Air-Frying Lamb Shoulder: The Perfect Timing Guide

Cooking lamb shoulder in an air fryer is a quick and easy way to prepare a delicious meal. It takes a lot less time than slow roasting in the oven, which can take up to eight hours. In an air fryer, it takes between 90 and 110 minutes for maximum tenderness. You can also cook it for 40 minutes for a beautifully browned, flavourful roast.

Maringating the lamb

Marinating the lamb is an important step in achieving a delicious, tender roast. Here's a step-by-step guide to marinating your lamb shoulder before cooking it in the air fryer:

First, pierce the lamb shoulder all over with the tip of a knife. This step is crucial as it helps the marinade penetrate the meat, infusing flavour throughout the roast. Next, add your chosen marinade to the lamb and rub it all over, ensuring even coverage. You can use a variety of ingredients for the marinade, such as olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, thyme, or other herbs and spices that complement lamb. Cover the lamb and transfer it to the fridge to marinate. The minimum marinating time is 30 minutes, but for the best results, leave it for up to two hours.

Once the lamb has marinated, take it out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. This step is important as it ensures the lamb cooks evenly in the air fryer. While the lamb is coming to room temperature, you can prepare the air fryer. Lay two pieces of foil on your countertop and place the lamb in the middle. Pour any remaining marinade over the lamb, ensuring it is well coated. Wrap the lamb tightly in the foil, making sure it is fully encased.

Place the wrapped lamb in the air fryer basket and set the temperature to 160°C / 320°F. Cook for 40 minutes per side, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the lamb reads 88-93°C/190-200°F for medium-rare to medium doneness. If you prefer your lamb well done, aim for an internal temperature of 95°C/203°F.

After the lamb has reached the desired internal temperature, remove it from the air fryer and let it rest for 10-20 minutes before carving. This resting period allows the juices to redistribute, ensuring a juicy, tender roast. Finally, carve the lamb against the grain using a sharp meat knife and serve with your choice of sides. Enjoy your delicious air-fried lamb shoulder!

Cooking time and temperature

Lamb shoulder is a well-used part of the animal, full of fat and connective tissue. It can take several hours to slow roast in the oven, but it takes a lot less time in an air fryer. For maximum tenderness, it is recommended to cook the lamb shoulder for a total of 90 to 110 minutes. The most reliable way to ensure fork-tender lamb shoulder is to use an instant-read thermometer. Aim for an internal temperature of 88-93°C/190-200°F. For pulled lamb, you can shred with two forks, and you will want to cook it for even longer until the temperature reaches 95°C/203°F.

To cook the lamb shoulder in the air fryer, first, pierce the lamb shoulder all over with the tip of a knife. Add the marinade and rub it all over the lamb. Cover and transfer to the fridge to marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to two hours. Then, take the lamb out of the fridge and leave it to come to room temperature for 30 minutes. Lay two pieces of foil on your countertop and place the lamb in the middle. Pour the marinade over the lamb and wrap it tightly so that it is fully encased in the foil. Place the lamb in the air fryer basket and roast at 160°C/320°F for 40 minutes per side.

After 40 minutes, remove the foil and increase the heat to 180°C/350°F. Cook for a further 20 minutes, flipping over halfway through. You want the lamb to crisp up and the surface and any fat to crisp up. Transfer the lamb onto a plate and cover loosely with foil. Rest for 10 to 20 minutes before carving against the grain using a meat knife. Collect any roasting juices and leftover marinade into a gravy separator and discard the fat.

Resting the lamb

During the resting period, you can collect any roasting juices that have accumulated on the plate and separate the fat using a gravy separator. This will give you a delicious, flavourful jus to serve alongside your lamb.

If you've marinated your lamb, don't discard the leftover marinade! Instead, add it to the roasting juices for extra flavour.

For the juiciest results, carve your lamb against the grain using a sharp meat knife. This will help ensure that the meat fibres aren't torn, resulting in tender slices of lamb.

Finally, if you're aiming for pulled lamb, you can shred the meat with two forks after it has rested. Pulled lamb is best achieved when the lamb is cooked to an internal temperature of 95°C/203°F.

Carving the lamb

Cooking lamb shoulder in an air fryer is a lot quicker than slow-roasting it in the oven. It's recommended that you cook it for 90-110 minutes for maximum tenderness, but some recipes suggest cooking it for as little as 40 minutes.

Once your lamb is cooked, remove the foil and increase the heat to 180°C/350°F. Cook for a further 20 minutes, flipping over halfway. You want the lamb to crisp up. Transfer the lamb onto a plate and cover loosely with foil. Rest for 10-20 minutes before carving against the grain using a meat knife. Collect any roasting juices and leftover marinade into a gravy separator and discard the fat.

Making gravy

Cooking lamb shoulder in an air fryer is a lot quicker than slow-roasting it in the oven, but it's still important to cook it for long enough to ensure it's tender. For maximum tenderness, it's recommended to cook it for 90-110 minutes. If you want to make pulled lamb, you'll need to cook it for even longer, until the internal temperature reaches 95°C/203°F.

To make gravy, start by collecting any roasting juices and leftover marinade in a gravy separator. Discard the fat that rises to the top. You can then use the juices to make a delicious gravy to accompany your lamb.

If you're short on time, you can cook the lamb shoulder for a minimum of 40 minutes per side, but it won't be as tender as if you cook it for longer. You can also increase the heat to 180°C/350°F for the last 20 minutes of cooking to help crisp up the surface and any fat.

Before cooking, pierce the lamb shoulder all over with the tip of a knife and rub in your chosen marinade. Cover and transfer to the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to two hours. Take the lamb out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking. Wrap the lamb tightly in foil and place it in the air fryer basket.

Once the lamb is cooked to your desired level of doneness, transfer it to a plate and cover loosely with foil. Let it rest for 10-20 minutes before carving against the grain using a sharp meat knife.

Frequently asked questions