This meltingly tender Slow Cooked Lamb Shawarma is the stuff food dreams are made of!! Slathered in a deceptively simple shawarma spice rub then slow cooked until fall apart, the flavour and fragrance of this lamb is absolutely heavenly. This recipe is ideal for butterflied lamb leg OR lamb shoulder.
While it takes time to roast, it’s a very straightforward recipe – and will feed a crowd. Sensational for finishing on the BBQ! After more lamb centrepiece ideas? Browse all my roast lamb recipes!
Lamb Shawarma
This one’s for everyone who doesn’t have a charcoal spit in the middle of their kitchen….. and for Australia Day!!!🇦🇺 🇦🇺🇦🇺
Quick to prepare but tastes like you’ve been slaving away in the kitchen all day, this Lamb Shawarma is absolutely terrific for gatherings because it’s easy to make loads, can be cooked ahead then reheated. Or in the spirit of Australia Day, finish it on the BBQ!
This Slow Cooked Lamb Shawarma is 100% me. Big hunk of meat. Big flavours. Simple, fast prep, with big pay offs. Meltingly tender, fall apart meat, dripping with the beautiful roasting juices. Food made for sharing with family and friends. Food to pile onto platters to let everyone help themselves, rather than using tweezers to daintily plate up.
Rustic. That’s how I describe my food. As opposed to refined and elegant! 😂
Just remembering how good this was is killing me as I sit here on the couch late on a Wednesday night sipping on a green smoothie of all things. Suddenly, this spinach-kale-mango-pineapple-ginger smoothie is very unappealing. 😩
So, here’s how this Slow Cooked Lamb Shawarma goes down.
We start with a simple homemade Shawarma slather, my go-to mix that I use for my Chicken Shawarma and all things Shawarma on this site (Lamb Shawarma Chickpea Soup, One Pot Chicken Shawarma and Rice Pilaf). Nothing exotic in it, you’ll find all the spices at the supermarket: coriander, cumin, paprika, cayenne and cardamon. Plus olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix and slather.
Use butterflied lamb leg OR lamb shoulder
As for what to slather, take your pick – lamb shoulder or butterflied lamb leg.
In the recipe video, I’ve used lamb shoulder because I wanted to show how to pull the lamb apart in order to finish it on the BBQ. Also because I think lamb shoulder is not quite as popular as lamb leg but I rate it highly and I want to encourage people to try it! It’s usually cheaper than lamb leg and it’s fattier which means juicier (and better for reheating), making it ideal for gatherings.
Lamb shoulder
Lamb shoulder has a bone through it, like pictured below. Because the shoulder is cooked to fall apart perfection, the meat slides off the bone in 4 or 5 large pieces which you can then either slice, shred or BBQ to get an extra tasty crust on it / reheat (see the video, it looks SO GOOD!).
Butterflied lamb leg
When making Lamb Shawarma with lamb leg, I prefer to use butterflied lamb leg because you can rub the Shawarma slather into the meat better. Even if you leave the lamb to marinate, a bone-in leg of lamb is very thick so the marinade doesn’t penetrate right through to the bone. Though having said that, there is plenty of heavily flavoured roasting juices to drizzle all over the meat once sliced or shredded.
Lamb leg is leaner than shoulder but in this recipe, it’s cooked until meltingly tender. One of the “pros” of butterflied lamb leg is that it holds together in one piece even after hours of slow cooking making it easier to slice neatly. Also for handling on the BBQ – one piece rather than the multiple pieces of shoulder you’ll see in the video.
Whether you use shoulder or lamb leg, you’re going to end up with this – incredible tender lamb. Sliceable but shreddable (I also show this in the video).
What to serve with Lamb Shawarma
Now for the hardest part – choosing how to serve it. What will you do – make Lamb Shawarma Wraps (Doner Kebab style!) or pile it on a platter with couscous? 🙂 Here are some suggestions for what to serve this with:
Lemon Herb Couscous – see recipe notes
Homemade Flatbreads – add slices of tomato, shredded lettuce, raw sliced onion and a dollop of yogurt or Hummus. You could also use a Lemon Yogurt Sauce (use the sauce in the Chicken Shawarma recipe)
For a side salad, try this Middle Eastern cabbage and carrot salad (you’ll love the burst of freshness from the mint) or this Tomato Cucumber Chickpea Salad (option to skip the chickpeas).
