Amazing results every time with this slow cooker lamb raan recipe!
If you’re looking to impress your friends and family with an epic Indian feast, look no further than this Slow Cooker Lamb Raan.
Succulent, spice-marinated lamb leg, slow-cooked until it’s fall-apart tender and dripping with flavour – it doesn’t get much better than this.
About this recipe
Traditionally, lamb raan is roasted in a tandoor, but with this slow cooker method, you’ll achieve restaurant-quality results with minimal fuss.
Lamb Raan is a celebratory dish from North India, often served at weddings and grand feasts. A whole leg of lamb is marinated with a fragrant spice blend, slow-cooked until meltingly tender, then seared or grilled for that perfect char.
This slow cooker version brings all the rich flavours without the need for a tandoor or oven, though the optional charring in your oven at the end does take it up a notch or two.
What do you serve with lamb raan?
You can serve this lamb raan with whatever sounds food. You might just like to serve it with some plain Basmati ricedrizzled with the meat juices. It is also amazing served as a wrap with Naans or chapattis or any good Indian style flatbread.
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Ingredients
As you can see, there isn’t a massive list of ingredients you’ll need to make the perfect slow cooker lamb raan. Get them altogether before you start and the recipe will be much easier. You’ll find the quantities of each ingredient in the recipe card below.
- 1 leg of lamb, surface fat removed
- garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
- melted ghee, for basting
- Flaky sea salt, to taste
- FOR THE MARINADE
- red habanero chilli, plus extra if desired
- crispy fried onions, fry yourself or purchase
- green bird’s eye chillies, roughly chopped
- ground cumin
- ground coriander
- tandoori masala or tandoori masala paste
- Kashmiri chilli powder
- freshly ground black pepper
- salt
- white wine vinegar
- lemon juice
- garlic and ginger paste
- Greek yoghurt
See recipe card for quantities.
Step by Step Photos
As you will see from the step by step photos, there really isn’t much work you need to do to make this lamb raan recipes.
- Step 1: Score the leg of lamb all over. Make small holes and fill them with the slivered garlic.
- Step 2: Mix the marinade ingredients together.
- Step 3: Place the lamb leg on plastic wrap and add the marinade.
- Step 4: Rub the marinade right into the flesh, all over the leg.
- Step 3: Wrap the leg tightly and let it marinate for a few hours or up to 72 hours. The longer the better.
- Step 4: Place the marinated lamb in your slow cooker with all the marinade and let it cook on low for 10 hours.
- Step 3: After 10 hours, the lamb will be fall apart delicious. Rub off any excess marinade.
- Step 4: This step is optional but for best results, place your slow cooker lamb raan on a rack in a roasting tray and baste with the ghee.
Optional roasting the lamb and preparing the gravy
- Step 3: Place it in an oven preheated to its highest setting for 20 minutes or more depending on how charred you want it.
- Step 4: Take it out to rest a few minutes while you make the optional sauce/gravy.
- Step 3: Pour the meat juices from your slow cooker into a pot and skim off the excess oil on top.
- Step 4: Bring it to a simmer and pour in a slurry made by whisking 3 tablespoon of water with 3 tablespoons of cornflour (corn starch). Drizzle the slurry in to thicken the sauce to your liking. You may not need it all.
- Step 3: Pull the meat apart with two forks and enjoy.
- Step 4: I like to wrap mine in flatbread, topped with salad veg, hot sauce, the gravy and onion pickle.
Substitutions
If you know how to make the recipe fit a certain diet, let the reader know here. Don’t fake it – only provide guidance on topics you have actual experience with.
- Dairy Free – The yoghurt and butter are there for flavour. If you are dairy free, you can leave them out BUT you should only let the meat marinate for a maximum of 4 hours.
- Cut of Lamb – Although lamb raan is traditionally made with leg of lamb, you could use shoulder of lamb and get fantastic results.
Variations
Giving the visitor ideas on how they can change this recipe to better suit their dinner guests, or their cultural cuisine, is a great way to increase the chances they make the recipe
- Spiciness – You can add more, less or omit the chillies and chilli powder to taste.
