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    You are here: Home » Food » BBQ » Smoked Lamb Shoulder Recipe

    Smoked Lamb Shoulder Recipe

    June 9, 2021 By Mary 31 Comments

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    Smoked Lamb Shoulder pin
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    Smoked Lamb Shoulder Pin
    Smoked Lamb Shoulder Pin

    Smoked Lamb Shoulder is an absolute treat. This slowly smoked lamb shoulder is spritzed with a savory mix of apple cider vinegar and juice, and then pulled for tender and flavorful lamb. This recipe is a great one for your next summer cookout!

    A smoked lamb shoulder cooking on a pellet grill

    Why This Recipe Works

    • Lamb Shoulder needs a low and slow cooking method, either on a smoker or in some braising liquid for the tender pulled texture.
    • The lower temperature slowly renders the intramuscular fat for a juicy and tender bite.
    • The style of cooking is similar to pork shoulder and beef chuck roast.

    It’s common to hear folks dismiss the flavor of lamb. This is unfortunate, as it can be absolutely incredible when done right (and sourced from quality meat). This misconception often comes from the experience of eating overcooked lamb, or even mutton (meaning lamb that is over 1 year old, and thus not officially “lamb”). The idea for this lamb shoulder recipe was inspired by how we smoke pork shoulder. The technique is identical and the flavor is out of this world, especially when you start with a high-quality lamb.

    Jump to:
    • The Cut
    • Buying Lamb Shoulder
    • Preparation
    • How to Smoke Lamb Shoulder
    • Pulling
    • Saucing
    • What to do with Smoked Lamb Shoulder
    • Wine Pairing for Lamb Shoulder
    • More Lamb Recipes
    • Smoked Lamb Shoulder Recipe

    The Cut

    Lamb Shoulder, as implied by the name, comes from the upper portion of the leg of a lamb. Most often it’s from the front legs and can also be called lamb arm. It’s similar to the pork shoulder in that it is a muscle that gets a lot of movement, which makes for a tough cut.

    The meat is tough if you just grilled it hot and fast, therefore it really needs to be slowly braised or slowly smoked in order to render out the intramuscular fat resulting in that soft delicious texture. As it smokes, it also mellows out the unique and often gamey flavors that can come from lamb. But those signature flavors will also vary from rancher to rancher, so don’t assume a fresh lamb is going to be gamey at all.

    Buying Lamb Shoulder

    Lamb shoulder will either come bone-in or boneless. We have smoked both and found that buying boneless is much easier for consistency in size and for the pulling process after it’s done. For the price of lamb, it also cuts back on the per pound price that you would pay for by adding the bone.

    Consider buying from a reputable butcher where they know the lamb rancher. This assures that the lamb will be fresh and less than 1-year old sheep. The older the lamb and as it crosses the 1-year threshold, the more it can take on the more pronounced flavor of mutton. You can read more about lamb in our recipe for leg of lamb.

    Another option is to source your lamb from a reputable mail order company, like D’Artagnan Foods. They source their lamb from small and sustainable farms from around the world. The attention to detail shows in amazing flavor of the meat.

    Preparation

    For this lamb shoulder recipe we are preparing a boneless lamb shoulder.

    1. Start by removing the butcher twine holding it all together. Do this to open the meat up for trimming and seasoning. Lay it out flat on a sheet pan.
    2. Next trim away any excess fat on both sides of the shoulder or cartilage using a good quality filet or boning knife (click on the link for 10% off our favorite).
    3. Coat both sides of the lamb with olive oil and lamb seasoning. For this lamb shoulder recipe we use a mix of sugar and spices from our ultimate dry rub bringing slight sweet, salty, and savory spices. If you want a more savory rub with no sugar, consider our herb-focused chicken seasoning.
    4. Tie the lamb back up again with more butcher twine tightly so it’s one uniform roast as you put it on your smoker.
    Three photos, side by side, demonstrating how to prep lamb shoulder for the smoker

    Now it’s time to smoke the lamb shoulder.

