Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder with Rosemary and Garlic
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This traditional British recipe from Jamie Oliver for Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder with Rosemary and Garlic is perfect for a big family meal with tender, fall-off-the-bone meat. It’s the perfect lamb centrepiece for Easter or Passover.

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Jamie Oliver says with this recipe, he’ll show his readers how “utterly incredible a slow-roasted shoulder of lamb can be.” The rosemary and garlic are the perfect flavor pairings — all you need to add are some roast potatoes and some spring greens for the perfect British-style Sunday roast!
Enjoy it just because, or as part of your Easter or Passover feast!
Ingredients
Ingredient measurements are in the recipe card below.
- Quality lamb shoulder, on the bone
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Garlic bulb, broken into cloves
- Fresh rosemary
- Greens, such as white cabbage, Savoy cabbage, Brussels tops or cavolo nero
Frequently Asked Questions
They will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. As lamb shoulder is quite a fatty roast, they’re best enjoyed warmed through in wraps and flatbreads, rather than cold in sandwiches.
You can if you want shredded meat to warm through for other things, but if you want this lamb roast to be your centrepiece it is worth planning all the sides around it. The good thing is you can rest it for up to 30 minutes under a piece of tin foil after it comes out of the oven.
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Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder with Rosemary and Garlic
Ingredients
- 500 g fresh greens such as white cabbage, Savoy cabbage, Brussels tops or cavolo nero, leaves separated, stalks finely sliced
- 1 large bunch fresh rosemary
- 2 kg lamb shoulder (about 4 1/2 lbs)
- olive oil
- sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 bulb garlic unpeeled and broken into cloves
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to full whack (450 to 500°F). Slash the fat side of the lamb all over with a sharp knife. Lay half the sprigs of rosemary and half the garlic cloves on the bottom of a high-sided roasting tray, rub the lamb all over with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Place it in the tray on top of the rosemary and garlic, and put the remaining rosemary and garlic on top of the lamb.
- Tightly cover the tray with tinfoil and place in the oven. Turn the oven down immediately to 170°C/325°F/gas 3 and cook for 4 hours – it's done if you can pull the meat apart easily with two forks.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.