- Sour Flavouring – The tart flavour popular in this dish comes from the vinegar and lime juice. Feel free to taste the marinade before applying it to the lamb and adjust these flavours by adding more if you like.
Equipment
All you need to make this slow cooker lamb raan is a slow cooker. Nothing fancy! It can be any old slow cooker.
If you want to char the lamb raan at the end of cooking and serve it with the meat drippings, a roasting tin and small pot will come in handy.
Leftovers & Storage
If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, don’t worry – they’re just as delicious the next day.
Shred the remaining lamb and use it to make wraps, curry, or even a spicy lamb biryani. You can also freeze the cooked meat for up to 3 months.
Top Tip
Although your lamb raan will be delicious if you serve it right out of the slow cooker, it will benefit greatly by roasting it at the end. I highly recommend doing that!
FAQ
While it’s possible to cook the lamb on high for 4-5 hours, you’ll get the best, most tender results by cooking it on low for 8-10 hours. The slow, gentle cooking process allows the meat to become incredibly tender and flavourful.
It’s not essential, but it will add an extra layer of flavour. That crispy char just plain gets it!
Absolutely! Lamb Raan actually tastes even better the next day as the flavours continue to develop. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge, then reheat. To do this, I place it in my oven at its highest setting for 20 minutes to char the exterior and then let it continue to cook at a low temperature (around 150°C/300°F) until warmed through.
Although you could get away with letting it marinate for about 30 minutes, I recommend marinating the lamb for 48 to 72 hours. The longer the better. Leg of lamb isn’t cheap so you might as well plan ahead and let it marinate for as long as you can.
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:
Yield: 6
Slow Cooker Lamb Raan Recipe
This slow cooker lamb raan is so good and easy to prepare. For best results be sure to marinate the meat for as long as you can up to 72 hours. Then, don’t leave out the optional charring step at the end of the recipe.
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
10 hours
Total Time
10 hours 15 minutes
Ingredients
1 leg of lamb, surface fat removed
5 garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
3 tbsp melted ghee, for basting
Flaky sea salt, to taste
FOR THE MARINADE
1 red habanero chilli, plus extra if desired
5 tbsp crispy fried onions, fry yourself or purchase
3 green bird’s eye chillies, roughly chopped
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp tandoori masala or tandoori masala paste (see page)
1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp salt, plus extra to taste
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
4 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
500g (2 cups) Greek yoghurt
Instructions
- Place all of the marinade ingredients up to and including the garlic and ginger paste in a food processor or blender with about 5 tablespoons of the yoghurt until you have a smooth, thick marinade.
- Whisk this paste into the remaining yoghurt until creamy smooth. Set aside.
- Make about eight deep slashes on each side of the leg of lamb.
- Take a sharp knife and make holes all over the meat and fill them with the garlic slivers.
- With this done, roll out a few large pieces of cling film (plastic wrap) and layer them in a baking dish. Place the lamb on top and pour the marinade over it.
- Rub the marinade all over the meat and into the slits.
- Wrap the leg tightly with the cling film and allow to marinate for at least 3 hours or up to 72 hours – the longer the better. If you are in a real rush, you could just go straight to cooking but the longer you marinate the meat the better.
- When ready to cook, place the leg of lamb and all the marinade in your slow cooker and cook it on low for 10 hours with the lid on.
- When your lamb raan is so tender you can literally tear the meat from the bone, it’s ready but charring the raan will make it even better. This step is optional.
- Pre-heat your oven to its highest temperature and place the raan in a roasting pan. Baste it with the ghee and set it inside to roast for about 20 minutes.
- While the lamb is roasting, pour the juices from your slow cooker into a small pan and heat to a simmer. Whisk in the slurry to thicken it to your liking.
- With the raan charred to your liking, place it on a serving platter and take your masterpiece to the table.
- Serve it with the heated sauce and any side dishes or curries that sound good. I like this simply with warm naans and cold salad vegetables like shredded lettuce, tomato, cucumber and sliced onions which can be rolled up into a wrap.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 451Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 2742mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 4GSugar: 7GProtein: 15g