    How to Smoke Lamb Shoulder

    A smoked lamb shoulder cooking on the grill
    1. Prepare your smoker targeting 250 degrees Fahrenheit (F) using fruit wood, like apple or cherry. Alternatively oak or hickory are good options. We find mesquite a little too smoky for lamb.
    2. Place the lamb shoulder on the smoker and smoke for three hours. Insert an instant read Bluetooth thermometer, like the Thermoworks Smoke Unit, to monitor the internal temperature. In this phase the smoked lamb will start to turn red and develop a bark.
    3. After three hours, start to spray the shoulder with the spritz. The spritz adds some moisture to the smoked lamb, and helps the smoke molecules to stick to the meat. Make sure to use a food safe spray bottle for this.
    4. After spritzing for two to three hours (five to six hours total) the internal temperature of the shoulder should be at, or around, 165 – 170 degrees Fahrenheit. At this point, wrap the shoulder in butcher paper or aluminum foil and place back into the smoker to continue cooking.
    5. Place the thermometer probes back into the shoulder and continue smoking until the internal temperature of the lamb reaches 200 – 205 degrees F. You know it’s done when somewhere in that range an instant read thermometer can probe the meat with no resistance, much like the feeling of room temperature butter (i.e. it should feel soft and tender).
    6. Remove the roast and then let it rest for 30 minutes. Then remove and pull the meat.

    Chef’s Note: If the smoked lamb is done earlier than you want to serve, then store the lamb wrapped (not pulled) in a cooler with no ice for up to four hours. This will hold the temperature until ready to pull and serve.

    Pulling

    Using two large forks, or a pulled pork shredding tool, gently pull at the edges of the shoulder. If you pulled while probe tender, the meat should easily come off. As you shred, remove any cartilage or leftover fat pockets and discard.

    Pulled Smoked Lamb Shoulder on a sheet pan

    Saucing

    There are a number of sauces we would recommend. If using a sauce, just toss it with the warm pulled lamb.

    • Carolina Style Vinegar Sauce
    • Chimichurri Sauce
    • Garlic Butter Sauce

    What to do with Smoked Lamb Shoulder

    To stretch your dollar you can serve it as an appetizer and place on a crostini, similar to this brisket crostini recipe. You can also use it for a pizza or sliders.

    But one of our favorite uses is to serve it in pita bread with a little bit of tzatziki sauce. The smoky and super tender meat is nicely balanced by the fresh and cooling tzatziki. Just fill some pita bread with some crunchy greens, a hefty amount of the pulled lamb, and top with your favorite tzatziki recipe.

    Smoked Lamb Pitas
    After pulling the lamb, consider pulled lamb pitas.

    Wine Pairing for Lamb Shoulder

    For the lamb alone I loved it with a nice Pinot Noir (I vote Oregon Pinot for the balance of earthy and fruity flavors). But with pitas, smothered in that bright citrusy and herbal tzatziki sauce, it works surprisingly well with a bright and fruity rosé.

    More Lamb Recipes

    • Smoked Lamb Lollipops
    • Pulled Lamb Sliders
    • Smoked Lamb Burgers with Rosemary Aioli and Pickled Onions
    • Grilled Rack of Lamb with Jalapeno Chimichurri
    • Smoked Lamb Meatballs
    • Boneless Leg of Lamb
    • Bone-In Leg of Lamb

    Mary (a certified sommelier) and Sean (backyard pitmaster) are co-authors of the critically acclaimed cookbook, Fire + Wine, and have been curating content for the IACP nominated website Vindulge since 2009. They live in Oregon on a farm just outside Portland.

    *This post was originally published April of 2016 and updated June of 2021 with more recipe details, how to instructions. The recipe remains the same.

    This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you click on the link, we may receive a small commission if you purchase through the link. We partner with brands we know and love and use and it helps keep the blog going!

    A smoked lamb shoulder cooking on the grill

    Smoked Lamb Shoulder Recipe

    How to smoke a lamb shoulder and what to do with it after it's cooked.
    4.50 from 6 votes
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 hours
    Resting Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 10 hours 45 minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 378kcal
    Author: Mary Cressler | Vindulge
    Cost: $40.00

    Equipment

    • Butcher Twine

    Ingredients

    For the Smoked Lamb Shoulder:

    • 5 pound lamb shoulder (We recommend boneless)
    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • ¼ cup Ultimate Dry Rub

    For the Spritz:

    • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
    • ½ cup apple juice
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Prepare your smoker targeting 250 degrees Fahrenheit (F) using fruit wood, like apple or cherry. Alternatively oak or hickory are good options. We find mesquite a little too smoky for lamb.
    • Start by removing the butcher twine. Lay the meat out flat on a sheet pan. Next trim away any excess fat on both sides of the shoulder or cartilage using a good quality filet or boning knife. Coat both sides of the lamb with olive oil and dry rub. Tie the meat back up again with more butcher twine tightly so it’s one uniform roast as you put it on your smoker.
    • Place the lamb shoulder on the smoker and insert an instant read Bluetooth thermometer, like the Thermoworks Smoke Unit, to monitor the internal temperature. Smoke for three hours. In this phase the lamb will start to turn red and develop a bark.
    • After the first three hours, start to spray the shoulder with the spritz. The spritz adds some moisture to the lamb, and helps the smoke molecules to stick to the meat. Make sure to use a food safe spray bottle for this.
    • After spritzing for two to three hours (five to six hours total) the internal temperature of the shoulder should be at, or around, 165 – 170 degrees Fahrenheit. At this point, wrap the shoulder in butcher paper or aluminum foil and place back into the smoker.
    • Place the thermometer probes back into the shoulder and continue smoking until the internal temperature of the lamb reaches 200 – 205 degrees F. You know it’s done when somewhere in that range an instant read thermometer can probe the meat with no resistance, much like the feeling of room temperature butter.
    • Remove the roast and then let it rest for 30 minutes, then pull the meat.

    Notes

    Buying: Consider a boneless lamb shoulder. Be sure you have butchers twine at home. 
    Pulling: Using two large forks, or a pulled pork shredding tool, gently pull at the edges of the shoulder. If you pulled while probe tender, the meat should easily come off. As you shred, remove any cartilage or leftover fat pockets and discard. 
    Chef’s Note: If the lamb is done earlier than you wish to serve, then store the lamb wrapped (not pulled) in a cooler with no ice for up to four hours. This will hold the temperature until ready to pull and serve.
    Find the perfect wine pairing at the Vindulge Wine Shop

    Nutrition

    Calories: 378kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 152mg | Sodium: 167mg | Potassium: 739mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 77IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 5mg
    Tried this recipe? We would love to see!Mention @vindulge or use the hashtag #vindulge

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Michael Quatrini says

      August 16, 2022 at 9:27 pm

      To achieve a softer, braised style of pulled lamb, which type of braising liquid would you suggest?

      Reply
      • Sean Martin says

        August 17, 2022 at 10:10 am

        Michael – we love the following for it’s simplicity and we use it with our beef short ribs. https://www.vindulge.com/smoked-beef-short-ribs/

        We also have a recipe in our cookbook with a lamb shank that follows a general format of a Coq au Vin with carrots, celery, onion, chicken stock, and herbs too. But the wine bath from our short ribs is super rich and instead of wrapping you can place the wine bath and shoulder in a pyrex dish, cover in foil, and finish.

        Reply
    2. Russell says

      April 22, 2019 at 12:35 am

      So, we had a boneless leg of lamb in the freezer for awhile and figured Easter would be a great time to try it out. I found your recipe and injected it, seasoned, then smoked. The only thing is I was reading your directions to bring it to 165, then wrap and pull it once it hit 195. I started questioning this as that seems too well done per my liking, and most other recipes call for a final temp between 145-165. I ended up pulling it off at 166, unwrapped, and let it rest for only about 10min. It ended up coming out really good & everyone liked it, but I would say it was closer to medium well to well done with not much red in the middle. I’ll do the lamb again, but I think I will wrap it around 130 and pull it closer to 155 next time.

      Reply
      • Sean Martin says

        April 24, 2019 at 12:18 am

        You bring up a great point Russell, first, thank you for taking the time to comment. For this post we focused on pulled lamb shoulder, which is very similar to leg of lamb. Like comparing pork shoulder to ham. Similar cuts. But you bring up a great point, that if not pulling, you can totally cook like a steak. And leg of lamb is leaner than shoulder, just like pork shoulder. Thanks again for sharing your experience.

        Reply
    3. low and slow says

      April 05, 2019 at 10:07 am

      5 stars
      What flavors of wood have you tried and which one did you like best?

      Reply
      • Sean Martin says

        April 05, 2019 at 1:16 pm

        So we pretty consistently use a fruit wood on lamb. Living in Oregon it’s most commonly apple or cherry. Sweeter and balances the lamb without the potential of too much smoke.

        Reply
    4. Sven says

      June 18, 2017 at 2:03 pm

      4 stars
      Hi. It does look very tasty. Some questions though:

      What does spritz mean? How do you”inject”? What is Kosher salt? Is it just blessed salt or something?

      Reply
      • Mary says

        June 18, 2017 at 8:30 pm

        Sven, all great questions:
        Spritz – this is a spray bottle of liquid you use to spray down the meat with flavor. A mop is similar, only you use a mop brush and dab the meat with it versus a spray bottle. An injection is literally a large meat syringe that you fill with liquid and then you add into the meat, it adds that moisture into the meat while it cooks. Kosher salt is a large grain or coarse salt. I believe that most kosher salts are called that because it’s used to draw out blood in koshering meat, not that it’s actually “kosher”, but not sure. I know I like it because of it’s size of grain and no iodine.

