Slow-cooked Roast Lamb Shoulder in Red Wine Sauce
This slow-cooked lamb shoulder is possibly the easiest and fool-proof lamb roast you can make. With very little prep time, this roast lamb shoulder becomes soft, tender and incredibly delicious. Infused with fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme and some robust red wine, which results in a delicious gravy. A perfect crowd-pleasing recipe that everyone will love to dig in.
If you love meat that falls off the bone, then this one’s for you.
Nothing like a slow-cooked roast lamb shoulder that melts in your mouth. The best part is you barely have to do much because the oven does all the hard work for you.
Now, in our home, we cook special meat cuts of lamb for special occasions. They are kinda expensive pieces of meat you know. So, cooking it well becomes as important.
We made this recently when we had the festival of Sukkot. I just finished a big wedding cake order, and boy was I tried. I had to think of a way I could have dinner ready after a long busy morning. Of course, I did not want to spend the rest of the day cooking a festive dinner.
But kids are excited, and you know holiday means good food. So this is what I made. Slow-cooked roast lamb shoulder. Simple, delicious, and in addition – less work more wow factor. My kinda food!
This one was about 15 minutes of hands-on work. Then, I went and watch Despicable Me 3 with the kids while the lamb shoulder went into the oven for 2 hours with a little basting every twenty minutes. Then, 5 minutes to make the gravy and voila! Dinner is served. Kinda feels quick.
Wouldn’t you love to dig into this juicy tender meat?
About this slow-cooked lamb shoulder
Did you know that the lamb shoulder is more flavorful than the leg of lamb? And yet, the leg of lamb always takes all the credit. Lamb Shoulder is quite a fatty cut of meat. So, it is a great cut for slow cooking. It stays really juicy and tender. What’s even better is that compared to a leg of lamb, lamb shoulder is usually a little less expensive. I’m using what the butcher calls an Oyster cut – looks very similar in shape to the leg of lamb really.
This recipe is fairly simple and easy because most of the flavor comes from the herbs and cooking method. I call this my lazy day cooking because most of the work is done in the oven leaving me enough time to work on other things.
Cooking with a thermometer
I personally prefer to use
Here is how you would check with or without a thermometer
- Medium rare – between 130 F to 135 F approximately 20 minutes per pound
- or Medium – between 135 F to 140 F approximately 22 to 23 minutes per pound
- and Medium well – between 145 F to 150 F approximately 25 minutes per pound
- not really my favorite – Well Done – between 155 to 165 F approximately 30 minutes per pound
I would strongly suggest that if you going to save some leftovers to go as far as medium-well. The meat still cooks even after you take it out of the oven.
Let’s talk about some of the ingredients (Save/Pin)
- Herbs – Rosemary, thyme, Parsley / Cilantro – Now lamb with rosemary and thyme are the classic herbs that go so well together. I love to add a third to add a bit more. Often I prefer to use parsley but my kids are still not so used to parsley – it kinda stands out for them. So, often I will substitute cilantro for parsley. And you know I’m a big fan of the cilantro.
- Red Wine – The rule of thumb – always use good red wine for cooking. One that you would drink is your best guide. If you cook with wine often it’s best to add a bottle to your weekly shopping list. The red wine in this recipe gets flavored with all the wonderful veggies and herbs and the resulting gravy/ sauce is absolutely delicious.
- Vegetables – I used carrots, potatoes, onions, and lemon – but you can also use parsnip and sweet potatoes. If you do use sweet potatoes cut them into large chunks as they cook must faster. I highly recommend the onions and lemon, the onions caramelize and give the shoulder so much sweetness, the lemon juices off over the lamb again adding so much flavor.
- Stock – Ideally you could use water too. I personally prefer to use chicken or vegetable stock. But again, if you don’t have the stock go ahead and use water. The lamb is full of flavor so you won’t be missing anything.
