Moroccan Mechoui (Slow-Roasted Lamb)

Mechoui is a Maghrebi celebration dish centered on lamb cooked slowly until deeply browned and tender enough to pull apart.

A boneless shoulder brings the feast-style method into a home oven with a simple butter, cumin, salt, and pepper seasoning.

Keep the roast tightly covered during the slow stage, then uncover only for the final browning.

Serving Suggestions

Serve communally with warm bread and small dishes of cumin and flaky salt.

Recipe Notes

Refrigerate with pan juices for three days and reheat covered to protect the meat.

Moroccan Mechoui

A home-oven adaptation of Moroccan mechoui with slow-roasted lamb shoulder, butter, cumin, salt, and tender pull-apart meat.

Servings 8 servings

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time 4 hours hrs 50 minutes mins

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Equipment

• Large roasting pan
• Small mixing bowl
• Parchment paper
• Instant-read thermometer

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

Lamb

• 5 lb boneless lamb shoulder opened flat and patted dry
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter softened
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp fine salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper optional
• 1/2 cup water for the roasting pan

For Serving

• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp flaky salt
• 8 pieces Moroccan flatbread warmed

Instructions

 

Season:

• Heat the oven to 300 F. Mix butter, cumin, salt, black pepper, coriander, and cayenne. Rub over every surface of the lamb.
• Set the lamb in a roasting pan, add the water around it, and cover tightly with parchment and foil.

Slow Roast:

• Roast for 4 hours, checking once to ensure a little liquid remains. Uncover and raise the oven to 425 F.
• Roast uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes until broad patches are deeply browned and the meat pulls apart easily. Rest 20 minutes.

Serve:

• Tear the lamb into large irregular pieces and arrange on a warm communal platter. Serve with cumin, flaky salt, and bread.

Notes

• Traditional feast mechoui may use a whole lamb; this shoulder method fits a home oven while preserving the slow-roasted character.
• Refrigerate for three days with a little pan juice and reheat covered.

Nutrition

Calories: 690kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 49gFat: 52gSaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 190mgSodium: 850mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1g

Calories: 690kcal

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Moroccan

Keyword: Mechoui, Moroccan Roast Lamb, Slow-Roasted Lamb Shoulder