Greek Lamb Kleftiko with Garlicky Tzatziki
Greek Lamb Kleftiko with Garlicky Tzatziki
Ingredients
For the Lamb Kleftiko
- 4 lamb shanks
- 1/4 cup olive oil, for drizzling
- 1/4 cup yellow mustard
- 5 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 4 potatoes, medium, peeled and cut into wedges
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- 2 tomatoes, deseeded and chopped into wedges
- 1 red onion, chopped into wedges
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 cup water
- 4 ounces feta cheese, diced into cubes
For the Garlicky Tzatziki
- 1 cup Greek yogurt, full-fat or 0%
- 1 cucumber, grated
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, for drizzling
For Serving
- as needed olive oil, for drizzling
- as needed dried oregano, for garnish
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
⏱️ 10 min•🌡️ 350
- 2
Place the 4 lamb shanks in a large metal mixing bowl. Drizzle generously with 1/4 cup of olive oil and squeeze 1/4 cup of yellow mustard over them. Grate 5 cloves of garlic directly into the bowl. Zest the entire skin of 1 lemon into the bowl, then cut the lemon in half and squeeze its juice over the ingredients.
⏱️ 5 min
- 3
Remove the leaves from the fresh rosemary stems and finely chop them to yield 2 tablespoons. Add the chopped fresh rosemary, 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, and 1 teaspoon of dried oregano to the bowl.
⏱️ 3 min
- 4
Peel and cut 4 medium potatoes into wedges. Add the potato wedges to the bowl with the lamb. Season generously with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper.
⏱️ 5 min
- 5
Using your hands, thoroughly mix all the ingredients in the bowl, ensuring the lamb shanks and potatoes are well coated with the marinade.
⏱️ 3 min
- 6
Line a large roasting pan with a large sheet of parchment paper, ensuring it hangs over the sides to allow for sealing later. Transfer the marinated lamb shanks and potatoes from the bowl into the parchment-lined roasting pan.
⏱️ 2 min
- 7
Deseed 2 tomatoes and chop them into wedges. Chop 1 red onion into wedges. Add the chopped tomatoes and red onion to the roasting pan, distributing them around the lamb and potatoes. Add 3 bay leaves to the pan.
⏱️ 5 min
- 8
Pour 1 cup of water into the mixing bowl that contained the marinade to rinse out any remaining flavors, then pour this liquid over the contents of the roasting pan.
⏱️ 1 min
- 9
Cover the lamb and vegetables with another large sheet of parchment paper. Fold and crimp the edges of both parchment paper sheets together tightly to create a sealed parcel around the ingredients.
⏱️ 2 min
- 10
Place the sealed roasting pan into the preheated oven. Bake for 3 hours.
⏱️ 180 min•🌡️ 350
- 11
While the lamb is roasting, prepare the Garlicky Tzatziki. Scoop 1 cup of Greek yogurt into a small bowl. Grate 1 cucumber, then place the grated cucumber onto a paper towel. Gather the edges of the paper towel and firmly squeeze out all excess water from the cucumber. Add the squeezed, grated cucumber to the Greek yogurt.
⏱️ 5 min
- 12
Grate 1 clove of garlic directly into the yogurt and cucumber mixture. Finely chop 2 tablespoons of fresh dill and add it to the bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano and 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Season with 1/4 teaspoon of salt to taste. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the bowl. Stir all the Tzatziki ingredients together thoroughly until well combined and creamy.
⏱️ 5 min
- 13
After 3 hours, carefully remove the roasting pan from the oven and unseal the parchment paper parcel. Use a spoon to baste the lamb shanks and vegetables with the accumulated pan juices.
⏱️ 5 min
- 14
Dice 4 ounces of feta cheese into cubes. Sprinkle the diced feta cheese generously over the lamb and vegetables in the pan. Return the pan to the oven for an additional 15 minutes, or until the feta is lightly browned and melted.
⏱️ 15 min•🌡️ 350
- 15
Carefully remove the roasting pan from the oven. Plate a lamb shank with a generous serving of the roasted potatoes and vegetables. Place a large spoonful of the freshly made garlicky Tzatziki next to the lamb. Drizzle the lamb and Tzatziki with a little olive oil and sprinkle a pinch of dried oregano over the dish for garnish. Serve immediately.
