Have you ever slow roasted a leg of lamb? You might not think it, but this authentic Greek slow cooked lamb recipe is a perfect meal for easy entertaining. Slow cook the lamb (oven or slow cooker!) until it’s fall apart delicious, but with only 15 minutes hands-on attention!
Not a big fan of lamb? Try this slow cooked leg of lamb and you’ll be hooked!
I never used to be a big fan of lamb.
After my first bite of melt-in-the-mouth slow roasted lamb during my years in Greece, however, I was hooked. Whether it’s cooked slowly on the spit or slowly in a pot, it’s seriously delicious!
The best thing about this recipe (otherwise known as lamb kleftiko) is how amazingly easy it is. Just throw it all in one pot! Well, perhaps place instead of throw.
Erm… so what’s lamb kleftiko?
It’s one of those classic Greek dishes that you had on your Greek island holiday and find yourself dreaming about when you get back home. I’m looking at you, traditional Greek moussaka. I’m also looking at you, incredibly easy and yummy Greek lemon chicken and potatoes.
Just like many traditional and yet delicious Greek meals, this Greek lamb recipe with potatoes is made with super simple ingredients.
It packs in plenty of lemony, garlic-y, oregano-y, cinnamon-y flavour. It’s truly scrummy!
It’s slow cooked for about 4 hours, but don’t worry – it’s also super easy to make.
The result will be a Greek restaurant quality meal, but there’s no messing around preparing elaborate side dishes or making gravy. That’s the kind of meal we like around here!
Why you should try making this lamb kleftiko/Greek roast lamb
- This isn’t a recipe you can have on the table in an hour. But it IS very hands-off once you’ve spent 15 minutes preparing everything. Sit the meat on top of the veggies (a Le Creuset Dutch oven or similar is perfect – they are on the expensive side but they literally last a life time). Then pop into the oven and plop yourself on the sofa with your Netflix series of choice!
- Following on from the point above… this is a 4 hour roast lamb. Some roast lamb recipes require 7 or more hours of roasting. Win!
- You have the usual Greek flavour suspects in this slow cooked Greek lamb recipe (lemon, oregano, garlic…) but cinnamon adds a surprising but also characteristically Greek depth of flavour. You’ll love it!
- It’s perfect for feeding – and impressing – a large family or mini crowd. With bread and salad on the side you can safely serve 6.
- Did I mention it’s fall-apart delicious?
Lamb kleftiko ingredients
To go in the pot: a leg of lamb (of course!), potatoes, tomatoes, red pepper and red onions, bay leaves, salt & pepper
To rub all over the lamb: olive oil, dried oregano, cinnamon, lemon, garlic (half to stick into the lamb, the rest to scatter around it with all the veggies)
To serve on the side (highly recommended!): feta cheese, Greek yoghurt, salad & fresh crusty bread
How to make it
You’re just a few steps away from fall-apart delicious lamb heaven!
Step 1: Throw all the veggies into the pot – cast iron works well – then sit the lamb on top.
Step 2: Rub the meat with olive oil, cinnamon, oregano, and lemon. Then make small slits in the meat and stick pieces of garlic into them.
Step 3: Tuck more garlic in with the veggies and squeeze more lemon over.
Step 4: Pour water over the whole dish, cover and let the oven do its magic! Add more water at various stages when needed.
Step 5: Serve your fall-apart-tender Greek lamb with a sprinkle of feta cheese, fresh green leaves, and crusty bread to mop up the delicious juices.
Step 6: Lap up all the compliments as everyone devours their crazy delicious meal.
Cheeky pro tip: Try replacing 1/3 or even 1/2 of the water you pour over with wine for some extra depth of flavour!
Pro tip: Check the amount of water as the lamb cooks. You’ll probably need to add a big splash or two about two thirds of the way through – and then again fifteen minutes before the end of the cooking time.
When and how to serve Greek lamb
This slow cooked Greek lamb with potatoes is just perfect for those winter days when you really don’t want to leave the couch, let alone the house. But you still want to convince yourself and others that you did something with your day.
Don’t think you can only make this slow cooked Greek lamb in winter. It’s perfect for ANY kind of special celebration – Thanksgiving, Christmas, a family birthday party, or a dinner party for friends.
In Greece something like this is commonly served at Easter.
