Boneless Leg of Lamb

This roasted boneless leg of lamb needs only 15 minutes for the marinade and less than 2 hours of roasting. Perfect for the whole family to celebrate festive dinners. Serve over mashed potatoes with or without gravy.

Table of Content

• Why make this leg of lamb?
• Ingredients and substitutes
• How to make a boneless leg of lamb recipe
• Tips for success
• What side dish to serve with lamb?
• More lamb recipes
• Frequently asked questions
• You may also like
• Printable Recipe
• Join the conversation

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Boneless leg of lamb is often called the poor man’s roast because it is a great alternative to more expensive roasts. And while it might not be a Michelin star experience, with this recipe, it can be a delicious experience.

Leg of lamb or lamb shoulder is always a huge deal in our home and I often make it in a few variations. It is always perfect for special occasions such as Thanksgiving or Christmas dinners and of course Easter dinner. Today, we keep it boneless with easy to find basic ingredients. The best thing about boneless lamb leg is that you can cut through the meat to make impressive slices.

Why make this leg of lamb?

• This lamb roast is flavorful and tender cooked to perfection.  
• The is one of my favorite lamb recipes is fairly simple to make with easy-to-find ingredients.
• There are three components to roasting this boneless leg of lamb.
  • Marinade - the mixture is made with garlic, thyme, rosemary, and a few spices. It is so packed with flavor it works with or without the long marinating time. By the way, this marinade is perfect with pork or beef too. 
  • Honey and lemon glaze - Adding a honey glaze, gives a nice color to the lamb when roasting. Those chard dark spots don't just look good they taste amazing.
  • Gravy - This gravy, made with red wine or broth, is like none other because it has all those wonderful lamb drippings.
• Cook it the way you like it - I cook my lamb medium-rare but you can cook it to the doneness your family enjoys More details are below.
• Lamb leftovers - works great in sandwiches and wraps. I love a few slices over my favorite Greek salad. And, I also use leftovers in my chicken pot pie or shepherd's pie.

Ingredients and substitutes

• Lamb - Boneless leg of lamb is readily available these days. If not, ask your butcher and I'm sure he will be happy to debone it for you. Read more about cuts of lamb.
• Garlic - I've used 4 large cloves, which should be about 3 tablespoons when crushed.
• Cumin - Just a teaspoon, and yet, adds a nice smoky flavor to the lamb.
• Paprika - For me, smoked hot paprika is the way to go. A little bit of heat works wonderfully for this lamb dish.
• Honey - Gives us that caramelization and color that makes it more appetizing.
• Red wine - Wine and lamb are a wonderful combination. And yet, you can omit the wine and use vegetable stock instead. You can even use white wine in this recipe.
• Herbs - fresh is the way to go with lamb recipes. A must-have are fresh rosemary leaves and fresh thyme as well. But, you can also use dried herbs such as oregano. 
• Optional - you can add a little dijon mustard to the marinade. You can also add some veggies in the roasting pan such as carrots, potatoes, shallots. 

How to make a boneless leg of lamb recipe

• Trim the fat - Use a pairing knife and trim excess fat from the leg of lamb. Pat it dry and set aside.
  Pro tip - if the lamb is wet the marinade will slide off the meat as soon as it starts cooking. If the meat was frozen ensure that it is thawed at least an hour before marinating.
• Marinade for lamb - You can put all the marinade ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.Alternatively, If you use a mortar and pestle, like me, start by crushing the salt and pepper, followed by the garlic, and thyme. Then, add the cumin, paprika, and olive oil.

• Marinate - generously rub the marinade all over the lamb both inside and all around. Leave to marinate for 15 minutes on the counter while you preheat the oven or up to overnight in the fridge.
  Pro tip - Do not use aluminum bowls to marinate meat as it causes oxidization. I like to place a few sprigs of rosemary and thyme inside the meat for a longer marination time.
• Lemon honey glaze - In a small bowl, combine the honey, lemon, zest, salt, and pepper - set aside.

Roast the lamb

• Preheat the oven at 190°C/ 375°F Gas Mark 5 for at least 20 minutes.
  Pro tip - If you marinate the meat for a longer time thaw it for an hour or two before roasting.
• Roll the lamb and use butcher's twine to tie it together (see video). Place the lamb on the roasting rack along with the more fresh herbs (thyme and rosemary)
  Pro tip - Remove any large herbs from inside the meat before tieing it.
• Brush the lamb with the prepared honey lemon glaze.
  Pro tip- I also insert my oven-safe instant read thermometer in the middle, thickest part of the meat.
• Time to roast leg of lamb - Roast for about 65 to 60 minutes or until the desired doneness. Baste it once in between with the honey lemon glaze.-
  • Medium rare - between 130 F to 135 F, approximately 20 minutes per pound
  • Medium - between 135 F to 140 F, approximately 22 to 23 minutes per pound
  • Medium well - between 145 F to 150 F, approximately 25 minutes per pound.
  • Well Done is between 155 to 165 F, or approximately 30 minutes per pound.
• When it reaches desired doneness remove it from the oven. Move the lamb to a serving platter and cover with aluminum foil. Let it rest for at least 20 minutes to help the juices settle.

Gravy

• Place the roasting rack on medium-low heat with ½ cup water. Add the wine or broth and use a flat spatula to deglaze the pan scraping as much as you can, but avoid the burnt parts.
• Then, add the flour and continue to cook until it thickens. Strain the gravy through a sieve or mesh and pour the gravy, discard the rest. Pour the gravy in a sauceboat and serve with the lamb.

Tips for success

• Butterflied leg of lamb - The leg of lamb can be butterflied by the butcher if not you can do it yourself by using a sharp paring knife. First, make a center cut over the bone then trim around the bone until you can remove it from the center. 
• Both the shoulder and leg of lamb are very similar hard-working muscles and would need the same cooking method and temperature. You can also see my recipe for lamb shoulder in red wine sauce.
• Roasting the lamb leg - place the lamb on the roasting rack, fat side up uncovered. This will give a nice crusty brown color on the outside.
• Temperature for cooking lamb - I like to cook the lamb at one temperature of 190°C/ 375°F Gas Mark 5. But, you can also start at a higher temperature of 400F/200C/Gas Mark 6 for 20 minutes then reduce the temperature to 350F/177C/ Gas Mark 4 for the remaining cooking time. 
• Internal temperature for lamb - I cook my lamb medium-rare to about 135 F using a meat thermometer. But, you can also do it without a thermometer and cook it to your desired doneness. Here's a guide you can use.
  • Medium rare - between 130 F to 135 F, approximately 20 minutes per pound
  • Medium - between 135 F to 140 F, approximately 22 to 23 minutes per pound.
  • and Medium well - between 145 F to 150 F, approximately 25 minutes per pound.
  • not really my favorite - Well Done is between 155 to 165 F, or approximately 30 minutes per pound.

What side dish to serve with lamb?

Try a side of potatoes like mashed potatoes, lemon rosemary roast potatoes, lemon dill potatoes, and potato wedges. Rice pilafs and pilaus are perfect with slow-cooked meats such as quick vegetable pilaf or fragrant rice with fruit and nuts. If you looking for a low-carb alternative try cauliflower rice. Other sides could be

• Quick garlic sesame asparagus or Garlic Parmesan asparagus, 
• Swiss chard patties, corn fritters, leek potato patties
• Sesame green beans, sauteed broccoli, sauteed asparagus
• Oven-baked butternut squash  or Oven-baked carrot sticks
• Salads - carrot salad, avocado salad, cabbage salad,
• See all side dish recipes

Frequently asked questions

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