Kleftiko

Name: Kleftiko
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 210 min
Total time: 295 min
Yield: 6 people
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 1.6 kg Lamb, leg or shoulder on the bone, cut into 4 to 6 large pieces; 1 kg Potato, waxy, peeled, in thick wedges; 2 medium Onion, in wedges; 8 clove Garlic, cut into slivers; 2 piece Lemon, juiced; 100 ml Olive oil; 2 tbsp Oregano, dried, Greek if possible; 2 medium Tomato, in thick slices; 1 medium Bell pepper, green bell pepper, in strips; 150 g Kefalograviera or Feta, in 2 cm cubes; 2 piece Bay leaf; 2 tsp Salt; 1 tsp Black pepper

Κλέφτικο

Lamb on the bone with garlic, lemon, oregano, potatoes and a little cheese, sealed in baking paper and slow-baked until it falls off the bone.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: Κλέφτικο.

Start cooking

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 3 hr 30 min
Rest: 1 hr
Total: 4 hr 55 min
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: No chilli
Cost: Treat yourself$28+ USD · indicative, not a store price

Know it before you cook it

Image coming soon

About

Kleftiko is lamb sealed up and cooked slowly in its own juices. Pieces of leg or shoulder on the bone are studded with garlic and rubbed with lemon, olive oil and plenty of dried oregano, then wrapped in a parcel of baking paper with potatoes, onion, tomato, green pepper and cubes of kefalograviera, and baked low for about three hours. The parcel keeps the steam in, so the meat braises and the potatoes cook in the fat and lemon. In the last half hour you open it to brown the top. Nothing is seared first. The only skill is sealing the parcel well so the juices stay inside.

What you'll need

13 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.

0 of 13 ready

6 servings

Ingredients

Servings

Lamb, leg or shoulder on the bone, cut into 4 to 6 large pieces1.6 kg
Potato, waxy, peeled, in thick wedges1 kg
Onion, in wedges2 medium
Garlic, cut into slivers8 clove
Lemon, juiced2
Olive oil100 ml
Oregano, dried, Greek if possible30 ml
Tomato, in thick slices2 medium
Bell pepper, green bell pepper, in strips1 medium
Choose one
Kefalograviera, in 2 cm cubes150 g
Bay leaf2
Salt9.9 ml
Black pepper4.9 ml

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

Step 1
Mix the lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper. Make small cuts all over the lamb and push in the garlic slivers. Rub the lamb and the potatoes all over with the mixture and leave to marinate for an hour, or overnight in the fridge.
70 min
Step 2
Heat the oven to 160°C. Lay two long sheets of baking paper across each other in a deep roasting tray, with a sheet of foil under them. Put the potatoes and onion in the middle, the lamb on top, then the tomato and pepper. Tuck in the cheese and bay leaves and pour over any marinade left in the bowl.
8 min
Step 3
Bring the edges of the paper up over the meat, fold them together tightly and twist the ends to make a sealed parcel. Crimp the foil around it. Bake for 3 hours.
180 min160°C
Tip: If juices are leaking into the tray, the parcel is not sealed. Wrap another sheet of foil over the top.
Step 4
Open the parcel, raise the oven to 200°C and bake uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, until the lamb and potatoes have browned on top.
25 min200°C
Watch: Open it away from your face. The steam that comes out is scalding.
Step 5
Rest for 10 minutes, then serve from the parcel with its juices, bread and a tomato and cucumber salad.
10 min

Nutrition

Per serving · estimate

Calories: 1196 kcal
Protein: 78.4 g
Carbs: 40.9 g
Fat: 79.6 g
Saturated fat: 31.2 g
Fibre: 6.9 g
Sugar: 6 g
Sodium: 1130 mg

Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.

Allergens

Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.

Milk

Gluten-free
Nut-free

Adapt this recipe

The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 13 November.

Substitutions

Kefalograviera → Feta, or leave the cheese out
Feta is softer and saltier and melts into the juices. Without cheese it is closer to the Cypriot way.
Baking paper parcel → A heavy lidded casserole, the lid sealed with a strip of flour-and-water paste
The same steam effect. Open it for the last half hour to brown.

Tips

Shoulder gives more juice and falls apart more easily; leg slices more neatly. Both work on the bone.
Rub the oregano between your palms as it goes on. It wakes up the oils.

History & culture

It is a taverna dish across mainland Greece, the islands and Cyprus, where it is baked in a sealed clay oven. At home it is a Sunday dish, put in the oven before church or a long walk. Some tavernas give each person their own parcel, opened at the table in a cloud of oregano-scented steam.

The name comes from the klephts, the bandits and rebels of the mountains during Ottoman rule. The story goes that they stole sheep and cooked them in sealed pits in the ground so no smoke would give them away. Whether or not that is true, pit cooking is old shepherd practice, and the paper parcel is its kitchen version.

Traditional — Pit-cooked kleftiko is now rare. Home and taverna cooks use baking paper, foil or a sealed clay pot, as here. Cheese inside the parcel is common on the mainland but not universal; Cypriot kleftiko usually leaves it out.

Provenance: Editorial adaptation.

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.

How long does Kleftiko take?

4 hr 55 min all in — 25 min prep, 3 hr 30 min cook, 1 hr rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 6 people. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

Easy.

How spicy is it?

No chilli.

What allergens should I watch?

This recipe is labelled for Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Gluten-free, Nut-free.

8 more questions

What does it cost to cook?

Treat yourself — about $28+ USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

What equipment do I need?

Chef's knife, Baking tray, Oven.

How much salt do I put in?

The recipe lists Salt at 2 tsp.

What can I use instead?

Kefalograviera → Feta, or leave the cheese out. Feta is softer and saltier and melts into the juices. Without cheese it is closer to the Cypriot way. Baking paper parcel → A heavy lidded casserole, the lid sealed with a strip of flour-and-water paste. The same steam effect. Open it for the last half hour to brown.

What should I watch for?

Open it away from your face. The steam that comes out is scalding.

Any tips from this recipe?

Shoulder gives more juice and falls apart more easily; leg slices more neatly. Both work on the bone. Rub the oregano between your palms as it goes on. It wakes up the oils.

Can I prepare this ahead?

Mix the lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper. Make small cuts all over the lamb and push in the garlic slivers. Rub the lamb and the potatoes all over with the mixture and leave to marinate for an hour, or overnight in the fridge.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.