What to serve it with? Easy. This Greek lamb is a one pot meal of course so you have your potatoes and vegetables already.
Then:
- I like to sprinkle a tiny bit of feta cheese over each person’s lamb (trust me, it’s the icing on the cake).
- Then I toast a little fresh crusty bread and drizzle it with olive oil and sprinkle it with salt (a delicious trick I use all the time).
- If you have any energy left, you could make some tzatziki sauce, but this is entirely optional. Alternatively just use Greek yoghurt (I often do this!).
- Finally, I serve a little plain green salad on the side, just to finish off the plate.
And there you go, you’ve literally cooked a meal worthy of a (Greek) king!
I don’t want to stay in all day. Can I cook this Greek lamb in a slow cooker?
Actually… yes, you can! I’d recommend browning the lamb and potatoes separately first, then following the recipe as normal.
Except… cook in the slow cooker on low for about 9 hours. You will not have to check and add water at any point.
Your potatoes will not be as crisp and browned as they would be if you cooked this recipe in the oven, but the lamb will be just as fall-apart delicious.
And can I cook it in my Instant Pot/electric pressure cooker?
I have to be honest – I haven’t tried making Instant Pot Greek lamb yet. But I’m pretty sure it would work very well and the results would be similar to the slow cooker version.
Try browning the lamb on all sides on the saute function first. Then saute the potatoes for a few minutes. Then follow the slow cooker instructions but cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. Use natural release.
I use and love a Breville electric multi cooker that I bought in Australia, but an Instant Pot or any model should work. Good luck!
Forget the lamb, just feed me potatoes! Not in much of a meaty mood after all? Try these crispy Greek potatoes. I call them the best Greek potatoes for a reason. Warning: very addictive!
More scrumptious Greek main meals
- Greek oven baked fish (your new favourite way to cook fish!)
- Baked Greek chicken and potatoes (you could say the chicken version of the meal in this post – but it’s on the table in about an hour)
- One pan Greek couscous with halloumi (a vegetarian option)
- Greek stuffed peppers and tomatoes
- Baked Greek chicken orzo (another tasty one pot meal)
Or if you’re just enjoying the whole Greek food vibe in this post, you might like to check out my Greek recipes archives!
Last but not least: Need a quick and easy dessert to serve after this meal? Here are 11 really easy desserts (6 ingredients or less!)
IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, LET ME KNOW HOW YOU GET ON BY LEAVING A COMMENT AND RATING BELOW… AND DON’T FORGET TO SIGN UP TO RECEIVE ALL MY NEW RECIPES BY EMAIL!
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Easy slow cooked Greek lamb with lemon garlic potatoes (lamb kleftiko)
Equipment (affiliate links)
Ingredients (UK/Australia? Click below for grams/ml)
- 2 pounds potatoes peeled and cut into large wedges
- 3 medium to large tomatoes cut into big chunks
- 1 red pepper cut into chunks
- 1 large or 2 smaller red onions peeled and chopped into chunks
- 3 bay leaves
- salt and pepper
- 2 pounds leg lamb bone in
- olive oil about a tablespoon
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 lemon
- 1 whole head of garlic
To serve (optional)
- feta cheese, Greek yogurt, salad and fresh crusty bread
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160C / 320F.
- Place the potato wedges, tomatoes, red pepper, onions, and bay leaves in an oven proof cooking pot or deep roasting pan. Grind over plenty of salt and pepper, then sit the lamb on top, fat side up.
- Rub the lamb all over with the olive oil, then with the oregano and cinnamon. Squeeze over the juice of half the lemon.
- Peel half of the garlic cloves and roughly chop into chunks. Cut small slits all over the lamb and insert the garlic chunks into them.
- Tuck the rest of the garlic (unpeeled is fine) in and around the lamb and potatoes / veggies, then squeeze the other half of the lemon all over the potatoes / veggies. Finally, pour over 200ml (just under a cup) water.
- Put the lid on the pot (or tightly cover with foil if using a roasting dish) and roast for 4 hours until the lamb is fall-apart tender. Check half way through cooking, and again about two thirds of the way through, and add a few drizzles more water if you think the dish needs it.
- Fifteen minutes before the end of the cooking time, add another splash or two of water if necessary, then turn the oven up to 220C / 430F and roast uncovered until the potatoes / veggies have browned a little.
