Roasted Leg of Lamb
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This recipe is so good yet it doesn’t require too much time, effort or ingredients. It’s easy & fool-proof, even for you first-timers!
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If you haven’t cooked a leg of lamb before, don’t be intimidated. I know it seems incredibly daunting but it’s so much easier than you think. This roasted leg of lamb recipe here is fool-proof and fuss-free, I promise. And you don’t even need a long drawn-out ingredient list.
Nope, the ingredient list is super simple here.
Ingredients
Leg of lamb
Bone-in will have extra flavor.
Garlic
Adds a lovely buttery flavor profile.
Olive oil
This will serve as the rub for your lamb. We recommend using good quality olive oil here such as California Olive Ranch (our favorite).
Fresh herbs
Chopped fresh rosemary and thyme are common pairings with leg of lamb but you can also improvise with some of your favorite herbs.
Dijon
Adds a sharp, tangy flavor to your lamb rub, balancing out the rich taste of the lamb meat.
Salt and pepper
Season generously! 1/2 – 1 teaspoon kosher salt is recommended per pound of lamb.
Now I left the shank on for it’s dramatic presentation but you can easily purchase one with the shank removed – there’s no advantage here except for the aesthetic eye for serving.
Marinating is also not needed here – you’ll see that the simple garlic mixture rub will bring in so much flavor. And it’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser for your Easter holiday or next dinner party, impressing all your guests with such minimal effort. It also pairs perfectly with these mini hasselback potatoes!
tips and tricks for success
- Go to a reputable butcher. Cooking such a large cut of meat can be daunting! We recommend purchasing a leg of lamb that is preferably grass-fed and organic. Ask for market weight, avoiding baby lamb or mutton. The butcher can also trim the excess fat.
- Bone-in is ideal. Bone-in will have extra flavor, but if you are nervous about carving and serving, boneless can be used.
- Fresh herbs are best. Although you can certainly substitute dried herbs, fresh herbs are key here, delivering the best kind of flavor.
- Use an instant-read thermometer for the most accurate results. Check your lamb halfway through cooking, inserting through the thickest part of the meat but avoiding the bone. The internal temperature should reach 135°F for medium.
- Let your meat rest. As with any large cuts of meat, let your lamb rest for at least 15 minutes prior to serving, allowing the juices to redistribute – this will allow for maximum flavor and juiciness.
what to serve with leg of lamb
Roasted Leg of Lamb: Frequently Asked Questions
Bone-in will have more flavor, but boneless will be much easier to carve. If purchasing boneless, we recommend purchasing oven-safe kitchen twine as the lamb will need to be tied together.
Because a leg of lamb is so naturally tender, marinating is not necessary.
Absolutely! But because dried herbs are often more potent/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
This really depends on personal preference. We recommend medium (135°F, 20 minutes per pound) but you can also cook to rare (125°F, 15 minutes per pound), medium well (145°F, 25 minutes per pound) or well done (155°F, 30 minutes per pound).
Yes! Leftover lamb can be stored in an airtight container for 1-2 days in the fridge, and frozen in slices wrapped in aluminum foil, reheating at 350°F (still wrapped) until warmed through.
Here is a foolproof step-by-step video guide for a stress-free leg of lamb!
Roasted Leg of Lamb
Ingredients
- 1 (5 pound) bone-in leg of lamb, trimmed
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a shallow roasting pan with aluminum foil.
- Using paper towels, pat lamb dry. Using a sharp knife, score the top side of the lamb by making shallow cuts in a diamond pattern.
- In a small bowl, combine garlic, olive oil, rosemary, thyme, Dijon, salt and pepper.
- Place lamb, fat side up, on a rack in the prepared roasting pan. Spread garlic mixture evenly over the lamb, rubbing in thoroughly into the scored cuts.
- Place into oven and roast until it reaches an internal temperature of 135 degrees F for medium, about 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes, or until desired doneness. Let rest 15 minutes before slicing.
- Serve immediately with mini hasselback potatoes.
Video
Did you make this recipe?
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I added two ounces (ish) of Spiced Rum and cooked it slow. First, fat side down for one hour-ish at 350…flip… fat side up for one hour (ish) at 325… used chicken broth to soak up the bottom of pan and made gravy with that. For those who don’t have herbs readily available, try using a little poultry seasoning (has thyme and rosemary and pepper… a few other things, but it has the flavour you’re looking for).
I’m going to try this mainly because of the simplicity of preparing the lamb. It appeals to me.
As I’m on my own a small leg of around 3/ pounds will be enough.
I’m so looking forward to doing this. I most certainly will post how I get on.
