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Cypriot · Greek · Mediterranean

Kleftiko

Non-vegetarian

Κλέφτικο · kléftiko

Lamb on the bone with potatoes, lemon, garlic and oregano, sealed tightly and baked for hours until the meat collapses into its juices. In Cyprus it is traditionally slow-cooked in an outdoor clay oven.

Kleftiko is a Cypriot main course, ready in about 4 hours and made with leg of lamb and potato. It serves 6 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
Plate of slow-baked lamb kleftiko with roast potatoes
Photo: Lord Mountbatten / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-3.0
Prep
20 min
Cook
3 h 30 min
Rest
10 min
Total
4 h
Serves
6
Level
Easy
Calories
610

Ingredients

6 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Rub the lamb all over with the lemon juice (opens in a new tab), oil, oregano (opens in a new tab), salt and pepper (opens in a new tab).

    • 10 min

    Food safety: Wash hands after handling raw lamb.

  2. Step 2

    Lay two large sheets of baking paper over foil in a deep dish. Put in the potatoes (opens in a new tab), onions (opens in a new tab) and garlic (opens in a new tab), sit the lamb on top with the cinnamon (opens in a new tab) and bay leaves (opens in a new tab), and pour the water around.

  3. Step 3

    Fold the paper and foil over and crimp into a tightly sealed parcel. Bake low and slow until the lamb falls from the bone.

  4. Step 4

    Open the parcel, raise the oven (opens in a new tab) and bake uncovered until the potatoes (opens in a new tab) and lamb are browned. Rest for 10 minutes before serving with the juices.

    • 30 min
    • 210°C

About this dish

Origin
Not attributed to one place · Origin disputedShared by Greece and Cyprus; the name is linked to the 'klephts' of Greek folklore, while the clay-oven version is a Cypriot signature.Also popular in Cyprus, Greece
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Main courses
Cooking method
Oven-baked, Slow-cooked, Roasted
Taste
herby, citrusy, rich, savoury
Diet
No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration · One-pan
Cook more with
Leg of lamb · Potato · Onion · Garlic · Lemon juice · Dried oregano
Techniques
Roasting · Baking

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

610 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 421 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 27%
  • Carbohydrate 20%
  • Fat 54%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy610 kcal145 kcal
Protein40.7 g9.7 g
Carbohydrate29.7 g7.1 g
Net carbohydrate25.7 g6.1 g
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre4.1 g1 g
Fat36.2 g8.6 g
Saturated fat12.9 g3.1 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol134 mg32 mg
Sodium902 mg214 mg
Salt equivalent2.3 g0.5 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
1181 mg
Calcium
64 mg
Iron
5 mg
Magnesium
86 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
1 µg
Vitamin C
34 mg
Vitamin D
—
Vitamin B12
5 µg
Folate (DFE)
70 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Seal the parcel well — the steam trapped inside is what makes kleftiko so tender.

Serve with

  • Serve with a village salad, bread and yogurt.

Storage

  • Keeps 3 days in the fridge.

Reheating

  • Reheat covered in a 160 °C oven.

Variations

  • Kleftiko with halloumi: Some cooks lay slices of halloumi over the lamb for the final browning.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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