- Remove the bay leaves, then serve with a sprinkle of feta, Greek yogurt, grilled bread and green salad leaves.
Diana says
Fabulous, the lamb melted in your mouth and the flavour was very authentic.
Helen says
Thank you so much for the great review, Diana. It never ceases to amaze me how delicious Greek food can be with just a few key ingredients 😉
Kat says
This recipe sounds so delicious, I cant wait to try it! I can’t find anything smaller than a 4.5 lb leg of lamb though. How should I adjust the cooking time? Do you have any other suggestions for changes to the recipe?
Helen says
Hello Kat! So happy you like the sound of the recipe! For a 4.5lb leg of lamb (approximately) I’d say increase the cooking time to about 5 hours and 15 minutes. I’d more or less double all the other ingredients – assuming you have a large enough pot to cook in! Should be delicious! This recipe is quite forgiving from the point of view of amounts and cooking times. 🙂
Caroline says
I made this in my slow cooker and I truly think it’s the most delicious lamb recipe I’ve ever made. The kitchen smelt amazing and the taste was out of this world. Thank you Helen 😊
Helen says
What a lovely comment to wake up to, Caroline – thank you so much for the feedback. What a compliment! I usually make this the old fashioned way in my oven so it’s great to hear it worked out so well for you in the slow cooker. You’re making me want to make this again soon now! There’s a much faster and simpler recipe with similar flavours but with chicken on the site too, just in case you’d be interested in trying that too: https://scrummylane.com/greek-lemon-oregano-chicken-crispy-potatoes-worldwide-700-giveaway/
Brooke says
Hi, I can’t find the sliding scale to adjust cooking times/ingredients. I have a 2kg piece of lamb with bone in. Thanks!
Helen says
Hello Brooke! See where it says ‘Servings’ at the top of the recipe? Just click on the number highlighted in blue, and a sliding scale will appear. Just slide up as required. It sounds like you’ll need to roughly double the ingredients. Don’t worry about exact amounts too much. Just as long as you have enough for everyone to feel satisfied, you can’t really go wrong. I hope you enjoy it! We love this meal! Mmmm, you’re making me hungry!
Brooke says
Thank you SO much for your prompt reply Helen. I winged it and looks like I got it pretty spot on, it’s almost ready! Can’t wait to eat it. 😊 Thanks again!
Helen says
So happy to hear this Brooke, and I hope it lived up to expectations! 🙂
Ruth says
Probably the best kleftiko recipe that I’ve made. (I’ve made a few) Used a lamb shoulder and a Dutch oven for this and it was perfectly browned and meltingly tender. This will be my go to recipe for beautiful Greek Klefttiko. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Ruth says
Ps. I used both fresh lemon thyme and oregano.
Helen says
Ooh lovely! I have some Greek oregano growing in our pot in the garden at the moment. It’s so nice to be able to just go and grab some rather than having to buy it from the supermarket where I can’t always find it anyhow.
Helen says
Hi Ruth! Thank you so much for your lovely feedback! One of the biggest compliments I could receive – thank you! 🙂
Linda says
Could you do this recipe using chunks of lamb instead? If so, how long would you cook it for?
Helen says
Hi Linda! You know what, I think you could! As the lamb is cooked at a low temperature, you won’t ruin it. As for the cooking time, I’d go for two and a half hours at the same temperature as in the original recipe. I can’t guarantee the results but I had a look at some similar recipes using lamb chunks and so I think 2.5 hours is about right. I’d keep the chunks quite large, though – around 5cm square or larger. Good luck – let me know how you get on!
Natasha says
I have done this before and have it in my slow cooker at the moment. It’s absolutely amazing! If I have left overs I chip the potatoes up and do individual pies made with filo pastry (had it this way in Greece once) so very yummy!
Helen says
Hello Natasha! I’m so happy you enjoyed this… and to hear that you cooked it in the slow cooker! Does it still brown?
Fabulous idea to make little lamb pies with the leftovers too. I’m definitely going to do that next time. Mmmm!
Alyssa says
I love a meal that incorporates a Netflix binge in the cooking process. 😉 This is the kind of meal I’d be intimidated by preparing at home, but your instructions make it sound pretty simple. A perfect special occasion meal!
