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Slow Cooked Lamb Shawarma
carrie

Slow Cooked Lamb Shawarma

Bold Middle Eastern flavors meet effortless cooking in this slow cooked lamb shawarma. Warm spices, garlic, and lemon infuse the lamb as it roasts low and slow until fall-apart tender, then finishes with a beautifully caramelized crust.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Lamb
  • 4 lb lamb shoulder or butterflied lamb leg well-marbled cuts work best
For the Shawarma Spice Paste
  • 3 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp ground cardamom
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper use less for mild heat
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1.5 tsp fine salt
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper freshly ground
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice to taste
For Cooking
  • 2 cups water for the roasting pan

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan). In a bowl, mix all shawarma spice paste ingredients until a loose paste forms.
  2. Place the lamb in a large roasting pan and rub the spice paste generously over all sides.
  3. Position the lamb fat-side up. Pour the water into the pan around the lamb and cover tightly with foil.
  4. Roast for 3 hours, basting occasionally with pan juices to keep the meat moist.
  5. Remove foil and return the lamb to the oven for 30 minutes, until deeply golden and caramelized.
  6. Rest the lamb for 20 minutes. Slice or shred and drizzle with reserved pan juices before serving.

Notes

Lamb shoulder is the juiciest option, while lamb leg gives cleaner slices. Adjust cayenne to control heat, and always save the pan juices for serving and reheating.