Useful Tips and Tools
- Baking rack – You want to use a standard roasting rack, not just a baking pan. The rack helps all the juices flow down keeping the meat crisp on the outside. I use this roasting rack because it’s perfect for a small family of four.
- Aluminum foil – Cover the meat with aluminum foil and let rest for at least 20 to 30 minutes.
- Frying pan – I like to toast my dry rub ingredients in a frying pan so they are easier to crush and toasting them brings out more flavor.
- A meat thermometer – My meat thermometer is the best investment I made for cooking meat.
How to Make a Slow-cooked Lamb Shoulder – Roast Lamb Shoulder (save/pin)
Prepare Marinade
- Remove leaves from rosemary and thyme stalks (do not use stalks).
- Coarsely chop all the marinade ingredients then rub it in a mortar and pestle.
- Set aside.
Prepare Lamb Shoulder
- Remove excess fat and silver skin from the shoulder.
- Sear the meat on a HOT grill or saute pan.
- Rub marinade and set aside.
Cut Vegetables
- Prepare all the vegetables, cutting them into large chunks so they won’t’ get too mushy in the oven.
Get Ready to Roast
- Add veggies to the roasting pan.
- Place the marinated shoulder on the veggies.
- Spread the remaining herbs around the pan.
- The onions and lemons slices go on the shoulder.
- Sprinkle with salt, pepper and olive oil.
- Pour the stock and red wine around the shoulder in the pan.
Time to Roast
- Roast in the oven at 160 C / 320 F for about 2 hours.
- Loosely tent the roasting pan for the first 60 minutes so the juices won’t’ all evaporate.
- Keep basting the lamb shoulder every twenty minutes with the juices in the pan.
- If you find that too much of the juices have evaporated – add 1/2 to 1 cup water.
(I did not have to add any more water)
After Roasting
- You will know that the meat is cooked because more of the bone will be exposed, and
- If you stick a fork in you will find the meat is fork-tender.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes loosely tented with a foil.
Make Gravy
- To make the gravy simply remove all the vegetables aside.
- Place the roasting pan on medium heat.
- Add 1/2 cup water 1/4 to 1/2 cup red wine.
- Scrape the pan to remove all the caramelized bits of veggies, herbs, and meat.
- I had quite a bit of potato stuck so I did not need any flour.
- But if your sauce looks thin in consistency add 1 tsp of flour.
- Sieve the gravy to get a nice brown sauce to serve with the lamb shoulder.
- Enjoy!
10 Tips for PERFECT Roast Lamb Shoulder every single time
- This is not the time to count calories or fat. You want to choose a well-marbled piece of meat with a decent amount of fat on top. The fattier the meat the more juicy and flavorful the roast.
- Always thaw the lamb shoulder before cooking – a few hours at least 2 to 3 hours. Cooking chilled meat cause uneven baking causing the outer parts of the meat to overcook.
- A lamb shoulder is a large chunk of meat and not much exposed. So, make sure to over season the meat, because only some of it will penetrate the meat. The rest of it will get crusted on.
- Use a roasting rack, don’t just place the meat on the baking tray. The roasting rack will let the juices flow below and let the outside of the shoulder forms a crust almost a sear that keeps all the juices in.
- Elevate the bone from the base if possible. This encourages even cooking by circulating the air.
- Cook the meat just until you reach desired doneness, not a minute more. The meat continues to cook about 5 to 10 degrees more after you take it out of the oven.
- If you are entertaining and want to ensure you have the perfect roast. Remove the lamb shoulder at about 140 F – this will be perfectly pink and about 145 F by the time you serve.
- Don’t open the oven door too often to check doneness instead calculate the cooking time and check closer to the time.
- Don’t poke too many holes in the meat while checking for doneness. The moment you poke a hole in the meat you will see juices flow out. You want these to stay in so don’t make too many holes. I poke the thermometer just ones and leave it there until it reaches the desired temperature.
- Let the meat rest after cooking. If you cut the meat too soon all the juices will flow out of the meat and give you a dry roast. Instead, let the meat rest for at least 15 minutes if not more.
