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4.60 from 30 votes

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.


Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time5 hours
Total Time5 hours 15 minutes
Course: Meat Recipes
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 529kcal
Author: Adina

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