Tender, Juicy Lamb Shoulder With Herb Vinaigrette
What can I say about this oven-roasted lamb shoulder other than it is utterly tender (imagine it basically melting in your mouth), with a crisp skin, that is fantastic on its own, but brought to life by a herbaceous vinegar sauce that you’ll want to spoon on every bite. That’s the beauty of slow-roasting!
Why I love this recipe
- The slow cooking process helps to break down connective tissues in the meat, resulting in a juicy, fall-apart texture. This is especially true for cuts like lamb shoulder or neck.
- Easily feeds a crowd! I love to have a few versatile crowd-pleasing dishes that will easily feed a large group. Perfect for holidays and entertaining at home. Plus, the leftovers can be easily frozen!
- A little (optional) spice! It’s optional, but the slight added heat from a Fresno chili is perhaps my favorite part about the herb vinaigrette! I think spice can enhance most dishes, but this one is pretty subtle. I love it!
If you love cooking with lamb as much as I do, give one of these elevated lamb recipes a try next! Slow-brasied lamb ragu, perfect with pasta, my white wine braised leg of lamb, or, perhaps the easiest of all, these rosemary roasted lamb chops — my youngest son loves to eat these with his hands and it brings me such joy to see him appreciate good food!
What You’ll Need
- Bone-in lamb shoulder: I include tips for adjusting the recipe to use boneless lamb shoulder, but if you can find bone-in, that’s the way to go. It’ll have more flavor. You can also follow this recipe with bone-in leg of lamb, but it’s got a slightly different taste.
- Season the lamb with olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper: we’re keeping the seasonings really simple!
- Aromatics: red onion, shallot, garlic, lemon, and fresh herbs (I’m using oregano and rosemary, but feel free to switch it up a bit).
- Dry white wine and low-sodium chicken broth to make a sauce that the lamb can braise in while it cooks.
The herb sauce is made simply by blending together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon zest and juice, a shallot, fresh mint and parsley, garlic, kosher salt, and thinly sliced fresno chile (optional, but so good!).
Ingredient Substitutions
- Bone-in vs boneless: Bone-in lamb adds more flavor, but you can certainly use boneless lamb shoulder if that’s what you’ve got. Adjust the cook time as boneless cuts cook quicker.
- Wine: Instead of wine, use additional chicken broth or a splash of apple cider vinegar for acidity. (Vegetable broth works well too!)
- Herbs: Use thyme or sage if oregano and rosemary are unavailable.
Directions
Full instructions and cook times can be found in the recipe card below.
- Prepare the lamb. Bring the lamb to room temperature for a half hour before beginning. Pat dry, then preheat an oven to 425°F (218°C). Arrange the onions, shallots, garlic, lemon, and herbs in a roasting pan or Dutch oven. Season the lamb generously on both sides, then turn so that it’s skin-side up in the pan (there’s no need to score the meat).
- Roast the lamb. First, cook uncovered for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature, add wine and chicken broth, then cover tightly. Return to the oven for a 3½-4 hours. I like to take this opportunity to baste with juices before sealing. Remove the foil, then cook for a final 30 minutes (this helps to crisp up and caramelize the exterior a bit!). You’ll know the lamb is done when it easily shreds with a fork.
- Rest and serve! Tent the lamb loosely with foil and rest for 20-30 minutes. This is essential for ensuring tender, juicy lamb! Serve with the herb sauce and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
Ari’s Best Tips!
- Marinate in advance: While not necessary, you can absolutely rub the lamb with olive oil, salt, and pepper up to 24 hours in advance. Not only does this make prepping the day of a breeze, but it can contribute to a deeper overall flavor.
- Let it rest: Resting allows the juices to redistribute, ensuring moist and tender meat.
- If you’re unsure, use a thermometer. Ensure accurate cooking by using a meat thermometer. The lamb should easily shred with a fork and have an internal temperature of 190-205°F.
Make-Ahead and Store
What a fantastic option for a holiday lamb roast and — the best part — you can easily make it in advance!
