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Meat, European

Lamb kleftiko with potatoes

Kleftiko is a Greek dish of lamb shoulder and potatoes baked together in a sealed parcel, serving 4, taking 3 hours 10 minutes, rated easy, at €4.20 per person. The key to success is sealing the parcel tightly so the trapped steam keeps the meat fall apart tender without any basting or watching.

Tonight it's the Greek shepherds' dish, a lamb kleftiko slow cooked for hours in a sealed parcel with garlic, oregano and lemon.

Lamb kleftiko with potatoes
Total time
3 h 10
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€4.20
Calories per person
580 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Spring, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Kleftiko is lamb that cooks so long inside its sealed parcel that it ends up falling apart with just a fork. Garlic pushed into the meat, lemon and oregano flavor the meat for hours, and the potatoes cook in that same fragrant juice. The result is very tender meat, lightly lemony, with potatoes that have soaked up everything around them.

It's a dish to start on a Sunday, when you have time to let the oven do the work for three hours without touching it. Kids love the tender meat and soft potatoes in the juice, with no tough bits or bones to pick through. Mon Chou likes to point out this is the Greek shepherds' dish, cooked low and slow, hidden away in its parcel the way it was once hidden in the ground.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Boneless lamb shoulder, cut into large chunks 1 kg

Fruits and vegetables

  • Potatoes 800 g
  • Garlic 6 cloves
  • Lemon 2
  • Tomatoes 2

Pantry

  • Oreganooften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Bay leavesoften in the pantry 2 leaf
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 5 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

The step by step recipe

  1. Prepare a large sheet of parchment paper lined with foil. Rub the lamb with the juice of one lemon, the oil, oregano, salt and pepper.

    Really work it in with your hands, the seasoning needs to get into the meat.

  2. Pierce the meat with garlic cloves cut in half, then place it on the sheet with the bay leaves.

    Make small cuts with the tip of a knife before pushing in the garlic.

  3. Peel the potatoes, cut them into large wedges and arrange them around the lamb with the tomatoes, also in wedges.

    Salt the potatoes too, they soak up the meat's juices.

  4. Drizzle with the juice of the second lemon and a little oil, then seal the parcel tightly.

    Fold the edges over twice, no steam should escape.

  5. Bake at 160°C until the lamb is fork tender and falls apart easily. 2 h 30

    Open the parcel for the last 20 minutes to lightly brown the top.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a shoulder with good marbling rather than a very lean cut, the fat melts during cooking and keeps the meat moist.
  • Cut the potatoes into even wedges so they cook at the same pace as the lamb.
  • Check doneness by piercing the meat with a fork rather than watching the clock, every oven and every piece of lamb behaves a bit differently.

The variations

  • Swap the shoulder for boneless leg of lamb if that's what your butcher has, the cooking time stays about the same.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the lamb with large chunks of summer vegetables, eggplant and zucchini, and cut the cooking time to 1 hour.
  • For kids in a hurry, cut the meat into smaller pieces before cooking, it will cook faster and be easier to serve.

What to serve it with

  • A cucumber and feta salad
  • Warm pita bread
  • A lemony Greek yogurt sauce

Storage

Kleftiko keeps for 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. It freezes well, meat and potatoes together, for up to 2 months. Reheat gently, covered, in the oven or a skillet with a little of the cooking juices so the meat doesn't dry out.

Questions about this dish

Can you prepare kleftiko ahead of time?

Yes, you can assemble the parcel the day before and keep it in the fridge. Take it out a bit before baking so it doesn't go into the oven too cold.

Can you use a different cut instead of lamb shoulder?

Boneless leg of lamb works well and gives a similar result. Avoid very lean cuts, which can dry out over the three hour cook.

Should you open the parcel while it cooks?

No, except for the last 20 minutes to lightly brown the top. The rest of the time it needs to stay sealed to keep all the steam inside.

Does kleftiko freeze well?

Yes, it's actually a dish that freezes especially well thanks to its juices. Freeze the meat and potatoes together with a bit of the cooking liquid.

How long does it take to make a lamb kleftiko with potatoes?

Count 3 h 10 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a lamb kleftiko with potatoes?

About 580 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a lamb kleftiko with potatoes cost?

About €4.20 per serving, or €16.80 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains none of the major allergens tracked by Mon Chou. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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