Frequently asked questions
If stored properly a roasted lamb shoulder will keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. You can also freeze it for up to a month.
Absolutely, both the shoulder and leg of lamb are very similar hard-working muscles and would need the same cooking method and temperature. You can also see my recipe for Leg of lamb
Place the lamb on the roasting rack, fat side up uncovered. This will give a nice brown color and crust on the outside.
No. Since we cook the first few minutes on high this does the job or searing the meat and rendering the fat. It will produce a juicy tender cooked lamb shoulder.
Leftover roast meat works great in sandwiches and wraps. But I also use leftover in my chicken pot pie or shepherd’s pie.
I love to serve my roast lamb leg either on a bed of mashed potatoes or roast vegetables. My kid’s favorite is my rice pilaf with dried fruit and nuts. I love a side of salad and some roast potatoes or patties are always a great addition too.
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Slow Cooked Roast Lamb Shoulder in Red Wine Sauce
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Ingredients
- 2 kgs (2.78 lb) Lamb’s shoulder
- 1 1/2 cup (12.17 floz) Stock – chicken / vegetables
- 1 cup (8.12 floz) Red wine
- 2 sprigs (2 sprigs) Rosemary
- 2 sprigs (2 sprigs) Thyme
- 2 sprigs (2 sprigs) Cilantro/parsley
Marinade
- 3 sprigs (3 sprigs) Rosemary
- 3 sprigs (3 sprigs) Thyme
- 3 sprigs (3 sprigs) Cilantro/parsley
- 2 cloves (2 cloves) Garlic
- 1/2 inch (0.5 inch) Ginger
- Salt & pepper for seasoning
- 2 tbsp (2 tbsp) Olive oil
Vegetables
- 3 (3 ) Potatoes large
- 3 (3 ) Carrot large
- 1 (1 ) Onion large
- 1 (1 ) Lemon large
Instructions
Prepare Marinade
- Remove leaves from rosemary and thyme stalks (do not use stalks).
- Coarsely chop all the marinade ingredients then rub it in a mortar and pestle.
- Set aside.
Prepare Lamb Shoulder
- Remove excess fat and silver skin from the shoulder.
- Sear the meat on a HOT grill or saute pan.
- Rub marinade and set aside.
Cut Vegetables
- Prepare all the vegetables cutting them into large chunks so they won’t’ get too mushy in the oven.
Get ready to Roast
- Add veggies to the roasting pan.
- Place the marinated shoulder on the veggies.
- Spread the remaining herbs around the pan.
- The onions and lemons slices go on the shoulder.
- Sprinkle with salt, pepper and olive oil.
- Pour the stock and red wine around the shoulder in the pan.
Time to Roast
- Roast in the oven at 160 C / 320 F for about 2 hours.
- Loosely tent the roasting pan for the first 60 minutes so the juices won’t’ all evaporate.
- Keep basting the lamb shoulder every twenty minutes with the juices in the pan.
- If you find that too much of the juices have evaporated – add 1/2 to 1 cup water. (I did not have to add any more water)
After roasting
- You will know that the meat is cooked because more of the bone will be exposed, and
- If you stick a fork in you will find the meat is fork tender.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes loosely tented with a foil.
Make Gravy
- To make the gravy simply remove all the vegetable aside.
- Place the roasting pan on medium heat.
- Add 1/2 cup water 1/4 to 1/2 cup red wine.
- Scrape the pan to remove all the caramelized bits of veggies, herbs, and meat.
- I had quite a bit of potato stuck so I did not need any flour.
- But if your sauce looks thin in consistency add 1 tsp of flour.
- Sieve the gravy to get a nice brown sauce to serve with the lamb shoulder.
- Enjoy!
Recipe Video
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Nutrition Information
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Anne Godsey
The greatest lamb dish ever!!! I cook the lamb in wine and broth with rosemary and garlic.
