Roasted Lamb Shoulder with Lemon & Herbs
Tender Mediterranean-style lamb shoulder, roasted until caramelized outside and juicy within, infused with garlic, lemon, and oregano. A show-stopping weeknight dinner ready in under an hour.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 486
- Protein
- 62g
Ingredients
- 2.5 lb lamb shoulder, boneless and tied
- 6 whole garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1.5 tsp salt
- ¾ tsp black pepper
- 4 whole fresh rosemary sprigs
Instructions
- 1
Set the oven to 425°F and wait until the indicator light or beep tells you it has finished heating, about 10 minutes.
- 2
Mince the garlic until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice — about the size of pencil-tip dots.
- 3
Pour the lemon juice and olive oil into a small bowl, then stir in the minced garlic, oregano, salt, and black pepper until combined.
- 4
Pat the lamb shoulder dry all over using paper towels, removing any excess moisture so the surface can brown evenly.
- 5
Place the lamb shoulder on a rimmed sheet pan, then rub the garlic-lemon mixture all over every exposed surface of the meat.
- 6
Tuck the rosemary sprigs underneath and around the lamb so they rest against the meat during roasting.
- 7
Slide the sheet pan into the preheated oven and roast for 35–40 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 130°F on a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part, without touching bone.
- 8
Remove the lamb from the oven and let it rest on the pan for 5 minutes — this keeps the juices inside the meat instead of running onto the plate.
- 9
Transfer the lamb to a cutting board, then slice against the grain into 0.5-inch-thick pieces — the grain runs lengthwise along the muscle fibers, so cut perpendicular across that direction.
- 10
Arrange the sliced lamb on a serving platter and drizzle any pan juices from the sheet pan over the top.
Tools you’ll need
- oven
- rimmed sheet pan
- small bowl
- paper towels
- meat thermometer
- cutting board
- sharp knife
- serving platter
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