Lamb shoulder never gets the attention it deserves. It’s packed with fat and connective tissue, which makes it perfect for low and slow cooking. It takes on smoke beautifully and is almost impossible to dry out.

This method gives you tender, smoky pulled lamb with a cleaner, more balanced flavor. Even people who usually avoid lamb end up shocked at how good it is. Honestly, more backyard BBQ folks should be cooking this.

Why I Love Smoking Lamb Shoulder

Lamb shoulder has become my absolute favorite thing to smoke. I’ll even go a step further. I’d take pulled lamb over pulled pork any day of the week. When you get it right, the texture, the flavor, the bark, everything hits harder.

I grew up in New Zealand, which is known for its lamb, so yeah, I’m a bit biased. But you don’t need imported lamb for this. Just buy the best local lamb shoulder you can afford. Bone in if possible.

A few reasons I rate lamb shoulder so highly:

• It beats pulled pork for me, every single time.
• It stays moist and forgiving during long cooks.
• The bone helps it cook evenly and adds flavor.
• The scored fat cap and herb rub build a strong crust.

A lot of people avoid lamb because they think it tastes too gamey, but I find the herb rub, the long smoke, and then the foil pan wrap all work together to mellow the flavor in a good way.

Ingredients you need

• Lamb shoulder – About 6-8 pounds, bone-in if possible. Look for good marbling and a decent fat cap. I got mine from Costco.
• Olive oil – A light coat to help the rub stick.
• Herb rub – Savory rub with herbs works best for lamb. I include the full rub recipe below
• Chicken broth – A cup in the foil pan helps with the braise and keeps the lamb moist.
• Spritz mix – A simple 50:50 mix of apple cider vinegar helps keep the edges from drying out during the first half of the cook and adds a little brightness to the bark.
• BBQ sauce – Optional, but great on pulled lamb sandwiches.

How to Smoke a Lamb Shoulder

1. Prep and season the lamb shoulder

Take the lamb out of the fridge about an hour before cooking so it is not ice cold. Pat it dry with paper towels. Trim any big, hard pieces of fat or ragged edges, but keep a nice, even fat cap.

Score the fat cap in a 1 inch crosshatch pattern. Try not to cut into the meat, just the fat layer. Scoring helps the fat render and lets the rub settle in.

Rub a light coat of olive oil over the lamb, then hit it with your herb rub. Lamb can take a lot of seasoning, so be generous. Make sure you get it into the scored fat and all around the shoulder.

Pro tip: A shaker with big holes helps spread the herb flakes without clogging.

2. Fire up your smoker

Set your smoker to 250 to 275°F. I used my Oklahoma Joe’s Bronco Pro with briquettes and apple wood chunks, but any smoker will work. On a pellet grill, start at 250°F to get a little more smoke flavor.

Wait for the smoke to settle into a clean, thin stream. Thick white smoke gives a bitter flavor, so give it time to burn clean.

I use ThermoWorks Smoke X to keep track of the grate temp and the meat internal temp.

3. Smoke the lamb and spritz as needed

Place the lamb shoulder on the smoker, fat side up. Insert a temp probe into the thickest part, avoiding the bone.

Let it smoke undisturbed for a couple of hours, then start checking the bark. If the edges look dry, spritz lightly with a 50:50 mix of water and apple cider vinegar. You do not need to soak it, just a quick spray. From here you can spritz every hour or when the surface needs it.

Cook for about 6 hours, unwrapped, or until the bark is dark, firm, and does not smear when touched.

The internal temperature should be at 165-170°F. Expect to hit a prolonged stall, although not quite as long as brisket.

Pro tip: If the rub still smears on your finger, it is not ready to wrap.

4. Wrap in a foil pan and cook until tender

Once the bark is set, place the lamb in a disposable foil pan and pour in about a cup of chicken broth.

Cover the pan tightly with heavy duty foil and return it to the smoker. Raise the temp to 300°F.

Cook for about 3 hours, or until the lamb probes like warm butter. Most shoulders finish around 205°F internal, but always trust the feel.

Pro tip: Check several spots. If even one spot feels tight, it needs more time.

5. Unwrap and set the bark

If you have time, you can return it to the smoker at 300°F with the foil removed for approximately 30 minutes. This tightens up the bark after the braise, but only makes a small difference.

6. Rest and pull

Take the pan off the smoker and let the lamb rest for about 1 hour. You can rest it in the pan, loosely covered, or put the whole pan in a warm cooler.

After resting, pull the lamb with gloved hands. The bone should slide out clean.

Discard any big fat pockets or gristly bits. Mix some of the pan juices back through the meat for extra flavor.