The roast carrots, new potatoes, onions and parsnips separately then serve together.
Only way to cook lamb.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Anne. I am so happy you enjoyed this recipe. I love cooking veggies separately sometimes too.
bbq recipes
heather – I think the mushrooms look super dark because of the marinade (the soy sauce). They soak up a little of the liquid, so that gives it the dark caramel color 🙂
Veena Azmanov
There are no mushrooms in my recipe – Thanks
Jennifer A Stewart
Thank you for going into detail about the oyster cut. I would love to take a butchering class so I can learn more about the cuts and where they come from and of course how to cook them. I make an eye round but my hubby hates it because he says its too lean and tough. I never really had lamb growing up as we ate more seafood and chicken but I have grown to love it. And I don’t like it with mint jelly like all the cheesy tv shows say you are supposed to eat it. Slow roasted with rosemary and garlic sounds heavenly!
Veena Azmanov
I know exactly how you feel Jennifer. I too don’t like all that cheesy mess they show on TV – all wasted calories that do nothing. But yes it is important to learn these things if you are interested the more you learn about food the more your cooking will improve as well.
Sarah | Away From the Box
I love slow cooked foods, but I’ve never tried doing lamb. What a gorgeous piece of meat, so fall apart tender but with that beautiful color and sauce. It’s amazing you can get such a fabulous dish without standing over a stove all day. Great recipe!
Veena Azmanov
Absolutely Sarah. – You can leave it in the oven and do much more… makes this dish even more desirable to me.
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day
This looks like a lovely Sunday supper. I’m sure it makes your house smell fragrant, too.
Veena Azmanov
yes it makes a great Sunday or festive dinner. and oh smells so good.
swathi
I don’t cook lamb at home. But this one looks so tender and juicy and perfect with red wine sauce. I think I have to change my mind and make this one.
Veena Azmanov
Oh you must try Swathi – cooking lamb at home is super easy..
Noel Lizotte
Slow roasted meats are delicious! They’re so tender and full of flavor … I love using my slow cooker for roasts. Carrots and potatoes are the perfect combination to accompany roast. I’ll be sharing this recipe.
Veena Azmanov
Thanks Noel So glad to here you like it so much
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy
Ok…so WE totally love LAMB in our house. I just did a lamb stew in red wine…that will be on the blog this week. The first time I had lamb it was NOT a hit. Unfortunately my late mother-in-law was not a great cook. However, I prepare it much differently, and have used lamb in MANY recipes. Always, and I mean ALWAYS love it. This sounds so delicious.
Veena Azmanov
Yes.. we love lamb too! I know what you mean.. my mother in law some how never made lamb so well as she did beef better. Kinda weird.. Lamb is a huge hit in out home… I think red wine does a great job on lamb
Byron Thomas
It’s been literally years since I have eaten lamb! Isn’t that a shame? I just love the look of this dish! The lamb looks so tender, moist and sounds super, super tasty! I really do need to try this one very soon.
Veena Azmanov
Wow.. Year? That is a shame unless your vegetarian Byron. Is was super yum… you must try. Thanks for the lovely comment
Kylee from Kylee Cooks
I wish I could grab a fork and eat right off that screen! Lamb is one of my all time favorite roasts. I love the look of your red wine sauce – yum!
Veena Azmanov
Mine too Kylee. I love lamb very much…The red wine sauce was really yum… you must try.
Julie | Bunsen Burner Bakery
This looks so delicious – and perfect for Sukot! We usually do a leg of lamb for Pesach, but I will try a lamb shoulder this year. Inexpensive is always better, and slow cooking is such a great way to ensure that everything stays tender.
Veena Azmanov
Yup.. Leg of lamb is more expensive than lamb shoulder and you can often use the recipe interchangeably – you must try shoulder
Kathy McDaniel
This sounds like the perfect meal for a special occasion or festivity. The meat looks fall of the bone tender and the marinade ingredients YUM!!!
