Some dishes just deliver every single time, and this Mediterranean pulled lamb is one of them. Lamb shoulder rubbed in a fragrant spice blend and roasted low and slow until it pulls apart effortlessly – no carving required. Perfect for a lazy Sunday, a dinner party centrepiece, or any occasion where you want to feed people really, really well.
Not only is this a great meal for the whole family, but the pulled lamb makes several meals in one. Make a roast lamb dinner with vegetables one night and leftover lamb pie or wraps with hummus and Greek salad the next.
Similar Easy Comfort Meals
Ingredients for Mediterranean Pulled Lamb
There are three components for the pulled lamb ingredients list.
Herb Mix: thyme, rosemary, garlic cloves
Dry Spice Rub: dried oregano, salt, sweet paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, nutmeg
Roast Lamb: bone in lamb shoulder, beef stock, water
How to Make Pulled Lamb
Get the oven ready: Preheat your oven to 240°C conventional (220°C fan forced).
Build the herb base: Scatter the thyme and rosemary across the centre of a roasting tray. Place the garlic bulb on top, cut side facing up. If you like, separate a few cloves and tuck them in amongst the herbs.
Mix the spice rub: Add all the dry spice rub ingredients to a small bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
Prepare the lamb: Using a sharp knife, cut small incisions into both sides and the ends of the lamb. Aim for fairly deep cuts so the flavour can really get in there.
Coat with flavour: Rub the spice mix all over the lamb, pressing it into every incision and crevice.
Start the roast: Place the lamb fat side down directly on top of the herbs. Transfer to the oven and roast for 10 minutes, until the top starts to brown.
Lower the heat: Remove the lamb from the oven and reduce the temperature to 170°C conventional (150°C fan forced).
Add liquid and continue cooking: Turn the lamb over so it’s fat side up. Pour the stock and water around the lamb (it won’t cover it, and that’s perfectly fine). Cover the tray loosely with foil and return to the oven.
Slow cook and baste: Cook, baste, cover. Cook, baste cover… it becomes a theme.
Check and serve: The pulled lamb is ready when it easily pulls apart with two forks – an internal temp of 95°C (203-205℉). Shred gently and serve with a little of the pan juices spooned over the top to keep it beautifully moist.
Tips for the Perfect Pulled Lamb
Dry pan: Keep an eye out for the pan drying up. The meat will dry out if there is no liquid and the bottom will begin to burn – giving the lamb a bitter flavour.
Don’t be impatient: Leave extra time for a buffer if the lamb is taking longer than expected. Leave yourself an extra 30 minutes in case the lamb is not pulling as easily as it should be. An extra 30 minutes can be the difference between ‘tearing’ your meat and have the meat ‘fall apart’.
Go by feel: If going by the book an internal temperature of 95°C (203-205℉) should give you the perfect pulled lamb. Unfortunately this is sometimes not the case and going by feel can be the better option. The lamb should feel like you’re digging into a slab of butter. The skewer or temperature probe will insert effortlessly.
Why is my Lamb not Shredding?
The most common reason is that it hasn’t cooked for long enough. This is the number one culprit – even if the lamb looks done, has cooked for the time the recipe states, or has reached a safe internal temperature. Shredding requires the connective tissue and collagen to fully break down, which only happens with low, slow cooking.
The main reasons:
Not cooked long enough – collagen needs extended time at low heat to break down, which is what gives pulled meat its tender, ‘shreddable’ texture. If you pull it too early, it will be cooked but tight and resistant.
Temperature too high – blasting lamb at high heat can seize the muscle fibres, making them tough rather than tender. Low and slow is essential.
The cut – leaner cuts like leg can be harder to shred. Shoulder is the best cut for shredding as it has more fat and connective tissue running through it. That said, you can absolutely still shred leg it just might need a little longer in the oven.
Not enough liquid – braising with some liquid (stock, wine, water) helps create the moist environment needed for collagen breakdown.