If a few parts do not pull cleanly, no problem. Chop them up like chopped beef.

Using leftover smoked lamb shoulder

Leftover pulled lamb is unbelievable. Heat a little oil in a cast-iron skillet or on a griddle and fry the lamb until the edges go dark and crispy. The flavor concentrates, and you get these crunchy little bits that are perfect for tacos, wraps, or even thrown on top of a pizza.

Sometimes I mix in a bit of shawarma spice while it fries and load it into a warm wrap. Honestly, there are days I smoke a whole shoulder so that I can make crispy leftover lamb the next day.

Once you give this smoked lamb shoulder a try, let me know how it turned out. A quick 5 star rating helps more people find it and supports the work we do.

Print

Smoked Lamb Shoulder

Smoked lamb shoulder cooked low and slow until it pulls apart with a rich herb crust and deep smoke flavor. Pile it on rolls, wraps or tacos.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 9 hours hours

Resting Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 5 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8 people

Calories 329kcal

Author Joe Clements

Equipment

• Heavy Duty Foil
• Foil Tray
• Boning Knife

Ingredients

• 6-8 lb lamb shoulder bone in, see note 1
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup chicken broth for the foil pan, beef broth or lamb stock also work
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup water

Lamb Herb Rub

• 2 tbsp Kosher salt
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp dried rosemary
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp granulated garlic I find granulated herbs and spices help build a better bark, but powdered works fine if that’s what you have
• 1 tbsp granulated onion

To Serve

• BBQ Sauce
• Rolls, wraps or tacos
• Pickled red onions or jalapeños

Instructions

• Pat the lamb shoulder dry. Trim any thick hard fat or loose flaps, but keep an even fat cap. Score the fat in a 1 inch crosshatch pattern, cutting through the fat but not deep into the meat.
• Rub a light coat of olive oil all over the lamb. Cover the shoulder generously with the herb rub, making sure to get it into the scored fat and on all sides. Let it sit at room temperature while you fire up the smoker.
• Preheat your smoker to 250 to 275°F with your choice of smoking wood. Aim for clean, thin smoke before putting the lamb on.
• Place the lamb shoulder on the smoker, fat side up. Insert a temperature probe into the thickest part, avoiding the bone. Smoke for about 6 hours, spritzing lightly with the water and apple cider vinegar mix every hour or when the surface looks dry, until the bark is dark and set and does not smear when you touch it.
• Transfer the lamb to a foil pan and pour about 1 cup of chicken broth into the bottom. Cover the pan tightly with heavy duty foil. Return it to the smoker and raise the temperature to 300°F. Cook for about 3 hours, or until the lamb is probe tender in several spots, around 200 to 205°F internal.
• Lift the lamb out of the foil pan and wrap it tightly in foil. Place it in a warmed cooler and let it rest for at least 1 hour. You can hold it like this for up to 4 hours. Keep the pan juices separate so you can warm them later.
• Once rested, pull the lamb with gloved hands. Remove the bone, large fat pockets, and any gristly bits. Warm the pan juices and mix some back through the meat to taste.
• Serve the pulled lamb on rolls with BBQ sauce, load it into wraps, or use it for tacos. Fried leftovers in a hot skillet are incredible.

Notes

1. Choosing the Right Lamb Cut: Bone-in shoulder is my top choice because it stays juicier and cooks more evenly, plus the bone helps you tell when it is done. Boneless works fine, but it will cook faster, so start checking it earlier. You can sub a lamb leg if that is what you have, just keep in mind it is a leaner cut and will not be quite as tender as shoulder.

2. Estimating Cook Time: Lamb shoulders vary a lot in shape, fat, and bone size, so use the times as a guide only. Always cook to probe tender, not just a target temperature. Weather, smoker type, and how often you open the lid can all change the final cook time.

3. Updated in 2025: This recipe has changed a lot since the first version we published in 2018. The old method ran the whole cook unwrapped, which sometimes pushed the cook past 12 hours and gave you a stronger lamb flavor. After further testing, this updated method requires a slightly longer cooking time initially, but the results are far more consistent.

• Longer unwrapped phase. This helps the bark set properly and gives the fat time to render.
• Foil pan braise added. The old recipe stayed unwrapped the entire time. The pan braise keeps the lamb moist, balances the flavor, and makes the final texture way more reliable.
• Scored fat cap. Helps with rendering and lets the rub sit where it should.
• Longer rest. Resting it wrapped in a warm cooler gives a much better texture.

Nutrition

Calories: 329kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 137mg | Sodium: 1895mg | Potassium: 671mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 42IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 5mg