Veena Azmanov
Yeah absolutely Kathy.. I love making such things on special occasions. The meat is tender and just falls off the bone..
Manila Spoon
I love cooking with red wine as I know anything cooked in red wine is delicious! However, I have often been intimidated in trying lamb but seeing how delicious your lamb turned out, I think I should really get over my fear and try it beginning with this yummy recipe!!
Veena Azmanov
So happy to hear that Manila. Yup… lamb and red wine are match made in heaven you must try
kim
This looks beyond delicious and I love that it can easily be made in the slow cooker! What a great family dinner – can’t wait to give it a try!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks Kim. Yeah I’m sure you can make it in a slow cooker too.
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I love using the slow cooker for many things. It just seems to taste better when you’ve enjoyed smelling the aromas all day. Love your advice about the wine..Make sure to use one that you’d want to drink..Yup, have to agree with that for sure 🙂
Veena Azmanov
Thanks Stephanie.. I love cooking with wine especially red meat.
Natalie | Natalie's Food & Health
This roasted lamb looks sooo delicious Venna. Meat is so tender and marinade sounds fantastic! I just KNOW I would enjoy in these dish because lamb is my favorite meat and there’s a red wine included hehe 😉 Sharing this!
Veena Azmanov
I’m glad to hear that Natalie. Thanks
Srivalli Jetti
Lamb slow cooked with all that herbs and wine must taste good. I find it interesting that you paired this with all those veggies..
Veena Azmanov
Definitely taste delicious <3
Mark, CompassandFork
This is a lovely recipe. Lamb is my favorite red meat. So sweet and where I live in Australia, it is extremely popular. And slow cooking is so suited to a shoulder of lamb, my favorite cut as well. Just perfect for a cool winter’s day. Really nice job.
Veena Azmanov
Exactly… slow roast is perfect for lamb shoulder. Works great.
Megan Marlowe
This is some comfort food I can get done with especially during these cold winter months. I love slow roasting meat until it’s fall off the bone tender. This looks like one delicious lamb shoulder!
Veena Azmanov
Yeah me too Megan. love slow roasting – brings out the flavor and tender meat
Sarah @ Champagne Tastes
I’ve only eaten lamb twice and would have no idea how to cook it. This makes it look pretty easy! I should make this for the hubs
Veena Azmanov
Oh yeah lamb is pretty easy… just pick the right cut for the right recipe and it makes cooking it easy peasy.
Sarah @ TheFitCookie
Oh my goodness this looks fantastic! We love lamb but haven’t had many other cuts of lamb besides ground and chops. We have some friends who raise grassfed lamb, I’ll have to get some shoulder to try this recipe!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you Sarah. Yes you must try it – The slow cooking really does wonders to this dish and the taste is amazing. you will love it <3 Thanks for the comment
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy
We love lamb, and this recipe sounds so good. I will have to give it a try soon. Perfect for leftovers too.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you Gloria.. If you try do let me know – thanks for the comment
Melissa
Looks delicious! Slow cooking with the herbs and wine must really make this amazing! Perfect for cold weather!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you Melissa – Yes it was delicious!! Perfect for cold weather too!
Debra C.
Oh my goodness I can almost smell it cooking with your mouthwatering pictures! I bet it tastes as good as it looks, can’t wait to try your recipe!
Veena Azmanov
It did taste great Debra! Thank you so much
Platter Talk
Your lamb looks delicious. Slammin’ recipe. I have to try this soon. LOVE the color and flavors Thanks!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you Dan
munchies and munchkins
oh that lamb looks ridiculously tender and I imagine that gravy is absolutely delicious. You are really making me hungry now.
Veena Azmanov
Thanks Becky – Yeah that was so tender and the gravy was really delicious.
Cricket Plunkett
I don’t eat lamb that much because I never know how to cook it, love the idea of putting it in the slow cooker. This is my kind of recipe!
Veena Azmanov
Yeah slow cooking can be a great way to novice cooks to start – Thanks Cricket