A spiced lamb shoulder marinated in mixed herbs, ground cumin, coriander and cinnamon, cooked on a bed of onions in the slow cooker, then finished under the grill.
The beauty of this Slow Cooker Spiced Lamb Shoulder is that you get all the flavours and textures of low-and-slow baked lamb, but without having the oven on all day. Simply marinate your lamb in the mixed herbs, ground cumin, coriander and cinnamon. Place on the sliced onions in the slow cooker with the boiling water and cook on high for 5 hours. Shred the lamb, place under the grill then serve with pitas or flatbreads with your favourite toppings.
If you're making this as a sharing meal, why not try making your own Homemade Flatbreads to serve it in? Or for another epic lamb meal, you absolutely must try our BBQ Lamb with Fresh Mint Sauce.
Jump to:
Ingredient notes:
- Lamb: Let's be honest. Lamb can be really expensive. I always try to buy it on special and freeze it for a special occasion.
- Spices: This combination of spices gives the meat a lovely aromatic flavour. If you need to omit or substitute a spice it will still taste amazing!
- Lemon: It might sound a little strange to grill the lemon. This is definitely a trust-the-process moment! The lemon infuses the meat in the oven. Plus you can squeeze the extra juice over the lamb before serving.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card for the ingredients, quantities and the full method.
Step by step instructions:
In a small bowl, combine all of the marinade ingredients. Coat the lamb on all sides with the marinade. Marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight in the fridge if you have time.
Add the sliced onion to the base of a slow cooker. Dissolve the stock cube in boiling water and pour over the onion. Place the marinated lamb on top. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 5 hours, until the lamb is tender and falling apart.
Preheat the oven to 210°C fan grill. Carefully remove the lamb from the slow cooker and pull out the bone. Transfer the lamb to an oven tray, fat side facing up.
Cut the lemon into wedges and place them around the lamb. Grill for 15 minutes until the fat is rendered and the outside is golden and crisp.
Serve with pitas, rocket and tzatziki, or alongside roast potatoes.
For another hearty, meaty, meal, be sure to check out our Sticky Five Spice Beef!
Recipe FAQs:
Either a leg of lamb or a lamb shoulder can be used in this recipe. If using a leg though, you'll have to make sure your slow cooker is big enough to fit it in! If you get home and find it's too big, you could always use my oven Roast Lamb recipe instead.
Grilling is optional but highly recommended. It crisps up the fat and gives the lamb a beautiful golden finish, adding another layer of flavour and texture.
Yes! You can marinate the lamb the night before, then pop it straight into the slow cooker in the morning.
Storage:
Place any leftover lamb in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Enjoy hot or cold with salad, wraps or in sandwiches.
Top tips:
If you're going to use a lamb leg, make sure it will fit in your slow cooker! If it doesn't, (like the picture above!), you can strip the meat from overhang, then use a hack saw to cut through the bone. Be sure to make sure the bone is clean, and the meat is covered if you need to do this!
Related Recipes:
Made this recipe?
Please click on the stars below to rate it or, write a review!
Slow Cooker Spiced Lamb Shoulder
Tender and crispy, twice-cooked lamb shoulder. Marinated in spices, the lamb is first cooked in the slow cooker and finished under the grill.
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg lamb leg or shoulder
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 1 cup boiling water
- ½ lemon
Marinade
- 2 tsp dried mixed herbs
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine all of the marinade ingredients. Coat the lamb on all sides with the marinade. Marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight in the fridge if you have time.
- Add the sliced onion to the base of a slow cooker.
- Dissolve the stock cube in boiling water and pour over the onion. Place the marinated lamb on top.
- Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 5 hours, until the lamb is tender and falling apart.
- Preheat the oven to 210°C fan grill.
- Carefully remove the lamb from the slow cooker and pull out the bone. Transfer the lamb to an oven tray, fat side facing up.
- Cut the lemon into wedges and place them around the lamb. Grill for 15 minutes until the fat is rendered and the outside is golden and crisp.
- Serve with pitas, rocket and tzatziki, or alongside roast potatoes.
Notes
- Leftover lamb can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 724Total Fat: 48gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 26gCholesterol: 233mgSodium: 668mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 65g
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.
Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
If you don't already follow me, head over to my Instagram, Facebook or TikTok pages to keep up to date with all my new recipes.
Vanya
Nikola says
Could you do this on the bbq - covered in tin foil?
VJ cooks says
No. You add liquid to the slow cooker which keeps the meat moist and tender.
Ashleigh says
What do I do if the lamb is super fatty? And do I need to flip it at all? Thanks
VJ cooks says
Some fat is good! It gives the meat a beautiful flavour and texture, and caramelises as it cooks. If your cut has more than you would like, feel free to trim the excess off. No, I wouldn't flip the meat, this allows the fat to caramelise.