It’s literally damn delicious this is the second time I cooked thanks for the recipe
So, so, so flavorful. My three year old wanted it every day after and asked for three decent sized helpings during dinner. She’s 5 now and still loves it. I actually broiled mine (after rubbing on this ridiculously good recipe) for about a minute on each side to sear it before cooking it in the Instant Pot. Broil again for a few minutes to crisp it up, and done! It was so easy and so crazy tasty. I hadn’t made lab before trying this, and had only ever had it once before. This is one of my favorite dishes to make.
How long did you cook it in your insta pot? Thx!
Made this recipe and it was delicious! I also made the potatoes they were also delicious. Will be making this again in the future.
I’m excited to try this recipe! I want to make the roast with the mini hasselback potatoes, but the recipes call for two different oven temperatures. How can you make both at the same time if you have only one oven?
I used butter instead of olive oil …let see the result later
This was the easiest roast I have ever made. Fabulous flavour with a tantalizing texture, oh so tender
I loved this recipe, so simple to make yet so damn delicious. Definitely a keeper to make again and again! I give it 7 stars out of 5! Thank you so much!
I have NEVER made lamb in my life and I in my mid 40’s! My husband came home with a leg of lamb the other week and I said “what the heck am I supposed to do with this?” Of course I went directly to your website to see if there was a recipe I could use. I have never really been a fan of lamb but WOW, what a sad world I have been living in without it. This was insanely easy and it was absolutely mind blowing! My 11 year old told me he never ever wants to have pork tenderloin again that I should always make lamb! (I use a similar herb rub on the pork when I make it) He is getting is wish today as my husband just popped his head into my office and said ” You think I should get some lamb while I am out?” subtle hint I suppose! I needed to print off the recipe again and thought while I am here I should leave a comment for all of those out there that may be a little skeptical. TRY IT! You will not be disappointed. Mine was a little over 1.5 pounds and I just adjusted the cooking time. I am dying to try the hasselback potatoes with this but sadly I only have one oven! Just wanted to say thank you for all of your amazing recipes! I always come to you first when I want to try something new or tweak an old recipe.
First time cooking a roast and this recipe is seriously fool proof. I followed the instructions down to a tee and it was delicious. Didn’t wrap the roast and the crisp was perfect. Will definitely be cooking this again!
Basic simple and perfect! 10/10
Came out delicious.
I cooked in a wire roasting rack, and started fat side down to get a little crust, then flipped it 1/2 way through.
I had dried thyme and didn’t have enough garlic so I used garlic paste to supplement.
I also cut slits in the fat and inserted rosemary sprigs.
It took longer than the recipie, but diff sizes of meat call for that. I always use a meat thermometer on expensive pieces of meat, and took it to 135 as recommended.
I thought my lamb was so good until I tried this wonderful recipe. Easy and flavor is out of this world. I never thought of baby hasslebacks!! Classy and so cute. Thank you!!
I don’t even like lamb but we had a leg of lamb to cook so we used your recipe and it was idiot proof and came out amazing?!
I was sceptical because it seemed like there wasn’t enough seasoning, plus we only had dried herbs not fresh ones but it still came out flavourful and tender!!!
Am looking forward to making this again!
This was just delicious…and so easy. It is the only way to fly.
I used a smaller boneless lamb leg which cut down the cooking time a lot. As an older, male, non-chef, with not that much experience other than grilling, I found it much easier and less daunting than I thought it would be. This recipe is a great find, thanks very much.
Excellent recipe!!!!!! Cooked exactly according to recipe!!!! So tasty and tender!!!!!
And, it was my first time to cook lamb!
I brined my boneless leg for a day, then patted it dry and let it sit in the fridge another day to dry thoroughly. I sat it on root veggies (onion, potato, carrot), halved garlic cloves, fennel and celery to roast. A gravy made with the drippings (fat separated and used to make a roux, then broth added back as well as some chicken broth) and a bouquet garni of mint was served with the carved lamb, as well as the veggies as a side dish. The leftovers made fantastic lamb sandwiches for a couple of days afterwards, just carved slabs of lamb and cold gravy between two slices of wheat bread. Delicious! Lessons learned: I’d put the roasting pan with the veggies in for about 30-40 minutes before adding the lamb next time. When the lamb was medium rare the veg, except for the onions, were still under done. Or I’d put them back in the over while I let the lamb stand and made the gravy, either one should work fine to allow them to finish.
So you recommend YOUR recipe and not the one we’re all here to see? Why?
Super delicious I also add the juice of 2 lemons and 12 press garlics
Excellent results. I followed the recipe to a tee except I used a boneless leg of lamb and dried rosemary and thyme (1 tsp each) instead of the fresh herbs because that is what I had on hand. Also, mine did require a little more cooking time (about 15 minutes) to reach the recommended temp (it was almost 6 lbs). Served it with mint jelly. Wonderful! Thanks for sharing.
Wow. Quick and simple and delicious.