Slow cooker lamb shoulder is the ideal cut of meat for this method of cooking The lamb becomes succulent and juicy, with a melt-in-the-mouth texture. In addition, the cooking juices can be blended into a rich and flavourful gravy that is so tasty you will be eating by the spoonful!
Lamb shoulder is the more affordable alternative to a leg of lamb, but it is just as tasty, if not more so. In fact, the rich, fatty connective tissue in the shoulder often gives it an edge on taste. Slow cooking the shoulder in a crockpot allows this connective tissue to break down, transforming the lamb into juicy succulent perfection.
I normally cook my lamb shoulder in a small amount of chicken or vegetable stock, along with an onion, carrot and stick of celery, which I blend into a delicious gravy once the meat has cooked.
For seasoning, I like to rub the lamb with mint and add a sprig of rosemary. But you could use whatever flavours you like. Garlic and lamb pair well together, as do warming spices such as ginger, cumin, and cinnamon which I use in my Moroccan lamb tagine recipe.
But whatever seasonings and flavours you choose to use, I'm sure you'll agree that this slow cooker lamb shoulder makes a delicious meal.
I like to serve this slow cooker shoulder of lamb with mashed potatoes and plenty of fresh vegetables, covered in lashings of the delicious gravy.
Here are a few of my favourites:
- Rumbledethumps - Scotland's answer to the humble mashed potato 🙂
- Minted smashed peas
- Cauliflower cheese
- Cheesy gem squash
- Glazed carrots
Jump to:
Ingredients
This is more of a method than an actual recipe, and you can use whatever size shoulder of lamb you have (as long as it will fit into your slow cooker). I had a small piece of lamb shoulder which was just over 1 kg or about 2.5 pounds. A larger piece may take longer in the slow cooker than the time that I have stated in the recipe. However, you will know the lamb is done when it can be pierced easily with a fork and starts to pull away from the bone.
- Lamb shoulder joint - lamb can be quite a fatty meat, so try to buy a joint with as little fat as possible. There is plenty of fat within the meat, which combined with the connective tissue will break down as the meat cooks. Trim any excess fat away from the outer part of the joint.
- Mint sauce and salt - these are the flavourings I used. If you have dry mint rub you can use that instead of the mint sauce (I'd run out!). Use whatever flavourings you prefer.
- Rosemary - a small sprig of fresh rosemary adds tons of flavour to the lamb.
- Chicken stock pot - I used this, combined with a cup of water, to make the stock. You could use a vegetable stock pot instead, or a chicken Oxo cube or bouillon powder.
- Carrot, celery and onion - these are not for side vegetables, their sole purpose if to flavour the stock. Once the meat has cooked it remove it from the slow cooker to rest and blend these vegetables with the cooking liquid to form a tasty gravy.
- Garlic and black peppercorns - I like to add a clove of garlic and a few black peppercorns for extra flavour. They will be blended into the gravy so there is no need to chop the garlic.
- Cornflour/cornstarch (not pictured) - if the gravy isn't as thick as you would like, you may want to thicken it with a slurry of cornflour and water.
**You can find the exact ingredient quantities I used on the printable recipe card at the end of this post**. But as I mentioned earlier, this is more of a method than an actual recipe so feel free to change the flavourings to suit your own taste.
Instructions
Step 1: Peel and clean the vegetables and cut them into pieces. Place them into the slow cooker along with the rosemary, garlic and black peppercorns.
Step 2: Rub the lamb all over with salt and mint sauce and place it on top of the vegetables.
Step 3: Pour the stock into the slow cooker taking care not to wash the mint from the lamb. Cover with a lid and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 5 to 6 hours or until the lamb is tender.
Remove the lamb from the slow cooker and place it on a plate. Cover with a sheet of tinfoil and allow it to rest while you make the gravy.
Make the gravy
Skim off most of the lamb fat that may be floating on top of the cooking juices.
Transfer the cooking juices and vegetables from the slow cooker into a saucepan and remove the woody rosemary stalk. Blend with a stick or immersion blender until the vegetables have turned to a puree and have combined with the stock to form a gravy.
Place on medium heat and thicken as necessary by stirring in a slurry made with 1 or 2 teaspoons of cornflour (cornstarch) and 2 tablespoons of cold water. You may not need all the cornflour slurry.
Top tips for a successful outcome
Here are my top tips to ensure your slow cooker lamb shoulder always turns out perfectly.
- If you prefer to brown the lamb before putting it in the slow cooker you can do this in a little sunflower oil in a large frying pan on the stove. I don't find it necessary for this recipe, but it's up to you.
- Make sure you rub the lamb well with your chosen seasonings/flavourings before putting it in the slow cooker.
- I added a carrot, onion and celery to the stock to blend for the gravy. You can add whatever vegetables you like. A potato will help thicken the gravy so if you add a potato you might not have to thicken the gravy with cornflour.
- Don't add too much liquid to the slow cooker. I find one cup of liquid is plenty. The lamb will release juices while cooking.
- If you are in a hurry you can cook the lamb shoulder on 'high' setting in the slow cooker. I find that cooking on 'low' give the shoulder more time to tenderise and results in juicier, more tender meat.
- Do allow the lamb to rest for about 10 minutes after cooking (while you are making the gravy). This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat.