The fix:
If your lamb isn’t shredding, simply put it back in. Cover with foil and keep cooking low and slow – check every 30 minutes. It will get there! A good rule of thumb: if it’s not falling apart, it’s not ready yet.
What to Serve with Shredded Lamb
- Smashed potatoes
- Mashed potato with garlic and thyme
- Greek salad with Homemade Dressing
- Cheesy stuffed potatoes
- Crispy semolina potatoes
- Creamy potato bake
- Potato and dill salad
- Zesty Hummus
- 3 Ingredient Potato Bake
FAQs
Can I make this in a slow cooker?
Yes, though you’ll need to adjust the method. Sear the spice-rubbed lamb in a hot pan first to replicate the initial browning step, then transfer to the slow cooker with the herbs, garlic and only 120ml stock and 80ml water. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Note that you won’t get quite the same depth of flavour or caramelised crust as the oven version.
How do I know when the lamb is ready to shred?
The lamb is ready when it pulls apart easily with two forks with very little resistance. The internal temperature should be around 95°C (203–205°F) at this point. If it’s still holding firm, return it to the oven and check again in 20-30 minutes… I can’t stress enough – don’t rush it.
Can I use vegetable stock instead of beef stock?
Yes. Vegetable stock works beautifully and will still give you great flavoured pan juice. Chicken stock is also a fine substitute if that’s what you have on hand.
Why do you start the lamb at a high temperature?
The initial blast of high heat helps to brown and caramelise the outside of the lamb, which adds depth of flavour and colour. The temperature is then reduced significantly for the remainder of the cook to allow the meat to break down slowly and become tender.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Absolutely. Pulled lamb reheats beautifully. Store the shredded meat with the pan juices in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat gently with a splash of water or stock to keep it moist. Or add it straight to leftover lamb pie filling.
Feedback and More: Leave a star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and comment below to let me know what you thought of the pulled lamb recipe. Cheers, Elby!
If you enjoyed this, you might like some of my other lamb recipes and slow cooked meals. For more tasty ideas and new recipes from The Tasteful Pantry, join me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.
Mediterranean Pulled Lamb
*Note: Adjusting servings will not adjust the ‘light grey’ quantities
Equipment
Ingredients
Herb Mix
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 5-6 cloves garlic - leave the peel on
Dry Spice Rub
- 1 tbsp oregano - dried
- 3 tsp salt
- 2 tsp paprika - sweet
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp pepper
- ½ tsp nutmeg
Roast Lamb
- 1.8 -2 kg lamb shoulder - bone in
- 500 ml beef stock - reduced salt
- 500 ml water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 230°C conventional | 210°C fan forced.
Herb Mix
- Lie the herbs in the middle of a roasting tray and place the garlic on top, cut side up. I sometimes separate a couple of cloves from the bulb and spread them through the herbs.
Dry Spice Rub
- Place all ingredients in a small bowl and mix to combine. Set aside.
Roast Lamb
- Cut 1cm deep and 5-8cm long incisions into both sides and the end of the lamb.
- Use your hands to coat the lamb with the dry rub – making sure to rub it into all the incisions and crevices.
- Lie the lamb fat side down directly on the herbs and place the tray into the hot oven. Cook for 10 minutes. The top should be starting to brown. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 170°C conventional | 150°C fan forced.
- Turn the lamb over – fat side up. Pour the stock and water around the sides of the lamb. It will by no means cover the lamb, but that’s ok.
- Cover the tray loosely with foil and return to the oven for two hours. Remove from the oven and spoon the juices over the lamb – add 1-2 cups of water if the liquid is getting low. Cover the tray with the foil again and return to the oven for 1½ hours.
- Repeat the process again – baste the lamb, top up the water, cover and return to the oven for a further hour.
- At this point you should be able to shred the lamb when gently pulling with two forks (the internal temperature will need to be around 95°C – 203-205℉). If it doesn't easily shred return it to the oven for another 20-30 minutes before checking again. Serve in a bowl topped with a little of the pan juices – to keep the lamb moist.
Notes
Nutrition
*Nutrition and calorie figures are estimates only.
