Sous Vide Lamb Shoulder

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This moist and tender Sous Vide Lamb Shoulder is an elegant roast that’s slow cooked until juicy and succulent. It’s the perfect centerpiece to serve with Sunday dinner or special occasions like Easter or Christmas!

Have you cooked lamb using the sous vide yet?! It’s definitely my favorite way to prepare lamb! You never have to worry about overcooking it or drying it out, and the sous vide method is pretty hands off too!

Close up view of medium rare lamb shoulder.

These sous vide lamb chops are so delicious served with mint chimichurri, and this sous vide rack of lamb and these sous vide lamb shanks are truly impressive! Both turn out tender and juicy in the sous vide water bath.

This sous vide lamb shoulder recipe is also impressive! While shoulder is a cheaper cut of lamb, it’s well suited to the long cooking time offered by the sous vide method. After 24 hours, the result is a tender, juicy, rich and moist lamb roast!

We love to serve lamb with Instant Pot couscous and air fryer carrots, but the list of side dishes is endless. (I’ve included more options at the end of this post)!

Check out the sous vide lamb shoulder story!

What is Sous Vide?

Sous vide is basically a method of cooking using what is called an immersion circulator. This immersion circulator circulates water in a temperature controlled water bath at a certain temperature to perfectly cook your food every time.

Because the temperature doesn't change, and it keeps your meat (or dessert, veggies, etc.) at the same temperature, your risk of overcooking becomes very minimal.

To learn even more about sous vide cooking, head over and read "what is sous vide cooking and the benefits of sous vide cooking."

What is the Water Displacement Method?

The displacement method is where you slowly submerge a ziplock bag in water pushing the air out of the top of the bag (the bag should be slightly open at the top to allow air to escape).

Use a clip (I use binder clips) to clip the bag to the side to keep it from floating and getting air and/or water inside.

Tools Used

You will also want to check out these posts on the best sous vide containers and the best sous vide bags for more information!

Other sous vide recipes

What is lamb shoulder?

The shoulder is an economical cut of lamb. It comes from the top front leg of the lamb so it’s a well worked area. This makes it flavorful but it can easily turn out tough or chewy if not cooked properly.

Lamb shoulder has a lot of marbling (flecks of fat running throughout), which makes it well suited to slow cooking and braising. This helps the connective tissue break down and creates a rich flavor and juicy, tender texture.

You can get shoulder as bone-in or boneless, and it can be in the form of a roast or chops.

Why this recipe works

Lamb shoulder is a tough cut of meat so it’s best cooked low and slow. The 24 hour cook time in the sous vide water bath is plenty of time for the lamb to tenderize and for the flavors to infuse. The result is a tender and juicy lamb roast!
Lamb shoulder is a cheaper cut compared to lamb leg or rack of lamb but it’s no less elegant! When slow cooked, it’s rich and succulent, so it makes an impressive roast and a great option for special occasions!
Even though it’s cooked in water, you can still get a crispy exterior on your lamb shoulder by reverse searing. Just give the lamb a quick sear in a hot skillet after it comes out of the water bath!

Ingredients

Please refer to the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and quantities.

You’ll need a 3-4 pound bone-in lamb shoulder for this recipe. I recommend bone-in as it offers the best flavor.

The lamb is cooked with a mix of ingredients including pomegranate juice, baharat seasoning, preserved lemons and dried apricots.

If you can’t find pomegranate juice, you can use cranberry juice as a substitute.

Baharat seasoning is a warm spice blend that’s common in Middle Eastern cooking. While the blend can differ based on region, it often includes cardamom, paprika, coriander, cumin and nutmeg, amongst others.

Preserved lemons have been pickled in salt and their own juices. You can buy them at grocery or specialty stores, but I normally make preserved lemons. It’s super easy and perfect to have on hand for recipes like this!

Just 3 chopped dried apricots are added to the lamb as it cooks. This adds a little sweetness. Dried apricots are readily available in stores, but I often use these air fryer dehydrated apricots.

Lastly, some fresh mint for serving is essential. Lamb and mint just go together!

Step by step instructions

Rub the lamb shoulder with salt and let it sit in the fridge, uncovered, overnight.

Heat a sous vide water bath to 132F degrees.

Place the lamb shoulder in a vacuum seal bag (or ziplock freezer bag if using the water displacement method) with all the remaining ingredients (except mint). Seal the bag.

Place the lamb in the water bath and cook for 24 hours.

Remove the shoulder from the bag, reserving the bag juice.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil (any high smoke point oil like peanut, avocado, coconut, vegetable, etc.).

Sear the lamb shoulder on all sides for about 20-30 seconds per side.

Remove and slice. Serve drizzled with the reserved bag sauce and sprinkled with fresh mint.

Expert tips

Whether you use a vacuum seal or ziplock bag, you’ll want to make sure to properly remove the air from the bag so bacteria doesn’t get in.
If the bag starts to fill with air and float, just open the bag, remove the air and reseal it.
The bag should be fully submerged in the water bath. To help prevent floating, I like to weigh the bag down with something heavy or use a sous vide sinker weight.
Since it’s a long cook time, check on the water level. If it looks like it is evaporating, just add more water.
To get the best sear, use a high smoke point oil and pat the lamb dry with paper towels after it comes out of the water bath.
When reverse searing the lamb, be careful not to sear it for too long. If it’s seared for longer than 20-30 seconds per side, it may overcook and dry out.
Before slicing the lamb, let it rest for 10 minutes so the juices have time to redistribute throughout the roast.
When slicing the lamb, be sure to cut against the grain. If you cut with the grain, the lamb will be tough and chewy to eat.

Sous vide lamb shoulder on a wooden board and garnished with fresh mint.

Common questions

Do you need to let the lamb shoulder sit in the fridge overnight?

I don’t recommend skipping this step. Rubbing the lamb with salt and letting it sit uncovered in the fridge helps it tenderize and seal in the juices.

What temperature should you sous vide lamb shoulder?

For medium-rare lamb shoulder, you’ll want to set the temperature of your sous vide water bath to 132F degrees. If you prefer it cooked to medium, you can raise the temperature to 140F degrees. I don’t recommend cooking lamb shoulder to well done.

How long does it take to sous vide a rack of lamb?

Lamb shoulder will take 24 hours to cook in a sous vide water bath set to 132F degrees. A long cooking time is required to tenderize this tough cut of lamb. If it’s cooked quickly, lamb shoulder will be tough and chewy. You can even leave it a little longer in the water bath and it won’t impact the texture.

Do you need to reverse sear lamb shoulder after the sous vide water bath?

Yes, searing the lamb in a hot skillet with some oil will create a crispy exterior. The lamb will be fully cooked when it comes out of the water bath, but the browning adds flavor and the crust adds to the presentation.

Can you sous vide lamb shoulder from frozen?

While you can sous vide frozen lamb shoulder, I prefer to defrost it first. Since we’re salting it and letting it air dry in the fridge overnight, this process doesn’t work as well if the lamb is frozen.