Love serving traditional roast lamb shoulder but don’t have 7 hours to prepare it? Then you are in luck, because this recipe for Instant Pot Lamb is ready in just 90 mins! And folks, this is seriously delectable fall-apart meat that will have you coming back for seconds (and thirds).
Suitable for gluten-free, paleo, low carb, keto and paleo diets. Post includes Weight Watchers points.
Lamb is the most-loved roast in our household. It is often requested for those cosy and comforting Sunday lunches, served up with generous portions of peas and potatoes.
This recipe for Instant Pot Lamb is suuuuuch a great choice for those Sunday roasts, serving for Christmas lunch, and especially for Easter, since preparing roast lamb is an important Easter tradition. Not just in my family, but for many all around the world.
And instead of the usual all-day roasting affair, cooking your lamb shoulder in the Instant Pot means you will have super tender, super tasty, fall-off-the-bone lamb that is ready in just 90 mins. How amazing is that?!?!
Plus, it will free up that precious space your oven so you can easily make all the other side dishes and desserts. The Instant Pot also lets you prep your meal ahead of time, which is sooooooo great when you are hosting the big family holiday meal.
Just cook the lamb in advance then give it a quick blast and browning in the oven when your guests arrive. #winning.
You can also make this a true ‘dump and start’ Instant Pot recipe by skipping the browning stage and simply placing all of the ingredients into the Instant Pot together. But if you have the time, it is worth that extra effort to brown the meat first to get that really great depth of flavour.
So, are you ready to learn how to make Instant Pot Lamb? Gather up your ingredients and I will show you….
How To Make Instant Pot Lamb
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté and add oil to the insert.
- When hot, add lamb shoulder and brown on both sides, then remove, place on a plate and set aside.
- Turn off the Instant Pot, add stock and scrape the bottom of the insert to deglaze.
- Then mix in the anchovies and garlic purée.
- Put the lamb back in the Instant Pot insert, sprinkle the oregano and salt on top and add in the rosemary sprig.
- Place lid on the Instant Pot, close and turn the valve to the sealing (not venting) position.
- Set the Instant Pot to manual/pressure cook, high pressure for 90 mins.
- When cook time is done, allow for at Natural Pressure Release (NPR) of 15 mins and then perform a quick pressure release (QPR) to remove remaining steam.
- Slice, garnish and serve.
Tips for Making Pressure Cooker Lamb
- I used whole bone-in shoulder of lamb. If the lamb shoulder comes rolled and tied with string, remove it before cooking.
- Try replacing some of the stock with white wine for extra flavour.
- Pair with mint jelly for Easter. See the section below on how to easily make your own homemade mint jelly.
- For a lovely presentation on your holiday table, serve garnished with fresh herbs such as parsley and rosemary. And topping with sliced green onions and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds gives it extra festive Christmas colour.
Flavour Variations for Instant Pot Lamb Shoulder
You can easily customise the flavour of your Instant Pot lamb by using different herbs, such as thyme, sage, coriander or Herbes de Provence.
If you like some heat, feel free to add some chilli to the mix. Or go for an Indian influence and season your lamb with curry powder and ginger.
This recipe is all about simple Mediterranean lamb flavours, but it can be dressed up even further with the addition of fresh thyme and basil. For a Greek influence, drizzle the lamb with some honey before cooking.
What Are The Most Common Cuts of Lamb?
There are six sections of lamb that provide the various cuts of meat. Here are the most common cuts available on the market:
Shoulder: This cut takes a while to become tender, so it is best suited for pressure-cooking, slow roasting and stews. To get the maximum flavour out of this cut, cook bone-in lamb shoulder until the meat is fork tender and easily falls off the bone.
Chops/Rack: Lamb chops and rack of lamb are taken from the ribs. Quicker cooking methods such as the grill or barbecue yield the best results. The most expensive cuts, rack of lamb and lamb chops and are delicate and tender.
Rump: This cut comes from the back of the lamb and is lean, tender and full of flavour. Make sure to not overcook as it tends become tough and too dry.
Leg of Lamb: This is a fairly lean cut that has a nice strong flavour. It is a great choice for pressure cooking and roasting.
Lamb Shank: Cut from the lower part of the back legs. This is an economical choice that is perfect for stews, pressure-cooking and slow roasting.
How Do You Make Mint Jelly for Lamb?
Making homemade mint jelly is not as hard as you think. All you need is 2 cups fresh mint leaves, 2 cups water, 2 tbsp lemon zest, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 cups sugar and 3 oz of liquid pectin.
And for that classic bright green appearance, you can add 1 – 2 drops of green food coloring.
Then just follow the steps below to make a quick and easy fresh mint jelly:
- Place the mint and water in a blender and purée. Then transfer to a small saucepan.
