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Slow Roast Half Shoulder of Lamb

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Recipe Card Jump to Video Print Recipe

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.

Lamb shoulder coated in mint jelly served with roast potatoes, yorkshire puddings, creamy buttered swede, glazed parsnips, carrots and green peas on a black sheet of slate

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.

This recipe guarantees the most tender and juicy pulled lamb you've ever tasted.

If you're searching for a slow cooker recipe, we've got a recipe for a slow cooker leg of lamb that can also be used for a shoulder cut.

Jump to:

In the photos, you'll see we use a small 1.2 kg (2.6lb) half-shoulder of lamb. If you're cooking 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.

📖 Step by Step Recipe

Lamb shoulder coated in mint jelly served with roast potatoes, yorkshire puddings, creamy buttered swede, glazed parsnips, carrots and green peas on a sheet of black slate

Slow Roast Lamb Shoulder

Luke and Kay - Flawless Food
How to cook your family the best lamb roast dinner.
This recipe shows you how to slow roast a lamb shoulder joint in the oven, for 3 ½ to 5 hours at a low temperature. Slow cooked to the point where the tender meat falls off the bone.
Extra flavour and glaze are given from a mint jelly marinade added near the end of cooking time. Lamb is roasted in stock which creates the base for a delicious minted lamb gravy.
Instructions are for half shoulder lamb, however, can also be used for a whole shoulder lamb joint, with extra oven roasting time.
Measurements are given in both UK, metric and US, imperial.
4.94 from 92 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Resting time 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine British
Servings 4 People
Calories 412 kcal

Equipment

Roasting Tin
Roasting Tin
Fat separating jug
Fat separating jug
Stainless Steel Stock/Sauce Pan
Stainless Steel Stock/Sauce Pan

Ingredients
  

  • 1.2 kg Lamb Shoulder (Bone in)
  • 2 Onions
  • 1 Garlic bulb - Spread into cloves
  • 4 sprigs thyme - Or your prefered herb
  • 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 1 litre Lamb stock - Can use beef or vegetable stock instead.
  • 3 tablespoon Mint Jelly

Gravy

  • Leftover stock, from roasting tin - fat removed
  • 3 tablespoon Flour - mixed with water to create a lump free slurry before adding
  • 1 teaspoon Mint Jelly

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 150°C fan / 170°C / Gas mark 3 / 325°F. It is best to bring the 1.2 kg Lamb Shoulder (Bone in) out of the fridge at least an hour before cooking. Remove from packaging and pat dry.
    Chop 2 Onions into thick round discs. Place in the middle of a large roasting tin with the cloves of 1 Garlic bulb (no need to peel) and 4 sprigs thyme scattered around.
    Chopped onion,Garlic cloves and sprigs of fresh thyme in a black roasting tin
  • Pour 2 tablespoon Olive Oil over the lamb shoulder and rub it in on both sides with your hands
    Rubbing in the olive oil with hands over the lamb shoulder sitting on top of chopped onion, garlic cloves and fresh thyme in a black roasting tin
  • Place the lamb shoulder joint on top of the onions fat side up, season the lamb with more thyme leaves and a generous amount of Salt and Pepper
    Sprinkling fresh thyme leaves and black pepper by hand over the top of a lamb shoulder sitting on top of chopped onion, garlic cloves and fresh thyme in a roasting tin
  • Add 1 litre Lamb stock around the lamb (do not pour over the lamb)
    Pouring lamb stock into a black roasting tin from a glass jug with the lamb shoulder sitting on top of chopped onion, garlic cloves and fresh thyme
  • Cover the whole tray with foil and cook at 150°C fan / 170°C / Gas mark 3 / 325°F for 3 hours to start (this is not the full cooking time)
    (remember this cooking time is for a 1kg - 1.5 kg, half lamb shoulder, see notes section for roasting time, if using a larger, whole shoulder)
    covering over the lamb shoulder in a roasting tin with silver tin foil
  • Remove tray halfway through cooking. Shut oven door, lift foil and use a spoon or baster to pour the stock over the lamb. Recover with foil and cook for the remaining time.
    Pouring stock and juices over the lamb shoulder with a silver tablespoon to baste the meat
  • After 3 hours of cooking, spoon on 3 tablespoon Mint Jelly and rub all over the top.
    Remove from roasting tin and place in a clean tray to continue cooking for another 30 minutes uncovered at the same temperature.
    Placing mint jelly over the top of the slow roast lamb shoulder with a silver tablespoon
  • Remove onions and garlic (you can keep for serving with roast if desired).
    Use a sieve to pour Leftover stock, from roasting tin from the tin into a jug.
    Place the jug in a bowl of ice to help cool it down quicker. Once cooled enough, place in the freezer to encourage the fat to harden.
    Pouring the juices and stock into a glass jug from the black roasting tin into a sieve catching sprigs of thyme and onions
  • Once finished, remove the lamb and loosely cover it with foil. Allowing it to rest whilst cooking roast dinner side dishes
    Slow roast Lamb shoulder coated in mint jelly served with roast potatoes, yorkshire puddings, creamy buttered swede, glazed parsnips, carrots and green peas on a black sheet of slate