- To make-ahead: Prepare the lamb up to 24 hours in advance. Reheat in a 325°F oven, covered, until warmed through.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To freeze: Shred the cooled lamb and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheating instructions: Reheat in a 325°F oven, covered, for 20-30 minutes. Add a splash of broth to prevent drying out.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with creamy mashed potatoes, roasted root vegetables, or a light arugula salad.
A few other ideas: I love to serve roasted leg of lamb over couscous, so I bet this lamb shoulder would be fantastic with that as a side dish as well. And of course whenever I think of lamb, a classic pairing is roasted carrots. Sign me up!
Wine Pairing!
Pair with a robust red wine, like Syrah or Cabernet Sauvignon, to complement the lamb’s richness.
For a white wine, you really can’t go wrong with lamb and Sauvignon Blanc. What grows together goes together, and lamb often live in the same climate as where Sauvignon Blanc grows.
Add this tender braised lamb shoulder to your next family gathering. I promise it’s worthy of a crowd!
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Oven-Roasted Lamb Shoulder with Herb Sauce
Equipment
- Roasting pan or large capacity rondeau or Dutch oven
- Aluminum foil
- Personal blender or food processor fitted with blade attachment
Ingredients
For the Lamb
- 3½ – 4 lb bone-in lamb shoulder
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 medium red onions, peeled, halved, and cut into wedges
- 4 medium shallots, peeled and halved
- 2 heads of garlic, halved (I peel the heads of garlic down to their thinnest layer of skin)
- 2 medium lemons, halved
- 10-12 oregano sprigs
- 6 rosemary sprigs
- 1 cup dry white wine, something good enough to drink (or you can use additional broth)
- 1½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
For the Herb Sauce
- ⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- ½ medium lemon, zested and juiced, about 1 tsp zest and 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 small shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves
- ½ cup fresh parsley
- 1 small garlic clove, peeled
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- Optional: 1 medium fresno chile, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Bring the lamb to room temperature. Pat the lamb shoulder dry with paper towels, then let it sit out at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
- Prepare the lamb. Preheat an oven to 425°F (218°C). Place red onion quarters, halved shallots, halved garlic, 2 halved lemons, fresh oregano, and fresh rosemary in a roasting pan or large Dutch oven. Place the lamb skin-side down on the herbs, then season with half of the olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper. Flip the lamb over so that it’s skin-side up, then drizzle with the remaining olive oil and season with remaining salt and pepper.
- Cook the lamb. Transfer to the preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes, then carefully remove. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Add 1 cup dry white wine and 1½ cups low-sodium chicken broth, cover tightly with aluminum foil, then return to the oven. Cook for 3½-4 hours. Remove the aluminum foil, then cook for a final 30 minutes or until the lamb is absolutely fork-tender.
- Allow the meat to rest. Loosely tent the lamb with foil, then rest for 20-30 minutes before serving. Serve with the herb sauce spooned on top (instructions below) and a pinch of flaky sea salt. If you want, you can enjoy with the cooked onions and shallots!
- To make the herb sauce (in a personal blender): Combine all sauce ingredients in the cup of a personal blender except for the chili, then purée until very well mixed. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, then transfer to a serving boil. Stir in 1 thinly sliced fresno chile pepper for heat, then serve alongside roasted lamb.
- To make the herb sauce (in a food processor): Place thinly sliced shallot, ½ cup mint, ½ cup parsley, peeled garlic clove, and ½ tsp kosher salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with blade attachment. Pulse until finely chopped. Add 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tsp lemon zest, and 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, then pulse again. With the motor running, stream in ⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil until well mixed. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Stir in 1 thinly sliced fresno chile pepper for heat, then serve immediately alongside roasted lamb.
Notes
- If you don’t want to make the herb sauce, you can simply strain the drippings and broth from the cooked lamb, then serve that on the side. To make it slightly thicker, strain into a saucepan, then simmer over medium heat until reduced by about half. Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve.
- If using a boneless leg of lamb, reduce the cook time 1-1½ hours.
Nutrition
Photography by: Megan McKeehan
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