🇦🇺HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY!! 🇦🇺 – Nagi x
More Roast Lamb Recipes
I love a good roast lamb – so I’ve shared a few over the years!
Classic Roast Lamb Leg with Gravy – the classic, perfectly blushing pink inside
Slow Roast Leg of Lamb – infused with garlic and rosemary flavours, slow roasted until fall apart tender!
Greek Butterflied Leg of Lamb – quick to cook on the barbecue, or stovetop and finish in the oven
Slow Cooker Roast Lamb – fall apart goodness in the convenience of your slow cooker
Slow Roasted GREEK Leg of Lamb – garlicky lemony fall apart deliciousness
Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder – the juiciest, most succulent roast lamb you will ever have!
See all Roast Lamb recipes
PS Jeez, my hands look extra small compared to that giant platter!!! 😂
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Slow Cooked Lamb Shawarma
Ingredients
- 2kg / 4 lb lamb shoulder (bone in) or 1.7 kg / 3.5 lb butterflied lamb leg (Note 1)
Shawarma Paste:
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ground cardamon
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (1/2 tsp = not spicy)
- 2 tsp smoked paprika (ordinary also ok)
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup / 65 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 2 – 3 tbsp / 40 – 60 ml lemon juice
Cooking:
- 2 cups / 500 ml water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F (standard) or 160C/320F (fan forced / convection).
- Place Paste ingredients in a bowl, starting with 2 tbsp lemon juice, and mix. It should be a wet paste that can be slathered onto the lamb (see video).
- Place lamb in a large roasting pan. Slather all over with paste. Optional: Marinate 24 hours (not mandatory, I usually skip).
- Position the lamb with the fat side up. Pour water around, cover tightly with foil.
- Roast 3 hours, removing from the oven 2 – 3 times to spoon over pan juices (ie baste).
- Remove foil. Meat should be tender – check with 2 forks.
- Baste again, then return to oven for 30 minutes to get a nice crust.
- Remove lamb from roasting pan – reserve juices.
Finish on BBQ, Optional (Note 2):
- Cool the lamb for 20 minutes or so (so it firms up slightly, easier to handle).
- If you used shoulder, pull the meat off the bone in 4 or 5 chunks (see video).
- Preheat BBQ to medium and oil if required.
- Coat lamb in pan juices. Sear on both sides until deep golden and a crust forms. Dab with pan juices on both sides.
Serving:
- Slice or shred lamb, as desired. Drizzle with plenty of juices.
- Make Lamb Shawarma wraps by serving with shredded lettuce, tomatoes and minted yoghurt (Note 3) or pile over Lemon Herbed Couscous (Note 4) and garnish with pomegranate seeds and parsley or chopped coriander/cilantro (if desired). Both pictured in post.
Recipe Notes:
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
LIFE OF DOZER
Someone is happy that I’m so terrible at butterflying lamb leg…. plenty of meat left on that bone!
Hi Nagi…. I’m making this for a dinner party tomorrow night. Have you marinated this overnight before? Or do you think perhaps there’s no need?
Thanks
I haven’t tried that sorry! N x
Well, what can I say, absolutely pull apart delicious. Served it with yoghurt based garlic mint sauce and sitting here stuffed after 3 helpings! Greek style next on the BBQ!
Delicious and succulent looking. Shall be making this in the next day or so!
Fabulous – my kids say better than any of the kebab meat from the shops!
Holy moly, that was soooo tasty, normally do a traditional Sunday roast, but now and again I feel like doing something completely different and my family is used to me being random when it comes to food so they didn´t complain about this (not that they would have a choice anyway) Nagi, it was to die for (licking my lips as I´m typing) got about 220g left over from the lamb and I have no idea what I´m doing with it for tonights dinner, but lets put it this way, aint wasting it, so I will google something, bet I wouldn´t have no left overs if Dozer would have come over for a visit 😀 x
Holy moly, this was delicious. We also made the yogurt mint sauce and served it on naan with fresh cucumber, red onion, and tomato. Incredible!