Helen says
What I didn’t admit to in the post is that this is the ONLY lamb recipe on the blog. I’m SO not usually a ‘big slab of meat’ cook, but honestly this one is both easy peasy and worth it.
So glad I made it sound simple, Alyssa!
Aimee says
I love lamb and the flavors in this! Can’t wait to try this!
Helen says
Hi Amy – I hope you do! It’s delicious, and Easter is the perfect time to try it.
Jessica says
Lamb with garlic potatoes sounds positively delightful! I was just looking to try something new for Easter and I think this will be a winner!
Helen says
Thanks Jessica – I really do hope you try it. Slow cooking is truely the way to go with lamb!
Jon says
I’m planning to try cooking kleftiko this weekend, but I have a question. Your photos show what looks like fresh thyme, but it’s not in the recipe ingredients. Is that really thyme? Did you use that AND oregano?
Thanks
Helen says
Hi Jon, really pleased you’re going to give this one a try! I find it absolutely delicious and I really hope you agree! As for your question, ahhh… you got me! I did in fact add a bit of fresh thyme, which by all means you can do too, but traditionally kleftiko doesn’t have thyme in it. I just added it because I happened to have it at home and I thought it would look pretty in the pictures.
Very observant of you!
If you remember, do let me know what you think of the dish!
Maggie says
I’d choose this dish than Thanksgiving turkey! We love lamb meat and that is the part of culture I miss after moving to the US. Very few people cook with lamb here and they don’t know what they missed out! I’ll try the slow roasting method next time. The lamb looks so tender and delicious 🙂
Helen says
I totally agree, Maggie – it’s slow-roasted lamb all the way for me!
Rita N. says
This was delicious! We buy a whole organic lamb each year. Some of the cuts we get are not the kind you would look for in a grocery store so sometimes I have to improvise. I had a shoulder roast about 2 lbs that worked out very well in this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing it.
Helen says
Hi Rita. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your (great!) feedback. A whole organic lamb sounds just fabulous, and really reminds me of my days in Greece. I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe. For me the slow-cooked Greek way is the only way to eat lamb!
Eva says
Bonjour Helen, je ne sais pas comme tu fait, mais à chaque fois que je voit tes plats, j’ai envie de les manger tout de suite! Même si c’est 9:00 du matin! Peu importe, je crois que je serais capable de manger un assiette de ton merveilleux agneau! x
Helen says
Merci Eva! 🙂
mira says
Love leg of lamb and you’ve cooked this one perfectly! Looks mouthwatering! Just made lamb chops the other day, but need to try this very soon! Pinned and shared! Hope you are doing well Helen!
Helen says
Thanks Mira! I’m doing great, thanks – hope you and the family are well too!
Marissa says
The first time I tried lamb, I was in my 30s. Now I absolutely love it – chops, burgers, shredded, you name it! And I love dishes like this that are melt-in-your-mouth delicious and are set and forget. We got our first skiff of snow this morning and this is just the kind of meal I’m craving!
Helen says
Snow? Wow! Lucky you – definitely time to get the winter warmers out then!
Nancy | Plus Ate Six says
My mouth was watering just reading through your post! I love these sorts of recipes – simple but full of flavour. And the weather is perfect now for a slow cooked dinner.
Helen says
Hi Nancy! Thank you! I really hope you give this a go some time. You’re right that it’s a real winter warmer!
Liz says
Wow, your lamb is cooked to perfection! Bill adores lamb, my repertoire is limited to a roast leg of lamb or grilled lamb chops. Your Greek lamb sounds scrumptious!!
Helen says
Hi Liz! Thank you and I really hope you treat your hubby to this some time. I do think he’d love it if he’s a fan of lamb!
[email protected] says
I love a good slow cooked lamb dish and I’m going to try this the next time I make lamb.
Helen says
Hi Janette – do let me know how it turns out!
Kathleen | Hapa Nom Nom says
What a wonderful alternative to a turkey! This would make a fantastic Christmas dinner as well! My husband and I are huge fans of lamb and since I’ve been pregnant, I’ve been craving Greek/Mediterranean food like crazy! Awesome dish, Helen!
Helen says
That’s one of the most interesting craving’s I’ve heard of! Wish that’s what I had – I’m eating rather too much chocolate these days!