One-Pan Slow Cooked Lamb with Baby Potatoes & Oregano

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This one-pan Slow Cooked Lamb Recipe is so unbelievably delicious, and it’s so simple. It’s one of the most rewarding cuts of meat, as all you have to do is a few minutes of prep and then let the oven do the hard work to give it a tender, melt-in-the-mouth texture.

slow cooked lamb with potatoes in a tray.

Here we are using a leg of lamb, which lends itself well to slow cooking. A long, slow cook will break down all the fat and connective tissue to make the meat really juicy and tender. Cuts such as the leg and shoulder are heavily exercised by the lamb, which is what makes them tougher, and why they really need the slow cook.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to make the perfect slow-cooked lamb recipe, plus expert tips for choosing the right cut, avoiding dry meat, and building proper flavour.

Why you will love this recipe:
Ingredients:
Substitutions and Variations:
Here’s how to make slow cooked lamb:
Cooking Tips:
Frequently Asked Questions
Other recipes you might enjoy:
More easter recipes to try
One Pan Slow Cooked Lamb with Baby Potatoes & Oregano Recipe

Why you will love this recipe:

Super tender, fall-apart meat, thanks to a slow cook at a low temperature.
It hardly needs any prep – the oven does the hard work.
Delicious flavour from the oregano, garlic and lemons.
One-tray recipe that also cooks the potatoes in the same dish for ease.

Ingredients:

Full recipe can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, just scroll down!

Leg of lamb– I tend to buy a half leg of lamb for this recipe as they are easy to find in supermarkets but you could scale up and use a whole leg. Cook for 4.5-5 hours if using a whole leg.

Preserved lemons – you can now find these in most big supermarkets or in Middle Eastern supermarkets. They are small lemons, preserved (as the name suggests!), in brine. They have a really unique citrus flavour that’s hard to replicate elsewhere.

Baby potatoes – this ensures even cooking as the lamb cooks.

Dried oregano

Salt – flakey sea salt is great here and season generously. It’s a very large piece of meat and it needs lots of salt to fully season it all.

Substitutions and Variations:

Other lamb cuts – if you can’t find lamb leg, use:

Lamb shoulder – this is rich and fatty, fattier than the lamb leg, so choose that if that’s what you like.
Lamb shanks – they have a very deep flavour but work best when braised. You could use them here and just add more stock to the pan.

Herbs – I used dried oregano but dried or fresh oregano, rosemary or thyme, even lemon thyme, would be great.

Flavour twists

Moroccan lamb – alongside the salt, season the lamb with ground cumin, cinnamon, and paprika. Add chickpeas when you add the potatoes and finish with parsley or coriander.
Red wine – swap white wine for red wine for a deeper colour and richer flavour.
Asian flavours – marinade the lamb in soy sauce, honey, ginger and chilli paste like gochujang for an Asian twist. Skip the preserved lemons and swap the lemons for limes and the herbs for chives and coriander.

Using a slow cooker: if you want to use a slow cooker, don’t add the potatoes and cook the lamb for 6-8 hours on low, 4 hours on high. I would roast the potatoes separately and serve them together!

slow cooked lamb with potatoes and greek salad.

Here’s how to make slow cooked lamb:

Here’s a step by step guide for what you need to do, but you can find the full recipe at the bottom of the page for detailed instructions.

ONE: Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C fan/350°F. In a measuring jug, add 80ml extra virgin olive oil, the garlic, preserved lemon, oregano, dijon and lots of salt and pepper. Mix well.

TWO: Halve the baby potatoes and add to the base of a Dutch oven with a lid or a large roasting tin. Then lay the Half Leg of Lamb on top. Score the fat with a sharp knife, then pour over the marinade. Massage in.

THREE: Add the chicken stock and white wine to the dish, pouring over the potatoes and avoiding the lamb.

FOUR: Tear a large sheet of parchment paper, scrunch it up and then cover the lamb. Cover with a lid (if you don’t have a lid, cover tightly with foil). Roast in the oven for 4 hours. At the 2 hour mark, flip the lamb.

FIVE: Once meltingly soft, remove the lid and parchment. Turn the oven up to 240°C/220°C fan/460°F. Flip the lamb once more, and baste with the juices. Place back in the oven for 20 minutes so the lamb turns golden brown and the potatoes gain some colour.

SIX: Once the lamb is soft, pull it apart around the bone, then baste with the pan juices. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and fresh mint.

Cooking Tips:

Choose a cut with fat marbling – when the fat is marbled through the lamb, as it slow cooks, the fat melts away, which results in tender meat. You want some fat to help this for the best texture!

Cook low and slow, don’t rush it – if your slow-cooked lamb seems tough, you may have cooked it too little and at too high a temperature. Low and slow is best – sometimes I even let it go for 5 hours.

Don’t pour the liquid over the lamb – you don’t want to cover the lamb in the stock/wine, as this will prevent it from gaining any colour. Pour around it into the tray.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best cut for a slow cooked lamb recipe?

I like using a leg of lamb for this slow cooked lamb recipe as I find it has a perfect balance of fat to meat. Shoulder tends to be fattier, which some people prefer.

Can you slow cook lamb without a slow cooker?

To slow cook lamb without a slow cooker, follow the instructions below. Once blasted in the oven at 200 °C, then cover with foil tightly, turn the oven down to 160 °C and cook for 4 hours.

Why is my slow cooked lamb tough?

Your slow cooked lamb may be tough if:
– It hasn’t cooked for long enough
– The oven temperature was set too high.
– The fat content was too low in your cut.
Fat, time and a low temperature all help to break down the meat, making it super tender.