Hands down the easiest way to cook lamb leg, this Slow Cooker Roast Lamb Leg is fall apart tender and incredibly succulent. 2 minutes prep, pop it in the slow cooker, brown it briefly in the oven while you make a killer gravy using the lamb juices. A roast made for sharing with family and friends!
After more lamb leg ideas? Browse all my roast lamb recipes!
Slow Cooker Roast Lamb Leg
In my world, there are only 2 ways to cook a leg of lamb: either perfectly cooked so it’s pink and juicy inside (see my classic Roast Lamb with Gravy), or long and slow so it’s fall apart tender.
There is no in between!
Well, there is. But it’s dry and no amount of gravy can salvage it. It’s also very sad. 😂
Fall-apart-tender slow cooked lamb leg can either be done in the oven or in the slow cooker. Click here for the slow roasted oven recipe, this is the slow cooker version!
I know it sounds counter-intuitive to use the words “roast lamb” and “slow cooker” in the same sentence. But actually, it’s the right description for this recipe because it is cooked in the slow cooker and finished off in the oven to get that beautiful browning. And also to reheat it, in case the slow cooker finished and it was sitting on the warm function for a while.
My slow cooker is a standard size round one and I was able to fit in a 1.9kg / 3.8lb lamb leg purchased from the grocery store (Woolworths in Australia) because the shaft of the leg comes cut so it can be bent to fit into the slow cooker. Vereeee practical!
I’ve used a small full lamb leg here, but it can easily be made with half lamb legs which don’t have the shaft so they will easily fit inside a standard slow cooker.
And of course, if you have one of those oval shaped slow cookers, you could make this with a full size lamb leg! After all, arguably one of the best things about roast lamb are the leftovers. Sandwiches with lamb and gravy. SO GOOD!!!
Gravy for Roast Lamb
And while it’s browning in the oven, we make a quick gravy using the juices in the slow cooker.
No need to deal with the clunkiness of making the gravy in a roasting pan, like you do when you roast lamb in the oven. Nope, this is a super simple one made in a saucepan using butter instead of the drippings in the roasting pan. And of course the juices left in the slow cooker.
All. That. FLAVOUR!
This is the sort of food made for sharing with family and friends. I know there’s something grand about placing a whole lamb leg on the table as a centrepiece. But a pile of incredibly juicy, tender lamb is just as impressive in my books – and there’s no need to pass the plates over and wait for it to be carved. Just dive right in! – Nagi xx
More Roast Lamb Recipes
I love a good roast lamb – so I’ve shared a few over the years!
Slow Cooker Roast Lamb Leg
Watch how to make it
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Slow Cooker Roast Lamb Leg with Gravy
Ingredients
- 2.0 kg / 4 lb lamb leg, bone in (Note 1)
- 1 tsp salt
- black pepper
- 2 large garlic cloves , minced
- 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme OR rosemary (or 2.5 tsp finely chopped fresh)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups / 500ml beef stock (or chicken) (Note 2)
- 1 sprig rosemary , optional
Gravy:
- 50 g / 3 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp / 40 g flour (any white)
- 2 cups / 500 ml braising liquid from slow cooker , strained
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place lamb in slow cooker or on work surface. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, thyme or rosemary and garlic. Drizzle over oil, then rub on both sides.
- Pour beef stock into slow cooker, add sprig of rosemary (if using).
- SLOW COOK on low for 10 hours, or pressure cook on high for 1 hour 40 minutes. (See oven version here)
- The lamb should be tender enough to pull off with tongs, but still holding together (just!). Carefully remove lamb from slow cooker and transfer to tray.
- Drizzle lightly with oil (any). Bake at 200C/390F for 20 minutes or until browned. Remove and rest for 10 minutes before serving with gravy.
Gravy:
- Strain liquid in slow cooker into a bowl – you will have more than the 2 cups of broth you added, I usually have over 3 cups. Measure out 2 cups of liquid, reserve remaining liquid just in case.
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook for 1 minute.
- Add a bit of liquid, mixing as you go so it dissolves. Then add remaining liquid. Whisk if there are lumps.
- Increase to medium high heat and cook, stirring regularly, until thickened to your taste. Use remaining liquid to thin if required.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Contemplating being a stowaway.
I don’t want to come across as a snob, but seriously Dozer, if you’re going to stowaway on a boat, you can do better than that!!!