Minted Lamb Gravy

  • Remove jug from the freezer and use a spoon to remove the hard layer of fat off the top.
    Removing the fat layer away from the stock/ juices with a silver spoon
  • Reheat the stock in a pan.
    Pouring the stock/ juices into a cast iron pan to make gravy
  • Mix 3 tablespoon Flour with double amount of cold water to create a lump-free flour slurry.
    Mixing together plain flour and water together in a black bowl with a silver table spoon
  • Add flour slurry slowly into stock whilst whisking to prevent lumps from forming. You don't have to add it all, mix until at the desired gravy thickness.
    Pouring the plain flour and water mix into the stock and juices in a cast iron pan to make a gravy which is being stirred with a black whisk
  • Add 1 teaspoon Mint Jelly (optional) for extra flavour.
    Placing a teaspoon of mint jelly into the gravy cooking in a cast iron pan
  • Pour into a serving jug and cover to keep warm
    Pouring lamb gravy into a silver jug with a black ladle from a cast iron pan

How to serve pulled lamb

  • Once rested, use two forks to pull the tender lamb apart.
    Pulling the lamb shoulder apart with two silver forks
  • The meat will literally fall off the bone, there is no need to carve it.
    Lamb shoulder all shredded and away from the bone which is been placed on the side of the meat which is been placed on a wooden board
  • Serve with all the lamb gravy and all the usual roast dinner side dishes, check out the blog post for ideas.
    Pouring lamb gravy over our slow roast lamb shoulder served on a black plate with roast potatoes, yorkshire puddings, creamy buttered swede, glazed parsnips, carrots and green peas

Video

Notes

Oven Cooking time for half or whole shoulder of lamb

Shoulder of Lamb (bone-in) weight kg and (lb)
 Oven cooking time
170C / fan 150C Gas mark 3 (325F)
 Final cooking time with mint jelly glaze added Total cooking time
1 kg -1.5 kg
(2.2 lb - 3.4 lb)
 3 hours 0 minutes 30 minutes 3 ½ hours
1.6 kg - 1.9 kg
(3.5 lb - 4.1 lb)
 3 hour 30 minutes 30 minutes 4 hours
2 kg - 2.5kg
(4.4 lb - 5.5 lb)
 4 hour 30 minutes 30 minutes 5 hours

Nutrition

Calories: 412kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 38gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 121mgSodium: 141mgPotassium: 630mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 49IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 4mg
Keyword 3 hour, 4 hour, 5 hour, glaze, gravy, half shoulder, How to cook lamb shoulder in oven, lamb roast, lamb roast recipe, lamb shoulder with fall apart meat, mint, minted, oven roast, Roast, roast dinner, shoulder of lamb recipes, slow cook lamb shoulder, Slow Cooked, slow cooked lamb shoulder, slow cooking lamb in oven, Slow roast, slow roasted shoulder of lamb, whole shoulder
Tried this recipe? Share an image on Facebook / Instagram / PinterestPlease mention @flawlessfooduk or tag #flawlessfooduk!

This slow roast half shoulder of lamb recipe was originally posted 23rd January 2021 and was updated on the 28th February 2025. To move the recipe card higher in the post for better user experience.

Ingredients

I will quickly run through the main ingredients you need for this lamb recipe, including suitable substitutions.

Lamb Shoulder

Let me explain more about this joint of lamb and what you need for your family.

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.

Half or Whole Shoulder of Lamb
(bone-in) weight
kg and (lb)		How many does it serve?
1 kg -1.5 kg
(2.2 lb - 3.4 lb)		4 people
1.6 kg - 1.9 kg
(3.5 lb - 4.1 lb)		6 people
2 kg - 2.5kg
(4.4 lb - 5.5 lb)		8 people

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!

Placing down a lamb shoulder onto Chopped onions ,garlic cloves and fresh thyme in a black roasting tin

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!!) We also show you how to cook half a lamb leg in the slow cooker.

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 fresh rosemary for extra flavour or just go for dried herbs.

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

Pouring lamb stock into a black roasting tin from a glass jug with the lamb shoulder sitting on top of chopped onion, garlic cloves and fresh thyme

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.

