Roasted Leg of Lamb
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This roasted leg of lamb is an easy, fool-proof recipe even for first-timers! An impressive main dish for the holidays. So tender, so juicy!
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Why you’ll love this roasted leg of lamb
- Easier to make than you think. If this is your first leg of lamb, there is no need to be intimidated by the process. This recipe here is fool-proof and fuss-free yet packed with maximum juicy, tender flavor goodness.
- Impressive main dish for the holidays. Whether it’s Easter, Christmas, or any other big holiday get-together, a roasted leg of lamb is a true showstopper and makes for a great centerpiece main dish that is sure to impress.
- No marinade needed. A marinade is not required for a tender, juicy lamb leg. The garlic-herb-Dijon mixture in this recipe doubles as a quick lamb roast marinade and rub, locking in flavor without a long prep time.
Ingredients
Leg of lamb
Bone-in will have extra flavor and juiciness whereas boneless will be much easier to carve.
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.
Do I leave the shank on or off?
Shank-on (American leg)
- Visual appeal (dramatic presentation)
- Adds more flavor
- Bone can be repurposed for stock or soup
Shank-off
- Cooks more evenly
- Easier to carve or slice
- More readily-available at most grocery stores
How to make roasted leg of lamb
- Prep the lamb. Let the lamb come to room temperature, letting it sit on the counter for about 45 minutes. Then pat the lamb completely dry using paper towels.
- Prep the oven and roasting pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a shallow roasting pan with aluminum foil.
- Score the lamb. Make shallow cuts in a diamond pattern into the thick fat cap to trap and hold the rub.
- Make the rub. Combine the garlic, olive oil, rosemary, thyme, Dijon, salt, and pepper.
- Rub the lamb. Transfer the lamb to the foil-lined roasting pan, fat side up. Then rub the lamb with the garlic mixture on all sides.
- Roast. Roast the lamb for 90 minutes or until desired doneness (the internal temperature should reach 135°F for medium).
- Let rest and serve. Let the meat rest for at least 15 minutes, then serve warm.
Internal temperature and doneness
- Rare: 120-125°F
- Medium-rare: 130-135°F
- Medium: 135-140°F
- Well-done: 155-165°F
PRO TIP
Serve with mini hasselback potatoes.
The potatoes pictured here are mini hasselback potatoes, a perfect pairing with the roasted leg of lamb!
Best Side Dishes to Serve with Roasted Leg of Lamb
Tools For This Recipe
Roasted Leg of Lamb: frequently asked questions
A simple mixture of olive oil, garlic, Dijon mustard, rosemary, and thyme works as both a marinade and rub.
Absolutely! But because dried herbs are often more potent and concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. For example, the correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary = 1 teaspoon dried rosemary.
Plan for roughly 20-25 minutes per pound for medium doneness. Boneless will also cook slightly faster than bone-in.
Store leftovers (sliced or diced off the bone) in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Reheat leftovers in the oven at 300°F with a splash of water or stock, covered in aluminum foil, until warmed through.
Roasted Leg of Lamb
Video
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.
Equipment
Notes
- 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.
- Score the lamb. The scores will serve as small pockets, holding in the rub for maximum flavor penetration to toast and caramelize, allowing the outside to yield a rich, savory crust.
- Let the lamb come to room temperature. Remove the lamb from the fridge, allowing it to sit on the counter before roasting, about 45 minutes. This will take the chill off to cook evenly throughout.
- 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 to guarantee perfect doneness. 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.
- Reheat in the oven. Leftover lamb can be rubbery when reheated. For best results with leftovers, reheat in a low oven at 300°F with a splash of water or stock, covered in aluminum foil, until warmed through.
Did you make this recipe?
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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.
Thank you to all those who reviewed! I’m a first timer and wasn’t sure about a few things: 1) to cover or not to cover? 2) score just the fat or into the meat a bit? 3) how much dried herbs since I didn’t have access to fresh?
I did cover it at first as many of you said. I used 1/2 the amount of dried herb as one reviewer said. And I doubled the amount of rub as someone else said. I ended up scoring just a little into the meat, hope that was ok. It’s going into the oven now.
Making this tonight will let you know but sounds yummy from all the reviews!!!!
Hi, I need to make 2 of these, together at the same time. I have a roasting pan big enough to do both. How long should I cook them for?
Made this tonight with a 4.2lb boneless roast. Doubled the rub per someone else’s comment (used dry herbs), used half on the roast and added drippings to the reserved half. Took about 1hr45 and the lamb was tender, moist, and delicious with the rub/drippings sauce which added way more flavor. The whole family loved it. Thanks for making this so easy!!
Oh yes. Damn delicious indeed! Perfect with a 4 lb leg of lamb.
the best leg of lamb recipe ever! The seasoning was fabulous and so easy. Will be my go to leg of lamb recipe from now on. I used it for an 8 lb LOL bone-in. Made time and ingredient adjustments due to increased weight. Highly recommend.
Delicious. Nothing left it was so good
Perfect s9 delicious easy to follow defections!!
So easy! My 11 year old son made this – and it was great!
Best lamb I’ve eaten. I did put til foil over the top at the end to lock the juices in too.
Made this for dinner last night, easy, fast and Fantastic!!!! It was sooo delicious! Had to have another slice as I was preparing to put it in the fridge. YUM!!! I didn’t have fresh rosemary or thyme but the dried herbs were wonderful. I just used half the amount. I did cook mine 15 minutes longer than suggested though, for well done. Froze the defatted drippings for future lamb stew.
I did cover it the whole time, except the last few minutes. Even though it was cooked “well don”, it was super moist and not dried out at all. Definitely a KEEPER! I think I’ll try the flavorful rub on lamb chops too.