Hi Nagi.
Planning on trying the slow cooker roast lamb on Saturday to feed the extended family. I have a 3 kg leg of lamb. How long do you suggest I cook it for in the slow cooker please? To speed up the cooking time could I cook it on high for a few hours then low for a few maybe?? Looking forward to tasting the lamb!! Cheers
Hi Simone! 12 hours on low should do it – there’s only so “wide” a leg can get after a certain weight point, if that makes sense? Yes to speed it up you could do some on high then part on low. But the correlation between high and low isn’t direct, it changes with length of cooking time. To be safe, I would do 5 hours on high, open and check then slow cook as required to finish. Or just slow cook on high for the whole thing. It stays warm for ages in the slow cooker, then finish it off in the oven when ready to serve!
PS If I were doing it, I’d do 6 hours on high in slow cooker, but leave 2 hours spare to cook longer just in case. 🙂
Thanks Nagi. I ended up cooking the 3kg lamb leg on high for 2 hours and the low for 10 hours and it was a great success! All the guests were very impressed with the relish meal! Cheers
I’m so happy to hear that Simone! Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know – N xx
Amazing! I don’t think I’ll ever cook a leg of lamb the regular way again. This was so easy and I didn’t have to worry about it drying out 🙂
Nagi, your name is becoming famous in our house!
That’s so great to hear Leah! Thank you for letting me know – N xx ❤️
So I had a Mother’s Day quandary – I was out of the house by 4:30am to go to a friend’s place for the all important Eurovision final… but my mum was coming for lunch! What to do? Borrow a slow cooker and make this amazing lamb of course! I found a 1.7kg half leg that cooked perfectly in 8 1/2 hours, plus the gravy was to die for (I used chicken stock). The lamb crisped up beautifully in the oven and I can’t recommend this recipe enough. It felt like I was eating a lamb shoulder but with the price of a leg – happy days! Thanks for this lunch-saving recipe Nagi!
I LOVED hearing this Beck!! I am so super happy that it worked out for the all important Mother’s Day! I’m going to blow right past the 4.30am rising for Eurovision final….. did the yodelling / rapping pair win? 😉
Hey Nagi,this was the best lamb ever! Sooo delicious,moist,tender ahhhh just sooo yummm and even more with the gravy. Can’t stop eating. 😅…will it out come the same if i use beef instead of lamb?(im thinking of doing it again tomorrow but i don’t have lamb)😬
Thank you again and again..
WHOOT!!!! Absolutely, works GREAT with beef too!!!
Best lamb ever! The whole family loved this. I cooked it in the pressure cooker and the oven. It was so tender and finishing it in the oven is a brilliant idea. Thanks for another fantastic recipe.
That’s so fantastic to hear Donna! Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed it! – N xx
It tastes probably insane! I love lamb and this recipe seems awesome 🙂
YES IT IS!!!!! 🙂
Greetings from Atlanta, Georgia, USA, where it is still Easter Day. I made this today and it worked brilliantly. I will never cook lamb in conventional oven again. And the meat was so bronzed and tawny that I didn’t bother browning in oven. I just scooped the liquid out with a cup for the gravy, which also was delicious. I always love your recipes. Will be making one-pot orzo again this weekend. One of my favorites.
Wow, I’m so thrilled to hear you enjoyed this Amanda! And I’m actually amazed yours came out so browned straight from the slow cooker – I’m jealous! 🙂 N xx PS HAPPY EASTER!
Ohhhh, Nagi! I made your slow cooker lamb… it was a bit bigger than 2.5kg, more like almost 4kg! To fit it in, hubby had to bring out a saw to take off a bit of bone. So I did the recipe on high for six hours. Was magnificent. Holding together, but just about to fall off the bone and then 20 minutes in the oven, and it looked amazing. I’ve still got a whole heap of sauce and juice, which I might convert to soup today (but I’m still full from last night). I paired it with your Truly Crispy potatoes. It was the first time I managed to pull it off… I’ve tried other methods before, but I think you nailed it by putting the oil in the oven to almost smoking point. Done in 30 minutes! We were sooooo full last night. Thank you for the fail-proof recipes and making our Easter! xxxx E
OMG I just BURST OUT LAUGHING!!!! THAT IS GOLD – I just have the most awesome vision of your husband sawing the bone off – BA HA HA!!! I am so thrilled to hear you enjoyed this so much, thank you for coming back to let me know! N xx
Wow what a fantastic recipe for lamb. I cooked it today for Easter for 6 of us. Every plate was empty & everyone loved it. Thank you
Thanks for the great review Lesley! I’m SO pleased to hear you enjoyed it! N xx
Thanks for such a fantastic recipe! The lamb I bought was too big for my slow cooker so I used the instructions for the oven and it worked out perfectly! We all loved the gravy too. Happy easter!