Variations
You don't have to stick with my choice of flavourings (mint and rosemary). Use whatever you prefer. Here are a few suggestions:
- Garlic - make several small slits on the top of the lamb shoulder and insert a sliver of garlic and a few rosemary leaves into each slit, and a sprig of fresh thyme to the stock.
- Middle Eastern - rub the lamb with a mixture of salt, cumin, paprika and ground cinnamon and add 2 or 3 dried apricots to the stock. Garnish the shredded cooked lamb with a sprinkling of flaked almonds.
- Curry - rub the lamb with salt and your favourite curry powder. Add one or two tablespoons of mango chutney to the stock for a more exotic-tasting gravy. Alternatively stir in one or two tablespoons of yoghurt and fresh coriander when blending the gravy.
- Red Wine - use a mixture of half chicken stock / half red wine and add thyme and bay leaves. Remove the bay leaves and any thyme stalks before blending the gravy.
Equipment
You will need a slow cooker that is large enough to hold the meat. Because of the shape of the lamb shoulder, an oval-shaped slow cooker rather than a round one would be ideal.
You will also need a small saucepan and a stick or immersion blender for making the gravy.
If you intend to sear the shoulder before cooking, you will need a large frying pan.
Storage
Leftover lamb can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. It is ideal for turning into sandwiches.
Here are a few other ideas for using leftover lamb:
You can also freeze the leftover lamb for up to 3 months in a Ziploc bag. Allow it to defrost in the refrigerator before using.
Leftover gravy can be frozen separately. It makes a great addition to other soups and stews.
FAQ
Lamb shoulder will be cooked when the meat is balling off the bone and can be easily shredded with a fork. The internal temperature on a meat thermometer should register at least 85C or 185F.
Yes, if you don't want to shred the meat, transfer the lamb to a baking tray and place it under the grill/broiler for 5 to 10 minutes. Don't put the meat too close to the grill or it may burn - the middle shelf of the oven would be ideal.
It's difficult to overcook lamb shoulder in a slow cooker because it is a tough, fatty cut of meat that becomes more tender the longer it cooks. As a rule of thumb an extra hour or two added onto the cooking time won't do any harm, but I wouldn't leave it longer than that. Also, don't leave it for longer than 2 hours on the 'keep warm' setting once the meat has cooked.
Save for later
If you would like to try this slow cooker shoulder of lamb why not save the recipe to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it easily? Just click the image below.
Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.
Related recipes
Visit my lamb recipes page for other delicious lamb recipes. Here are a few you might enjoy:
📋The recipe
Slow cooker lamb shoulder
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- Slow-cooker or crockpot
- Stick blender
- Small saucepan
- Large frying pan optional
Ingredients
- 3 pounds / 1.35 kg bone-in lamb shoulder
- 2 tablespoons mint sauce or dry mint rub
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 small sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 cup chicken stock make it with a stock pot or stock cube
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 medium onion
- 1 stick celery
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 2 teaspoons cornflour/cornstarch optional for thickening the gravy
Instructions
- Peel and clean the vegetables and cut them into pieces. Place them into the slow cooker along with the rosemary, garlic and black peppercorns.1 small sprig fresh rosemary, 1 medium carrot, 1 medium onion, 1 stick celery, 1 clove garlic, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- Rub the lamb all over with salt and mint sauce and place it on top of the vegetables.3 pounds / 1.35 kg bone-in lamb shoulder, 2 tablespoons mint sauce or dry mint rub, 1 teaspoon salt
- Pour the stock into the slow cooker taking care not to wash the mint from the lamb. Cover with a lid and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 5 to 6 hours or until the lamb is tender.1 cup chicken stock
- Remove the lamb from the slow cooker and place it on a plate. Cover with a sheet of tinfoil and allow it to rest while you make the gravy.
- Skim off most of the lamb fat that may be floating on top of the cooking juices.
- Transfer the cooking juices and vegetables from the slow cooker into a saucepan and remove the woody rosemary stalk. Blend with a stick or immersion blender until the vegetables have turned to a puree and have combined with the stock to form a gravy.
- Place on medium heat and thicken as necessary by stirring in a slurry made with 1 or 2 teaspoons of cornflour (cornstarch) and 2 tablespoons of cold water. You may not need all the cornflour slurry.2 teaspoons cornflour/cornstarch
- Serve with mashed potatoes and your choice of freshly steamed vegeetables.
Notes
- If you prefer to brown the lamb before putting it in the slow cooker you can do this in a little sunflower oil in a large frying pan on the stove. I don't find it necessary for this recipe, but it's up to you.
- Make sure you rub the lamb well with your chosen seasonings/flavourings before putting it in the slow cooker.
- I added a carrot, onion and celery to the stock to blend for the gravy. You can add whatever vegetables you like. A potato will help thicken the gravy so if you add a potato you might not have to thicken the gravy with cornflour.
- Don't add too much liquid to the slow cooker. I find one cup of liquid is plenty. The lamb will release juices while cooking.
- If you are in a hurry you can cook the lamb shoulder on 'high' setting in the slow cooker. I find that cooking on 'low' give the shoulder more time to tenderise and results in juicier, more tender meat.
- Do allow the lamb to rest for about 10 minutes after cooking (while you are making the gravy). This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat.
- Leftover lamb can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- You can also freeze the leftover lamb for up to 3 months in a Ziploc bag. Allow it to defrost in the refrigerator before using.
- Leftover gravy can be frozen separately.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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