⏱️ 5 min
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Greek Lamb Kleftiko with Garlicky Tzatziki
For the Lamb Kleftiko
- 4 lamb shanks
- 1/4 cup olive oil, for drizzling
- 1/4 cup yellow mustard
- 5 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 4 potatoes, medium, peeled and cut into wedges
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- 2 tomatoes, deseeded and chopped into wedges
- 1 red onion, chopped into wedges
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 cup water
- 4 ounces feta cheese, diced into cubes
For the Garlicky Tzatziki
- 1 cup Greek yogurt, full-fat or 0%
- 1 cucumber, grated
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, for drizzling
For Serving
- as needed olive oil, for drizzling
- as needed dried oregano, for garnish
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
⏱️ 10 min•🌡️ 350 - 2
Place the 4 lamb shanks in a large metal mixing bowl. Drizzle generously with 1/4 cup of olive oil and squeeze 1/4 cup of yellow mustard over them. Grate 5 cloves of garlic directly into the bowl. Zest the entire skin of 1 lemon into the bowl, then cut the lemon in half and squeeze its juice over the ingredients.
⏱️ 5 min - 3
Remove the leaves from the fresh rosemary stems and finely chop them to yield 2 tablespoons. Add the chopped fresh rosemary, 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, and 1 teaspoon of dried oregano to the bowl.
⏱️ 3 min - 4
Peel and cut 4 medium potatoes into wedges. Add the potato wedges to the bowl with the lamb. Season generously with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper.
⏱️ 5 min - 5
Using your hands, thoroughly mix all the ingredients in the bowl, ensuring the lamb shanks and potatoes are well coated with the marinade.
⏱️ 3 min - 6
Line a large roasting pan with a large sheet of parchment paper, ensuring it hangs over the sides to allow for sealing later. Transfer the marinated lamb shanks and potatoes from the bowl into the parchment-lined roasting pan.
⏱️ 2 min - 7
Deseed 2 tomatoes and chop them into wedges. Chop 1 red onion into wedges. Add the chopped tomatoes and red onion to the roasting pan, distributing them around the lamb and potatoes. Add 3 bay leaves to the pan.
⏱️ 5 min - 8
Pour 1 cup of water into the mixing bowl that contained the marinade to rinse out any remaining flavors, then pour this liquid over the contents of the roasting pan.
⏱️ 1 min - 9
Cover the lamb and vegetables with another large sheet of parchment paper. Fold and crimp the edges of both parchment paper sheets together tightly to create a sealed parcel around the ingredients.
⏱️ 2 min - 10
Place the sealed roasting pan into the preheated oven. Bake for 3 hours.
⏱️ 180 min•🌡️ 350 - 11
While the lamb is roasting, prepare the Garlicky Tzatziki. Scoop 1 cup of Greek yogurt into a small bowl. Grate 1 cucumber, then place the grated cucumber onto a paper towel. Gather the edges of the paper towel and firmly squeeze out all excess water from the cucumber. Add the squeezed, grated cucumber to the Greek yogurt.
⏱️ 5 min - 12
Grate 1 clove of garlic directly into the yogurt and cucumber mixture. Finely chop 2 tablespoons of fresh dill and add it to the bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano and 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Season with 1/4 teaspoon of salt to taste. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the bowl. Stir all the Tzatziki ingredients together thoroughly until well combined and creamy.
⏱️ 5 min - 13
After 3 hours, carefully remove the roasting pan from the oven and unseal the parchment paper parcel. Use a spoon to baste the lamb shanks and vegetables with the accumulated pan juices.
⏱️ 5 min - 14
Dice 4 ounces of feta cheese into cubes. Sprinkle the diced feta cheese generously over the lamb and vegetables in the pan. Return the pan to the oven for an additional 15 minutes, or until the feta is lightly browned and melted.
⏱️ 15 min•🌡️ 350 - 15
Carefully remove the roasting pan from the oven. Plate a lamb shank with a generous serving of the roasted potatoes and vegetables. Place a large spoonful of the freshly made garlicky Tzatziki next to the lamb. Drizzle the lamb and Tzatziki with a little olive oil and sprinkle a pinch of dried oregano over the dish for garnish. Serve immediately.
⏱️ 5 min