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.
The 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-starred experience, this recipe can still be delicious.
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, Christmas, and Easter dinners. 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, and cooked to perfection.
- This is one of my favorite lamb recipes and 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 that 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 the lamb a nice color when roasting. Those char 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.
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 four large cloves, which should be about three tablespoons when crushed.
- Cumin – Just a teaspoon, and yet it 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 also use white wine in this recipe.
- Herbs – Fresh is the way to go with lamb recipes. A must-have is fresh rosemary leaves and fresh thyme as well. However, 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 to the roasting pan, such as carrots, potatoes, and shallots.
Step-by-step: 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 is 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, 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 can cause oxidation. 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 and zest, salt, and pepper. And set aside.
Roast the lamb
- Preheat the oven to 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 fresher herbs (thyme and rosemary).
Pro tip – Remove any large herbs from inside the meat before tying it. - Brush the lamb with the prepared honey lemon glaze.
Pro tip– I also insert my oven-safe instant-read thermometer in the middle, the 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 and 135°F, approximately 20 minutes per pound
- Medium – between 135°F and 140°F, approximately 22 to 23 minutes per pound
- Medium well – between 145°F and 150°F, approximately 25 minutes per pound.
- Well Done is between 155 and 165°F, or approximately 30 minutes per pound.
- When it reaches the desired doneness, remove it from the oven. Move the lamb to a serving platter and cover it 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 1/2 cup of 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 into a sauceboat and serve it with the lamb.
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Frequently asked questions
How long will this leg of lamb keep?
The boneless leg of lamb will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. You can also freeze it for up to a month.
Should I sear the leg of lamb before cooking?
No. The honey does a good job of giving the meat a nice color, so we don’t need to worry about searing this roast.
Do I need a meat thermometer for this roast?
I personally prefer to use a meat thermometer, so I don’t have to calculate and watch the clock every so often. But you can certainly do without it. However, if you are new to cooking or roasting meat, a thermometer can take the guesswork out. The most important point is to make sure you insert the thermometer needle into the deepest part of the thick meat.
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.
Video
Ingredients
- 4 – 5 lbs (2 kg) Leg of lamb boneless
- 4 sprigs Rosemary
- 4 sprigs Thyme
- 1 cup (240 ml) Water
Marinade
- 1 tbsp Coarse salt
- 1 tbsp Black pepper
- 6 cloves Garlic large
- 2 tbsp Thyme leaves Fresh
- 1 tsp Cumin powder
- 1 tsp Paprika powder smoked hot or sweet
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
Lemon honey glaze
- 2 tbsp Honey
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice
- 1 tsp Lemon zest
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- ½ tsp Pepper powder
Gravy
- ½ cup (120 ml) Water
- ½ cup (120 ml) Red wine (or broth)
- 1 tbsp All-purpose flour or gluten-free
Method
- Trim the fat – Use a pairing knife and trim excess fat from the leg of lamb. Pat it dry and set aside.
- Make the marinade – 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 mixture all over the lamb, 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.
- Lemon honey glaze – In a small bowl, combine the honey, lemon and zest, salt, and pepper. And set aside.
Roast the lamb
- Preheat the oven to 190°C/ 375°F Gas Mark 5 for at least 20 minutes.
- Roll the lamb and use butcher's twine to tie it together (see video). Place the lamb on the roasting pan on the rack, along with the fresh herbs (thyme and rosemary).
- Brush the lamb with the prepared honey lemon glaze.
- Roast for about 65 to 70 minutes or until the desired doneness. Baste it once in between with the honey lemon glaze. Mine took about 70 mins– 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 the 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 1/2 cup water. Add the wine or broth and use a flat spatula to deglaze the pan, scraping as much as possible, 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 discard the rest. Pour the gravy in a sauceboat and serve with the lamb.
Notes
- 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.
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
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I love how this came out! Thank you for a great recipe.
Thank you, Chynna. Happy to get your lovely feedback.
This looks incredibly tender and flavorful! I love the addition of the lemon and honey glaze!
Thank you. Moop
This is a perfect recipe for a big family party! So easy to make, yet you get a lot of flavor! Definitely need to make it!
Thank you. veronika
The flavors and combinations are perfect. Love the use of rosemary with lamb. I was looking for a boneless recipe and here it is.Thanks
Thank you, Aditi
I’m glad you shared a boneless recipe this time! I don’t know what it is about cuts of meats with bone but I usually mess them up. This looks like a great recipe to try lamb for the first time!
Thank you, Alex. I hope you try this and enjoy it too.
Oh, I love honey + lemon together! It’s such a fantastic combination. That red wine gravy sounds crazy delicious.
Thank you, Erin.