WHOOOT! So pleased you enjoyed it Alison, thanks for letting me know. Happy Easter to you too! 🙂 N xx
My family has just enjoyed this lamb dish on Easter Sunday. What a beautiful dish!! When it was cooked, it didn’t look like it was falling off the bone but when I took it out of the slow cooker the shank and parts of the lamb started to come away so I could see that it was going to be beautiful. The gravy was delicious too so all in all a great recipe and one I will definitely be making again and again.
I’m so pleased to hear that Renee! Thank you for letting me know – and HAPPY EASTER to you and your family! N xx ❤️
Hello! Thanks for posting this. I am from America and I have only had lamb a few times in my life, always in a restaurant. It’s been either amazing or horribly dry so I have never aspired to try it at home.
I’m going to give this a shot on Easter though! I found a leg of lamb and got the butcher to cut as you suggested. Can’t wait to see how it turns out!
Hi hope you love it Heather! Slow cooker is guaranteed to make a succulent lamb leg!
It was delicious! THank you for introducing us to lamb!
Happy Easter!
I’m so thrilled to hear that Heather! Thank you for letting me know! N xx
Great recipe, worked out brilliantly! The only change I’d make is half the salt. I used vegetable stock (all we had) and the gravy was a little to salty, however, when poured over the lamb it was still grate. I also threw in some rosemary as I love it with lamb. Definitely a “keeper” recipe.
I’m so thrilled to hear that Chris! Thank you for letting me know! N xx PS Yes reduce the salt if you think it’s too salty for your taste, I personally find it’s the perfect amount, bearing in mind that most stays on the lamb 🙂 And rosemary + lamb = purrrrrfect
we L.O.V.E. your roasted lamb shoulder! will make this for easter tomorrow BUT … is there difference between the 10-hr slow-cook version VERSUS 1.5-hr pressure-cooker version? i’d like to save time with he pressure cooker BUT if that sacrifices anything, i’ll happily slow-cook for 10 hours. thank you!!!
Hi Amber! I think the difference is pretty small but there is definitely a difference. Slow cooking = more time for the flavour to drip and meld into the flesh of the lamb. But once the gravy is poured over, there is little difference in my opinion!
hi Nagi, made this yesterday (oven version) – it was/is delicious! and the gravy was declared “best ever”. Thanks for sharing this recipe. Happy Easter.. hope the bilby is generous!
Fantastic! So pleased to hear that Marg, thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know! N xx
This leg will just be good for my visitors on one of the Easter’s holidays. Thank you so much for this Nagi!!!!
YES IT WILL!! And stress free cooking for you!! 🙂 N xx
Last year I made your roast lamb and gravy…can’t wait to try this….stress free…can’t beat that! Cooking your greek meatballs for grandkids tomorrow night..wish they weren’t leaving before Easter…:)
Oh BOO to your grandkids leaving 🙁 I bet they loved you meatballs though! Oooh, I do love a good classic roast lamb, I think that’s what we’re having for our Easter dinner because the lamb leg I got is giant and there is no way it will fit in a slow cooker!
Hi Nagi, did you give Dozer the bone from the lamb? Reason for stowaway?!!
Maybe it’s because I DIDN’T that he is thinking of running away? ?
Oh, yes! This roast lamb looks perfect for Easter.
YES YES YES!!!
Yumi! Just in time for Easter! And weather i s Cooking Down. What did YOU do to Dozer? He didn’t GET roast lamb Or is IT somthing better on that boat?? Have good Easter with your Mum! Put Breaks on chocki….
Of COURSE he got lamb. You know full well I couldn’t deny him – ha ha ha!!
With all the snazzy superliners on Sydney Harbour, surely the Dozer could do better than that. He’s probably pissed off he didn’t get enough of this gorgeous lamb.
Considering LEAVING ME??? For cruel and unusual torture? 😉