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Greek lamb kleftiko

Greek lamb kleftiko takes a little time to cook, but it's hands off and the result is a true taste of the Mediterranean.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs 15 mins
Total Time
3 hrs 5 mins
Servings: 4 approx
Calories: 413 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Greek

Ingredients

To marinade lamb (ahead of time)
  • 2 lb boneless lamb shoulder see notes
  • 3 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoon white wine
  • 1 clove garlic roughly chopped
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
As ready to cook
  • 1 lb potatoes small, approx 10, or larger chopped
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 red pepper
  • 10 cherry tomatoes approx
  • 2 cloves garlic halved

Instructions

2 hours before or up to overnight (optional doing ahead but recommended)
    Cup of Yum
  1. Trim excess fat from the lamb and pat dry.
  2. Finely chop the garlic and mix with the olive oil, lemon juice, white wine, the salt and oregano in a medium sized bowl. Add the piece of lamb and rub the marinade all over. Cover and refrigerate for two hours or up to overnight. If you don't have time, you can also just let the lamb sit in the liquid while you prepare the vegetables and heat the oven.
When ready to cook
  1. Take the lamb out of the fridge, if it has been marinating, a good 30 minutes or so before roasting. Preheat oven to 340F/170C. Place two long pieces of parchment in a roasting dish or wide Dutch oven to form a cross shape (they need to be long enough to wrap around all the lamb and vegetables.
  2. Peel the potatoes and cut into large chunks of similar size if the potatoes are large. Peel and cut the onion into chunks (roughly 8 pieces) and cut the pepper into similar sized pieces. Put the potatoes at the bottom of the parchment, top with the onion, pepper and tomatoes then the lamb. Drizzle over the marinade mixture and if needed, lift the lamb to toss the vegetables in the oil mixture. Tuck the pieces of garlic in under the lamb.
  3. Fold up the parchment over all of the lamb and vegetables to seal them in and bring the paper together relatively tightly. Tie with string to seal. If the parchment doesn't fully close, cover over the top with foil to seal. Place in the oven and cook for approx 2 ½ hours. Open the parchment and check the meat is tender, or else cover and return to cook a little longer.
  4. Remove the meat and cover while it rests. Increase the heat to 400F/200C and trim back the paper so that the bundle is open. Return the vegetables to the oven to brown slightly on top, for around 20 minutes. Since there can be a lot of liquid/fat, you might want to either remove the potatoes to help them brown or else drain off liquid, depending what is easiest. Serve the meat and vegetables together, and a Greek salad in the side works well.

Notes

  • You can also use lamb shank or bone-in lamb for this - you need around 1.5 to 2 times the weight if bone-in. If you use a larger piece of lamb, you will probably need to cook a bit longer, nearer 3 hours for main cook if doubling is likely good.

Nutrition Information

Calories 413kcal (21%) Carbohydrates 28g (9%) Protein 32g (64%) Fat 18g (28%) Saturated Fat 4g (20%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g Monounsaturated Fat 11g Cholesterol 91mg (30%) Sodium 409mg (17%) Potassium 1118mg (32%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 5g (10%) Vitamin A 1152IU (23%) Vitamin C 77mg (86%) Calcium 58mg (6%) Iron 4mg (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4approx

Amount Per Serving

Calories 413

% Daily Value*

Calories 413kcal 21%
Carbohydrates 28g 9%
Protein 32g 64%
Fat 18g 28%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Monounsaturated Fat 11g 55%
Cholesterol 91mg 30%
Sodium 409mg 17%
Potassium 1118mg 24%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 5g 10%
Vitamin A 1152IU 23%
Vitamin C 77mg 86%
Calcium 58mg 6%
Iron 4mg 22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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