Garlic Slow-Cooker Lamb Tacos with Greek Flavors

With the Super Bowl coming up, I’m running a three-day taco series. They’re simple, versatile, and perfect for a crowd. Tomorrow is a vegetarian taco and Wednesday will be a surprise one. Game food doesn’t get much better than this.

I’ve been on a taco streak — okay, really my whole life — but lately I can’t stop thinking about them. What’s not to love? Good fillings wrapped in warm tortillas, topped with fresh ingredients, and eaten with your hands. It’s an unbeatable combination.

At the same time I’ve been craving lamb. Tender, flavorful lamb is easy to love, and it pairs beautifully with bright Mediterranean flavors. This recipe started with a boneless leg of lamb in the slow cooker with garlic, lemon and oregano, braised until it fell apart.

The braising liquid was reduced and spooned over the shredded lamb. I served the juicy, garlicky meat on charred flour tortillas lined with baby spinach and sprinkled with feta…

…then added a cucumber-dill yogurt sauce, chopped bell peppers, garlic-stuffed kalamata olives, and just enough drool-worthy enthusiasm to make each bite memorable.

Truthfully, the lamb is the easiest part. We should all eat more lamb — mostly because I want it to be as available as beef or chicken where I live. If you’re not familiar with lamb, this recipe is a gentle introduction: garlicky, lemony and herb-forward, with no tricky techniques or careful temperature watching. It braises low and slow, then pulls apart effortlessly.

This recipe yields a generous amount, so it’s ideal for Make Ahead Monday. Freeze leftover lamb with some of the reduced pan juices in meal-sized portions. Later, thaw and use it for more Greek tacos, braised lamb over polenta, or lamb served with lemon-dill rice — it keeps well and adds a fast, flavorful weeknight option.

Also, I love the taco holder shown in the photos. Fun fact: it was sold as a business card holder at my favorite pottery shop. I spotted it and immediately thought, “TACO HOLDER!” The shop owner liked the idea and they do custom orders. All their pottery is dishwasher-, oven-, and microwave-safe — perfect for tacoware.

Slow-Cooker Garlicky Lamb and Greek Tacos | Make Ahead Monday

Rebecca Lindamood

Don’t be intimidated by lamb. This simple, garlicky, lemony, herb-infused lamb braises beautifully in the slow cooker. Serve it over polenta, lemon rice, or pile it into fresh Greek tacos. Make extra to freeze for quick meals later.

Ingredients

For the Slow-Cooker Garlicky Lamb:

1 boneless leg of lamb 4–6 pounds. See notes about bone-in roasts.
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
8 garlic cloves peeled
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons dry oregano
Generous amounts of freshly ground black pepper and salt

For the Greek Tacos:

2 cups Greek yogurt
1/2 of a diced English cucumber seedless
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 of a sweet onion peeled and diced
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
1 clove garlic peeled and minced or pressed
Baby spinach
Chopped kalamata or garlic-stuffed kalamata olives
Finely diced multicolored bell peppers
Crumbled feta cheese
Charred or warmed flour tortillas

Instructions

To Make the Slow-Cooker Garlicky Lamb:

Place the lamb roast in the slow cooker and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle the olive oil over the roast and rub it in along with the dry oregano. Add the lemon zest and juice, then scatter the garlic cloves around the roast. Cover and cook on high for 4–5 hours, or until the lamb pulls apart easily with two forks. Transfer the roast carefully to a cutting board. Strain the cooking juices into a saucepan, pressing on the solids to extract as much flavor (and roasted garlic) as possible. Over medium-high heat, reduce the pan juices by half. Meanwhile, shred the lamb with your hands or forks into bite-sized pieces, place in a serving bowl, and pour the reduced pan juices over the meat before serving.
Store leftovers in meal-sized portions with some pan juices in freezer bags or airtight containers for up to six months.

To Make Greek Tacos:

Combine the Greek yogurt, diced cucumber, lemon zest and juice, diced onion, minced dill, and minced garlic. Stir well and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Assemble each taco by laying 5–6 baby spinach leaves on a warmed tortilla, adding a layer of shredded lamb, crumbled feta, a spoonful of the yogurt sauce, chopped olives, and diced peppers. Serve immediately.

Notes

You can use a bone-in lamb roast if preferred; it may require an extra hour or two of cooking but will deliver even more flavor. Choose what’s most available and suits your budget.

Nutritional information is an estimate. Calculate nutrition based on the exact ingredients you use with your preferred nutrition tool.