        Reply
    5. Brendan says

      April 06, 2017 at 3:21 am

      Giving it a bash tomorrow. Not much of a rosè drinker, but I’m sure a few frosties are interchangeable.

      Reply
      • Mary says

        April 06, 2017 at 3:54 pm

        That’s great! I’d love to hear how it goes! And I forgive you for not being a rosé drinker 😉 Plenty of other good alternatives 😉

        Reply
    6. Marlynn @ UrbanBlissLife says

      April 19, 2016 at 1:33 pm

      Oh my. Mary. This is drool-worthy! I love lamb, but have never tried smoked lamb shoulder, and I just LOVE this dish with the pita bread and tzatziki! YUM!

      Reply
      • Mary says

        April 19, 2016 at 5:36 pm

        It’s a pretty awesome cut of meat, and actually a bit more affordable than lamb chops or leg.

        Reply
    7. Joscelyn | Wifemamafoodie says

      April 16, 2016 at 12:45 am

      Looks so delicious! I know my hubby would love it if I made this for him!

      Reply
    8. Mindy@FarmFitLiving says

      April 15, 2016 at 11:13 am

      This looks amazing! I raise sheep and I’m hoping to get a lamb processed this Fall for our freezer. I’m saving your recipe for when I do.

      Reply
      • Mary says

        April 15, 2016 at 11:28 am

        That’s awesome!!

        Reply
    9. Candy says

      April 15, 2016 at 7:48 am

      Greek dishes and pita bread.

      Reply
    10. Carrie says

      April 15, 2016 at 5:37 am

      Yum! I absolutely love Lamb. We eat a lot of it in the fall! Im going to have to save this recipe!

      Reply
      • Mary says

        April 15, 2016 at 11:27 am

        It’s a winner, that’s for sure!!

        Reply
    11. Sara says

      April 15, 2016 at 1:24 am

      Although I’m not team lamb (mostly because I’m to afraid to try it), I have to admit that this looks delicious.

      Reply
    12. Sara says

      April 15, 2016 at 1:22 am

      Although I am not on team lamb (mostly because I’m too afraid to try it), I have to admit that this looks delicious.

      Reply
      • Mary says

        April 15, 2016 at 11:27 am

        Haha. I get that! I was afraid to try a lot of foods, until we started sourcing them locally and cooking them ourselves on the smoker or grill! Now I have very few fears 😉

        Reply
    13. Debbie-jean Lemonte says

      April 15, 2016 at 1:15 am

      I found it so hard to scroll down because this looks delicious. Thank you for this post!

      Reply
      • Mary says

        April 15, 2016 at 11:26 am

        Thanks 🙂

        Reply
    14. Brettni Brumfield says

      April 14, 2016 at 3:37 pm

      My, my, doesn’t that look delicious. I remember my mouth watering when I saw your IG post over the weekend. =)

      Reply
      • Mary says

        April 14, 2016 at 8:25 pm

        Ha 😉 I couldn’t wait for the post. Had to sneak in a pic on insta 😉

        Reply
    15. Jenni says

      April 14, 2016 at 11:04 am

      This looks heavenly. I have been wanting to work with lamb more often – I love it in restaurants but have never liked it when cooking at home- and I think this is exactly the recipe I need to try next!

      Reply
      • Mary says

        April 14, 2016 at 8:25 pm

        Awesome! Thanks!

        Reply
    16. Erin @ Platings and Pairings says

      April 13, 2016 at 5:18 pm

      I’m definitely on team lamb! This boneless version that’s been injected looks fabulous! Plus, I love the pairing with rosé! My mouth is watering…

      Reply
      • Mary says

        April 14, 2016 at 8:24 pm

        I always love any excuse to pop a bottle of rosé 😉 Cheers!

        Reply
    17. Catherine says

      April 13, 2016 at 3:33 pm

      I feel like as soon as you say “lamb,” you class it up! No one ever serves lamb, but you’d definitely turn some heads to dish it up at a dinner party.

      Reply
      • Mary says

        April 14, 2016 at 8:24 pm

        Right?! It’s so true! No wonder it’s served at elegant dinner parties, or reserved for special occasions like Easter Dinner.

        Reply

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    Mary-Cressler-Sept-2015-smI'm Mary, a wine/food/travel writer, Certified Sommelier, mom of twins, former vegetarian turned BBQ fanatic, runner, and founder of Vindulge and author of Fire + Wine cookbook.  Thanks for stopping by!

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