. 
    2. The cooking time depends on the type of pot you have. Mine has a ceramic pot and that will heat much slower than slow cookers with metal pots. Make sure to read the cooker’s instruction manual regarding the cooking times.
    3. You will know that the lamb is ready when it is very soft, and you will be able to pull the meat apart easily with a fork.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1/6 of the dish | Calories: 529kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 69g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 215mg | Sodium: 667mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @adinabeck or tag #WhereIsMySpoon!

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