- Stir in the lemon zest and juice and bring to a boil over medium-high heat for 1 minute.
- Add in the sugar, bring back to a boil and then add the liquid pectin.
- Remove from heat and stir in food coloring (if using).
- Let cool, then cover and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours.
What To Serve with Instant Pot Lamb Shoulder
The great thing about Instant Pot Lamb Shoulder is that it is a versatile main dish that pairs well with many different sides.
- Serve fluffy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes or these Crispy Garlic Smashed Potatoes for a classic lamb-and-potato combination.
- For a complete Mediterranean-inspired meal, pair your lamb with this delicious Orange Pistachio Couscous & Pomegranate Salad.
- Cauliflower Rice and Spinach Salad are both great choices, especially for those following a Low-Carb or Keto diet plan.
- Roasted Courgette Salad is a light and refreshing accompaniment to serve anytime of year.
Weight Watchers Points in Instant Pot Lamb
There are 6 Freestyle Points in a serving of Instant Pot Lamb.
More Instant Pot Main Dish Recipes:
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Instant Pot Lamb Shoulder Recipe Video**
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Instant Pot Lamb
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 4 lbs (1.8kg) lamb shoulder bone in
- 2 cups (480ml) beef or chicken stock
- 6 anchovies fillets from a tin, chopped
- 1 tsp garlic purée
- fresh rosemary 1 sprig
- 1 tsp oregano dried
- salt
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté and add oil to the insert.
- When hot, add lamb shoulder and brown on both sides, then remove, place on a plate and set aside.
- Turn off the Instant Pot, add stock and scrape the bottom of the insert to deglaze.
- Then mix in the anchovies and garlic purée.
- Put the lamb back in the Instant Pot insert, sprinkle the oregano and salt on top and add in the rosemary sprig.
- Place lid on the Instant Pot, close and turn the valve to the sealing (not venting) position.
- Set the Instant Pot to manual/pressure cook, high pressure for 90 mins.
- When cook time is done, allow for at Natural Pressure Release (NPR) of 15 mins and then perform a quick pressure release (QPR) to remove remaining steam.
- Slice, garnish and serve.
Video
Notes
- I used whole bone-in shoulder of lamb. If the lamb shoulder comes rolled and tied with string, remove it before cooking.
- Try replacing some of the stock with white wine for extra flavour.
- Pair with mint jelly for Easter. See the section below on how to easily make your own homemade mint jelly.
- For a lovely presentation on your holiday table, serve garnished with fresh herbs such as parsley and rosemary. And topping with sliced green onions and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds gives it extra festive Christmas colour.
My family and I loved, loved, this lamb!! Thank you Bintu! It was tender & flavorful. I cooked a 4.5 lb. lamb roast. I did not have anchoves and to season, I only used 2 1/2 Tb. of a mediterranean spice mixture I make (it’s 1 Tablespoon each of: salt, marjoram, sage, ginger, thyme, and then 1/2 Tbsp. black pepper). Pressure cook function, set to ‘high pressure’ and ‘normal’. Like Bintu says, if you’re able, don’t skip the part where you sear the meat, and let the Insant Pot naturally release for 15 minutes, then manually release, I’ve heard it makes it tender.
This recipe’s a keeper!
…Oh, this receipe was definitely five stars! And I forgot to mention I also added about 4-5 cloves fresh garlic.
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We made this for our Passover meal tonight and the whole family absolutely loved it. Best lamb recipe I’ve found, and so easy being done in the instapot! Thanks!
Any suggestions on adjusting the cooking time for a smaller shoulder, like 2#?
Yes, it’s delicious.
I complicated the recipe a bit by marinating the lamb shoulder with the 3 tsp fish sauce( I have no canned anchovies on hand) , bit of soya sauce. salt and pepper for a few hours. Sautéed an onion along with the ingredients in the recipe. I also dumped in 2 carrots. At the end of the 1 hour 45 min instant pot time, I set aside all the lamb & puree the carrots to thicken the sauce with an immerse blender. Put the lamb back & reheat a bit in Saute mode.
Served on top of rice. Yum!
Thank you for the recipe
Dump & Start Recipes in IP are such a blessing. Love the detailed instructions on how to cook the lamb with ease.
Lamb is one of my favorites, but I never thought of doing it in an Instant Pot! Awesome recipe, can’t wait to try it!
I loved how tasty it was! Such an amazing meal!
I haven’t had a leg of lamb in years as we usually just purchase lamb chops and grill. I remember my mom fixing lamb every so often, and definitely for Easter, with a side of mint jelly. What great memories! Now that I know it can be fixed so easily in the IP I am going to make it very soon. Thanks for the reminder.
Love this! Love how you made that lamb look so clean and efficiently tasteful! Great tips about how to cook it in the pressure cooker too!