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Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder with Balsamic, Garlic, and Rosemary

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.4 from 8 reviews
  • Author: Jess Larson
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 8 hours 30 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 6-8 1x
  • Category: Main Dishes
  • Method: Slow Cooker
  • Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

There are few things more cozy and comforting than Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder with Balsamic, Rosemary, and Garlic!

Let the slow cooker do all the work with this crockpot lamb recipe, infusing rich lamb shoulder with the punchy aromatic flavor of aged balsamic vinegar, garlic, and fresh rosemary. Once the slow cooked lamb is perfectly succulent and fall-apart tender, shred it to serve as a sandwich or atop a pile of cozy carbs & roasted veggies – whatever you prefer!

While I love using a slow cooker/Crockpot for ease, you can also prep this recipe on the stovetop or in the oven with a Dutch oven or make it in your Instant Pot.

It also yields a lot of shredded lamb shoulder and is perfect for meal prep, so be sure to refer to the Recipe Notes, below, for full guidance on alternative cooking methods, storage, and freezing instructions! ♡ Happy cooking!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 pounds lamb shoulder roast, excess fat trimmed
  • 1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
  • 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup aged balsamic vinegar
  • ½ cup low-sodium beef stock
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season

Instructions

  1. Assemble the lamb: Place the lamb shoulder in a slow cooker. If your roast has a fat cap, make sure the fat cap is at the top, facing you, so all the juices melt and flow down through the meat as the lamb slowly cooks. Arrange the sliced onion around the lamb roast. Top with the garlic, rosemary, and bay leaf, seasoning with 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper. Pour the aged balsamic vinegar, beef stock, and pure maple syrup over top. [gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="14651,14652"]

    How to make Slow cooked lamb shoulder with balsamic, rosemary, and garlic, step 1: Assemble the lamb. Lamb shoulder, sliced onion, garlic, rosemary, bay leaf, kosher salt, and ground black pepper are placed inside a slow cooker with a braising liquid poured over.

  2. Slow cook the lamb on low for 6-8 hours, tossing every so often, until the lamb shreds easily with a fork. How to make Slow cooked lamb shoulder with balsamic, rosemary, and garlic, step 2: Slow cook the lamb. Lamb slow cooked in a braising liquid until fall-apart tender rests inside a slow cooker. The slow cooker sits atop a grey textured surface.
  3. Shred the lamb: Transfer the lamb to a cutting board or plate. Use 2 forks or a pair of tongs to shred the lamb into bite-sized pieces (as chunky or fine as you’d like). Set aside. Drain off excess fat from the juices in the slow cooker, as desired – I find this is most easily done by pouring the juices into a liquid measure and spooning off excess fat into a bowl or jar to discard later. Add the lamb, and the cooking juices, back into the slow cooker. Stir to combine. Turn the slow cooker on its high setting, with the cover removed. Let everything simmer and combine for 5-10 minutes, allowing the lamb to absorb some of the excess liquid. [gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="14656,14657"]
  4. Serve, as desired. This balsamic lamb makes excellent sandwiches and sliders (with peppery arugula, crumbled feta, and balsamic glaze), and it’s also great on its own, with mashed potatoes, roasted veggies or a fresh green salad. Enjoy! Two servings of shredded balsamic lamb are served over mashed potatoes in white ceramic bowls with broccolini and extra braising liquid over top. The bowls sit atop a gray textured surface with loose sprigs of rosemary, a silver fork, a striped linen napkin and a glass of white wine surrounds the bowls.

Notes

  • Lamb shoulder: You can typically find lamb shoulder in the butcher case at conventional grocery stores, sold as a roast or individual steaks. Either work in this slow cooked lamb shoulder recipe! Using boneless (pictured) or bone-in lamb shoulder is a matter of choice and availability. Bone-in is great for the added flavor, however lamb shoulder tends to be a more expensive cut so buying boneless is a little more budget friendly. Since this is a slow cooked recipe, other tough cuts will work well (such as lamb shanks). If you cannot find lamb shoulder, the flavors of this recipe are great with beef, too.
  • Balsamic vinegar: You don’t need to go too fancy here, but do make sure you choose an aged balsamic vinegar for a more intense sweetness and smooth finish. I like to use DeLallo Aged Modena Balsamic Vinegar.
  • Make-Ahead, Storage, and Freezing:
    • Storage and Reheating: Leftover shredded balsamic lamb shoulder stores very well – it’ll get even better as it sits and its flavors have the chance to meld together! Transfer cooled pulled lamb shoulder to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.
    • Freezing Instructions: Slow cooked lamb shoulder is also incredibly freezer-friendly. To freeze, transfer the cooled pulled lamb shoulder to a freezer container (or divide it up between multiple freezer containers for smaller portions). Freeze up to 3 months. To thaw, place the frozen pulled lamb shoulder in the refrigerator overnight or submerge the freezer container in room temperature water for a quicker thaw. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through and serve as desired.
  • Alternate Cooking Methods: 
    • Slowly Braised Dutch Oven lamb shoulder: Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to large, heavy-bottomed oven-safe pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat (such as a 5-qt Dutch oven). Use paper towel to pat the lamb shoulder completely dry, then season with kosher salt and ground black pepper according to Step 1 of Recipe Directions. Once the oil in the pot is shimmering hot, carefully add in the seasoned lamb shoulder roast. Cook 3-4 minutes per side, including the ends and narrow sides, until nicely browned. Once browned, assemble the lamb shoulder according to Step 1 of Recipe Directions, above. Bring the Dutch oven to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover and simmer 3-4 hours, until the lamb shoulder is very tender. Alternatively, you could transfer the Dutch oven to a 325 degree F oven and oven-braise for the same amount of time. Shred and serve according to Steps 3-4 of Recipe Directions, above. 
    • Electric Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot lamb shoulder: If desired, start by using your Instant Pot’s “Sauté” setting to brown the lamb shoulder. Use paper towel to completely dry the lamb shoulder, then season with kosher salt and ground black pepper according to Step 1 of Recipe Directions. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the Instant Pot, then add the seasoned lamb shoulder and cook 3-4 minutes per side, including the ends and narrow sides, until nicely browned. Once browned, assemble the lamb shoulder according to Step 1 of Recipe Directions, above. Cover and seal the pressure cooker and cook on manual high pressure for 70 minutes. Allow the pressure cooker to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes before carefully flicking the valve to its “venting” position to vent out any residual pressure. Shred and serve according to Steps 3-4 of Recipe Directions, above. 

Find it online: https://playswellwithbutter.com/slow-cooked-lamb-shoulder/