Hi Nagi! This looks sooo scrumptious. I think 2kg would be a bit too much for myself and my partner, just wondering how I would adjust the cooking time in the oven for 1kg?
Darcy x
Hi Nagi, I love the flavours of this meal. I’ve cooked the chicken and lamb shawarma…can’t get enough!! Question; I stupidly forgot to add the water when roasting, I did everything else but this! What is the purpose of the water and have I ruined the meal?? Love your site thanks for sharing!!
Hi i have a question about reheating – i want to make it ahead (a day before) and reheat for a dinner party. Do i pull and shred when its ready and then store it shredded and then reheat or i store it as a whole and shred just before serving? Thanks
Hi Avi, it will work both ways! I would cook and shred it, then when you’re ready to serve, reheat in the microwave and finish on the BBQ – enjoy!! N x
I tried this recipe last week and it is amazing. So much so I want to serve it at a lunch party next weekend for a dozen friends, but can you tell me how much I need to increase the temperature or cooking time if I am cooking two shoulders in one normal convection oven, then finishing off on the charcoal grill? I would appreciate your advice so I don’t miscalculate and leave everyone starving slowly through the afternoon waiting for it to be cooked…..
A big fan of your recipes. I’ve made this lamb many times now in oven and in slow cooker. I prefer the flavour in oven however I always find the water dries off very quickly and lamb can get a bit dry. I like having some sauce left at endof the cooking. How do I make this possible without diluting the flavour.
Hi Nagi, just a quick question because I´m really keen to make this as soon as I can get some lamb shoulder, but I was wondering if I could cook it in a large pot/pan thingy malarkey with a lid on instead of putting the tin foil over it? x
I never take the time to comment on recipes but this was so good I just had to! I used a boneless 2kg shoulder and roasted it in my dutch oven instead of using foil. I added cinnamon, sumac, ginger & fresh coriander to the marinade and it was fabulous! We finished it on the braai (grill) and it was so tender it was falling apart. The closest I’ve tasted to Algerian Mechoui (best lamb ever 🙂
Sounds like you’ve absolutely nailed it Karen – that’s awesome!! N x
Hi Navi, I’m a bit of a beginner and can only find a 2.5 kg bone in lamb shoulder square cut. Am hoping this is ok to use. If so, how long would I cook for and is that heat fan bake or just standard? Thanks!!
Hi Nagi, I have made this so many times to rave reviews. I have always used a 2kg bone in but now can only find 3kg bone in. Do I use 1.5x the ingredients? How long do I cook it for please?
Hi Nadia, yes, click the servings then scale up until you reach your desired lamb weight & all the ingredients will adjust for you. It will take about 4-4.5 hours, remember you can’t really go wrong here as you’re cooking until its almost fall apart tender. If you test it and it’s still a bit firm, just cook a little longer until the meat is soft. N x
The best lamb ever!
Thank you
Hi Nagi,
If I wanted to make this slow cooked in a camp oven over coals. How long would you recommend cooking this for?
Thanks 🙂
This is the best lamb shawarma I’ve ever tasted in my life. What a gem you are. Thanks for sharing this with the world!
Gorgeous flavours and super easy, thank you. I had much more liquid than the video and had to throw some away which was such a shame! It was a 1.8kg boned and rolled shoulder. I used 400ml of water. Thoughts?? Thanks for yet another gorgeous recipe 🙂
Hi Nagi
My lamb shoulder is slightly bigger (nearly 3kg). Should I leave longer in the slow cooker?
Thanks for sharing all your amazing recipes x
Hi Dominique, you can although you’re going to need at least 12 hours here. N x
Hi Nagi, I have made this so many times to rave reviews. I have always used a 2kg bone in but now can only find 3kg bone in. Do I use 1.5x the ingredients? How long do I cook it for please?
Thanks Nagi! 😊