Pouring lamb gravy into a silver jug with a black ladle from a cast iron pan

The recipe card below is for a half-shoulder lamb joint; detailed instructions for a whole-shoulder lamb joint are also included below the recipe card. They are cooked in the same way just allow extra cook time for larger lamb joints.

Instructions

Here is additional information regarding the lamb shoulder recipe.

How to prepare roast shoulder of lamb?

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

Lamb shoulder sitting on top of chopped onion, garlic cloves and fresh thyme in a roasting tin with olive oil being poured over the top with a silver tablespoon
Sprinkling fresh thyme leaves and black pepper by hand over the top of a lamb shoulder sitting on top of chopped onion, garlic cloves and fresh thyme in a roasting tin

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!

covering over the lamb shoulder in a roasting tin with silver tin foil

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!

Shoulder of Lamb (bone-in) weight
kg and (lb)		Oven cooking time
170C / fan 150C
Gas mark 3
(325F)		Final cooking time
with mint jelly glaze added		Total cooking time
1 kg -1.5 kg
(2.2 lb - 3.4 lb)		3 hours 0 minutes30 minutes3 ½ hours
1.6 kg - 1.9 kg
(3.5 lb - 4.1 lb)		3 hour 30 minutes30 minutes4 hours
2 kg - 2.5kg
(4.4 lb - 5.5 lb)		4 hour 30 minutes30 minutes5 hours

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

We will be creating another post for rolled boneless lamb shoulder soon, but for now, if using a boneless lamb shoulder use the above guide. But, deduct 20 minutes off the covered cook time for all sizes.

Do I need to baste lamb during roasting?

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

Pouring stock and juices over the lamb shoulder with a silver tablespoon to baste the meat

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.

Placing mint jelly over the top of the slow roast lamb shoulder with a silver tablespoon

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.

Slow roast Lamb shoulder coated in mint jelly served with roast potatoes, yorkshire puddings, creamy buttered swede, glazed parsnips, carrots and green peas on a black sheet of slate

Resting Time

Loosely cover with foil, being careful not to disturb the glaze. Let it rest for a minimum of 30 minutes, allowing the juices to settle and giving you the opportunity to prepare the gravy. This also frees up the oven for your roast lamb dinner side dishes.

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.

Pouring the juices and stock into a glass jug from the black roasting tin into a sieve catching sprigs of thyme and onions

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.

Removing the fat layer away from the stock/ juices with a silver spoon

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.

Pouring the stock/ juices into a cast iron pan to make gravy
Pouring the plain flour and water mix into the stock and juices in a cast iron pan to make a gravy which is being stirred with a black whisk
Placing a teaspoon of mint jelly into the gravy cooking in a cast iron pan

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.

Pulling the slow cooked lamb shoulder apart with two silver forks

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.

Lamb shoulder all shredded and away from the bone which is been placed on the side of the meat which is been placed on a wooden board

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

Pouring lamb gravy over our slow roast lamb shoulder served on a black plate with roast potatoes, yorkshire puddings, creamy buttered swede, glazed parsnips, carrots and green peas

Or try our red wine jus for lamb, seasonal greens and mashed potatoes.

More Lamb Recipes

We have plenty more roast dinner recipes for you to try, from mains to side dishes.

See more Roast Dinner →

Please spare some time to let us know how you got on making this roast half shoulder of lamb and what you like to serve yours with.

More Lamb Recipes

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Comments

    4.94 from 92 votes (64 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Andy says

    I’m lazy- so I skipped the gravy and veggies. I needed basic info like prep and cooking time for the meat. I put it on a bed of onion. I used melted butter instead of olive oil because I think it’s healthier (no lineloic acid and better flavour). It finishing off now. Looks and smells delicious!!!

    Reply

    • Luke says

      Thank you Andy for the comment 🙂
      I'm glad the prep and cooking times helped you cooking your lamb shoulder, you can't beat the great smell of cooking lamb, it's so good!!
      Enjoy 😉

      Reply

  2. John Marshall says

    Lamb looks great but very very confusing recipe. How do you expect to roast the potatoes in stock as shown in photos. They also cannot have been roasted in the time you say to crisp the lamb. It is an entirely ambiguous recipe or an untested recipe or fake photos. Dont suppose I will get a reply. You always respond to good comments. Thank you.

    Reply

    • Kay says

      Hi John,
      Sorry to hear you are confused by our recipe and think it is 'Fake'?
      I can assure you every recipe on our website is tried and tested a few times before we publish the final version and the photos are all our own.
      This lamb shoulder recipe is cooked on top of onions, not potatoes, as it clearly shows on the pictures, video and recipe card.
      We try to respond to all comments we get and would love to hear back from you once you have actually read and tried the recipe.
      PS. If you wanted a good recipe for roast potatoes you can find them here Flawless Roast Potatoes and they can be cooked whilst the lamb is resting.

