Slow Roast Lamb Shoulder

Check out our amazing recipe for the best slow roast lamb shoulder dinner to treat your family to!

We've got you covered with how to slow-cook lamb shoulder in the oven for several hours, leading to absolutely delicious fall-apart meat.

We have glazed our slow-roasted shoulder of lamb with mint jelly marinade, but you can adjust it to suit you. Check out our slow-cooked leg of lamb recipe for an alternative marinade.

In the photos, you'll see our preparation uses a small 1.2 kg (2.6lb) half-shoulder of lamb. If you're cooking for a larger group or using a whole shoulder of lamb, don't worry - we have included a cooking time chart for how long to cook different sizes.

Our recipe card contains all the details on how to prepare and cook a lamb shoulder joint. You can also watch our video on the recipe card.

Or continue reading if you want more recipe advice.

How many people does a shoulder of lamb serve?

Are you wondering how many this incredible lamb roast serves? Well, a half shoulder of lamb will satisfy a small family, while a whole shoulder of lamb is perfect for a larger gathering.

If you buy half lamb shoulders, you will get a choice of knuckle or blade end. We usually go with the blade end, as there is slightly less bone - meaning more succulent meat! But the knuckle side is just as tasty!

What's better for Roast Lamb - Shoulder or Leg?

Lamb's shoulder makes a perfect slow-roasting joint of lamb due to the generous amount of fat on top and marbled throughout the joint.

It is best to cook a shoulder joint slowly and at a low temperature to allow the fat to melt throughout the joint, leaving tender meat ready to be pulled.

If you want a slightly leaner joint of lamb, we also have an amazing recipe for a Slow Cooked Leg of Lamb. (Of course, no lamb joint will be low fat!!)

Lamb shoulder is slightly cheaper than a leg of lamb, but cooked the right way, it is just as tasty!

Vegetables

We use onions as a trivet to lift the lamb off the tin base, adding flavour to the gravy made from the leftover juices. Feel free to swap in root veggies like carrots if you prefer.

Herbs

We went with fresh thyme, but feel free to swap in other fresh herbs such as rosemary for extra flavour or just go for dried herbs.

We used a whole garlic bulb - feel free to skip or use less for a more subtle flavour.

Lamb Stock

You can use other stock instead of lamb stock, such as chicken or vegetable stock.

Mint Jelly

We love the taste mint jelly brings to this recipe, mint jelly is better than mint sauce as it contains sugar which helps caramelise during the final cooking time. Feel free to experiment with other ways to glaze your lamb. We also add mint jelly to the gravy.

How to prepare roast shoulder of lamb?

Prepare your lamb joint for roasting using basic ingredients of oil, salt and pepper and your choice of herb (we use fresh thyme).

Don't forget to place the lamb shoulder on a bed of veggies inside the roasting pan - it serves a dual purpose. Not only does it elevate the joint above the stock but also adds more flavour into the gravy!

Add in some stock, garlic, and thyme for that extra dash of taste. Slow-cook lamb covered with foil for a moist and tender result. This method also ensures that the stock doesn't evaporate, which you'll need for that minted lamb gravy magic!

The mint jelly is not added yet, it will be added as a glaze for the final 30 minutes. Due to the sugar content, it would burn if cooked for hours!

Slow Roast Lamb Shoulder Cooking Time

When it comes to slow cooking a lamb shoulder, we believe slow roasting at a low temperature is the way to go! Pop it in the oven with a cooking time of around 3 ½ to 5 hours (depending on the weight).

This method gives you succulent lamb that just falls off the bone. The following cooking times apply to both half-shoulder lamb and the whole shoulder of lamb joint with the bone in.

So, take it easy, let it roast low and slow, and enjoy that tender, juicy lamb goodness!

Measurements and cooking temperatures are given in both UK, metric and US, imperial.

Do I need to baste lamb during roasting?

It is best to baste the lamb shoulder halfway through cooking. And again, just before adding the glaze.

Simply use a spoon or baster to scoop up the stock and lamb cooking juices and pour back over the lamb.

How to glaze a shoulder of lamb?

Take your lamb shoulder to the next level of tastiness, by adding a simple marinade glaze of mint jelly.

It will only need to be added on the top of the lamb shoulder, for the final 30 minutes of cooking.

The mint jelly not only adds a delicately sweet, fresh flavour. But also a beautiful shiny glaze to the lamb joint.

Remove the roast lamb from the roasting tin, place it into another baking tray and cook for the final 30 minutes uncovered to allow it to crisp up.

Homemade Lamb Gravy

Time to make the minted lamb gravy. Remove the garlic and onion from the lamb roasting tin. Feel free to serve them up with the roast dinner they are delicious. Although the garlic can be overpowering for some!

Pour the leftover stock and lamb juices through a sieve. From the roasting tray into a large jug. This will remove all the leftover herbs.

How to seperate lamb fat from stock?

Place the jug into a large ice bowl to help bring the temperature down.

Once cool enough, place the jug of stock in the fridge or freezer to help firm up the layer of fat.

Other ways of removing fat from stock include skimming with a spoon or using bread or a kitchen towel to soak it up.

Or, by far, the easiest method is using a fat-separating jug; feel free to use your preferred method.

So with the lamb fat removed, all the delicious lamb flavours are still there. It is time to create a thick, rich gravy.

To avoid lumpy gravy, always mix your flour with water first to create a lump-free slurry. Slowly add it into the stock whilst constantly whisking.

We added mint jelly to create a minted lamb gravy, but you don't have to add this?

If you don't want gravy with your lamb, why not try out Red Wine Jus Sauce Recipe. It goes perfectly with our lamb shoulder recipe.

Pulled Lamb Roast Meat

No sharp knife for carving is required when the lamb is cooked slowly, shred the pulled lamb meat apart using two forks! Check out that amazing succulent lamb meat.

Keep pulling away with your forks into as big or little shreds of meat as desired.

When you reach a bone, pick it up, and the lamb meat will fall off it! This is the beauty of slow-cooked lamb.

The meat easily falls off the lamb shoulder blade bone, as seen above. No waste at all! Minimal effort and no carving skills are needed!

This roast lamb recipe is a guaranteed crowd pleaser, don't hold us to blame when the whole family fight over it! Remember to share.

What to serve with Slow Roast Shoulder of Lamb

Serve your lamb with all the usual side dishes if you want some inspiration.

Check out our Yorkshire Puddings, Roast Potatoes, Roasted Vegetables & Buttered Swede. As seen on the plate below