      Reply

      • John Marshall says

        5 stars
        Thanks for reply Kay. I can see the lamb is cooked on onions (2 in fact)
        I was referring to the plated up photo in which I now assume the roast potatoes were
        cooked separately. I did use this recipe for my lamb and it is very good. Thank You.
        I will try your roast pots although I do very good ones myself. I'm a Yorkshireman. Yorkie puds roast spuds thats us. .

      • Kay says

        Thanks, John, for the comment and rating it's really much appreciated 🙂
        Glad you liked the lamb shoulder recipe and let us know if you make the roast potatoes?
        Enjoy!!

  3. Natalie says

    5 stars
    What a lovely lamb roast. Looks absolutely delicious. I haven't make lamb for a very long time. Thank you for the recipe and reminder. I will put this on my menu for next week.

    Reply

  4. Ksenia prints says

    5 stars
    This is such a DETAILED post with so many great, informative photos! Thank you for breaking down this process. Pinning this for later!

    Reply

    • Kay says

      Thank you so much for the comment 🙂
      Glad you found the blog informative and hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!!

      Reply

      • Sam Howard says

        Made this today for Easter Sunday! It was absolutely delicious and really easy to follow! Thank you!

      • Kay says

        Hi Sam, Thanks for the great feedback on the lamb shoulder recipe 🙂
        So glad it came out well for you and you had a good Sunday roast!!

  5. Addison says

    5 stars
    So tender and flavorful! I loved the step by step!

    Reply

    • Kay says

      Thank you Addison for your comment 🙂
      Glad you like the step by step guide for cooking lamb shoulder, enjoy!!

      Reply

  6. Maddie says

    5 stars
    Lamb always feels so intimidating to me. This is so well thought out and documented that I'm really looking forward to trying it! Thank you for sharing.

    Reply

    • Kay says

      Hi Maddie
      Thanks for the comment, glad you liked the recipe 🙂
      Enjoy!

      Reply

  7. Sabine says

    5 stars
    Oh wow, what a great recipe. Thanks to your well guided instructions, one cannot go wrong making this slow roasted lamb shoulder. It really looks mouthwatering.

    Reply

    • Kay says

      Hi Sabine
      Thanks for the comment 🙂
      Glad you liked the recipe and the instructions to cook the lamb shoulder was helpful!!

      Reply

  8. Audrey says

    5 stars
    This was so good!!

    Reply

  9. Leslie says

    5 stars
    This is such a great recipe! I really appreciate both charts you added to this post. Both were super helpful!

    Reply

    • Luke says

      Always a pleasure, I am glad to hear our serving chart and cooking time chart helps you with cooking your lamb shoulder.

      Reply

  10. Ramona says

    5 stars
    Oh my! This looks spectacular I am drooling here really badly. Need to make this asap.

    Reply

  11. Andréa Janssen says

    5 stars
    This looks so delicious. And your photo's look stunning. I'm certainly going to try this recipe for next Sunday's dinner.

    Reply

    • Luke says

      Hi Andrea
      Thank you for your comment and rating, hope you enjoy your Sunday roast and let us know your thoughts on the lamb shoulder 🙂

      Reply

  12. Lindsay says

    This looks so good! Can't wait to try.

    Reply

    • Luke says

      Hi Lindsay
      Thanks for your comment, hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
      Lets us know what you think?

      Reply

  13. Addison says

    5 stars
    So tender and flavorful!

    Reply

  14. Choclette says

    5 stars
    Gosh you've got my taste buds going now. Slow roasting really is the way to go. That lamb looks so gorgeous and tender. As for the roast potatoes I glimpsed in one of the photos, I could eat a whole bowl of those right now.

    Reply

  15. Linda says

    5 stars
    I've never tried roasting a lamb; however, you make it sounds so easy. I love the step-by-step tutorial and can't wait to give this recipe a try!

    Reply

    • Luke says

      Hi Linda
      Thanks for the comment
      Hope you enjoy the lamb roast recipe:)

      Reply

  16. Sharon says

    5 stars
    Omgsh this was the ultimate comfort food dinner. I felt like I was back at my mom's table as a kid. Perfect for Sunday supper and worth the effort. 🙂 Thanks!

    Reply

    • Luke says

      Hi Sharon
      Thank you for comment, glad you liked our recipe and brought back memories, you can't beat a good lamb Sunday roast dinner 🙂

      Reply


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Many thanks,
Kay & Luke
Flawless Food