This roast leg of lamb is marinated with garlic and fresh herbs, roasted alongside baby potatoes and finished with a delicious red wine gravy. The perfect dish to make for the weekend or when entertaining family and friends.
The leg of lamb is the upper part of the leg without the shank bone. The butcher will usually ask if you want it bone-in or no bone. Today, we are using bone-in. If you choose a boneless leg of lamb, you can still use this recipe, and yet the cooking time will need to be adjusted. That is why having a meat thermometer is very helpful.
Another great cut of meat to use for this recipe would be lamb shoulder. We made a delicious Roast Lamb Shoulder with red wine sauce. In fact, both of these recipes could be used interchangeably.
Table of Content
Why make this recipe
- This leg of lamb is marinated with aromatic herbs, including rosemary, oregano, and thyme. In addition, the garlic adds a punch of flavor while the paprika also adds a bit of color.
- We added some red wine to the gravy, but you can certainly use stock instead to make it without alcohol
- Most of the ingredients used in this recipe are simple and easy to find.
- The recipe uses a meat thermometer so you don't have to guess how long to cook the meat.
- Today, I am using bone-in lamb leg but you can also use boneless leg of lamb or lamb shoulder with this marinade.
- You can use leftover lamb for sandwiches and wraps or in my chicken pot pie or shepherd's pie.
Timeline for making this lamb
Knowing how long you will need for your dish is important when planning a meal. Take into account that you can use the oven simultaneously.
- Prepare marinade - 10 mins
- Marinate the lamb - 2 hours up to 12 hours (overnight in the fridge)
- Roast the lamb - 60 to 90 minutes (20 minutes per pound)
- Rest - 15 mins
- Gravy - 10 mins
Ingredients and substitutes
- Lamb -Today I am using a bone-in leg of lamb but you can also use lamb shoulder. You can use some other cuts for roasting as well. Learn more about cuts of lamb here
- Veggies - If you plan to cook veggies with your meat, it's always wise to use vegetables that will benefit from the long cooking process. Potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and turnips are excellent for such roasting. On the other hand, never use veggies like zucchini or tomatoes because they cook fast and release a lot of liquids. As a result, they tend to steam, rather than roast, the meat.
- Potatoes - I love using small roast potatoes because they really look elegant on the dinner table when entertaining. And, they also hold their shape well despite the long cooking.
- Fresh herbs - When making a dish like this, you want to make an effort to buy fresh herbs. It makes a huge difference. Having said that, if dried herbs are all you have, go ahead and use them. One tablespoon each would be a good measure to start. Adjust according to your preference.
- Paprika - I use this for color, but I also like a little bit of zing. You can use sweet paprika, and yet I often go for the smoked hot paprika.
- Red wine - If you like gravy and can consume wine, I highly recommend adding red wine to the gravy. Red wine pairs so beautifully with lamb.
Roast leg of lamb
- Lamb - Trim excess fat from the leg of lamb and pat it dry. Season with salt and pepper.
Pro tip - The marinade will slide off the meat when cooking if the meat is wet. So pat dry thoroughly. - Marinade - In a small bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients and set aside.
- Marinate - Rub the marinade with your hands over the lamb making sure to get all the sides as well. Leave to marinate for two hours on the counter or up to overnight in the fridge. Thaw an hour before cooking.
Pro tip - for overnight marinade do not use aluminum or metal to store the meat. The acid in the marinade can react with the metal and cause oxidization. - Oven - Preheat the oven to 400°F/ 200°C/ Gas Mark 6
- Roasting pan - Place the leg of lamb in the roasting pan surrounded by the baby potatoes. Season with more salt and pepper. Add the fresh rosemary and thyme sprigs among the potatoes
Pro tip - if you are not using the potatoes, place the lamb on a roasting rack. - Thermometer - Insert the meat thermometer in the thickest part of the meat making sure not to touch the bone.
Pro tip - I set my meat thermometer to 135°F for medium-rare. When the meat reaches the desired temperature the bell rings. - Roast - Place the roasting rack in the oven on the middle rack and reduce the oven temperature to 325°F/165°C/ Gas Mark 3
- Time - I cook my lamb medium-rare, about 135°F using a meat thermometer. This roast took about 70 minutes.
If you don't own a thermometer 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.
- Medium well - between 145 F to 150 F, approximately 25 minutes per pound.
- Well Done is between 155 to 165 F, approximately 30 minutes per pound.
- Rest - Take the roast out of the oven and loosely tent it with aluminum foil. Let rest for at least 15 minutes while you make the gravy.
- Pan - Transfer the meat and potatoes to a serving platter so you can use the roasting pan to make the gravy.
Pro tip - if you can't use the roasting pan, pour the pan juices into a frying pan to make the gravy. - Gravy - Place the roasting pan on medium-low heat. Add red wine or stock and deglaze the pan by scraping with the edge of a spatula. Then, add the flour and continue to deglaze while the flour thickens the gravy.
Pro tip - If necessary add a little water to ensure it is not too dry. - Strain - Strain the gravy through a sieve of mesh to remove all the excess bits and pieces from the roasting pan.
Pro tip - straining will give a wonderfully smooth gravy. You can also add 2 tablespoon of butter to enhance the flavor. - Enjoy!
Sides to serve with lamb
Tips for Success
- You want to choose a well-marbled piece of meat with a decent amount of fat on top. The fattier the meat the more juicy and flavorful the roast.
- Always thaw the lamb before cooking - a few hours at least 2 to 3 hours. Cooking chilled meat can result in uneven baking causing the outer parts of the meat to overcook.
- A leg is a large chunk of meat and not much exposed. So, make sure to over-season the meat, because only some of it will penetrate the meat. The rest of it will get crusted on.
- Use a roasting rack, don't just place the meat on the baking tray. The roasting rack will let the juices flow below and let the outside of the leg forms a crust almost a sear that keeps all the juices in.
- Elevate the bone from the base if possible. This encourages even cooking by circulating the air.
- Cook the meat just until you reach the desired doneness, not a minute more. The meat continues to cook to about 5 to 10 degrees more after you take it out of the oven.
- If you are entertaining and want to ensure you have the perfect roast. Remove the lamb at about 135 F - this will be perfectly pink and about 140 F by the time you serve.
- Don't open the oven door too often to check doneness. Instead, calculate the cooking time and check closer to the time.
- Don't poke too many holes in the meat while checking for doneness. The moment you poke a hole in the meat you will see juices flow out. You want these to stay in so don't make too many holes. I poke the thermometer just once and leave it there until it reaches the desired temperature.
- Let the meat rest after cooking. If you cut the meat too soon all the juices will flow out of the meat and give you a dry roast. Instead, let the meat rest for at least 15 minutes if not more.
More lamb recipes
How long will this leg of lamb keep?
If stored properly, a roast leg of lamb will keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. You can also freeze it for up to a month.
Can I use a lamb shoulder instead of a leg?
Absolutely, both the shoulder and leg 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.
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 ever 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 to note is to make sure you insert the thermometer needle in the middle deepest part of the thick meat.
Printable Recipe
Roast Leg of Lamb with Red Wine Gravy
Print Pin Rate Share by Email Share on FB Save GrowCalories: 366kcal
Adjust Servings Here: 16 servings
Description
This roast leg of lamb is marinated with garlic and fresh herbs, roasted alongside baby potatoes and finished with a delicious red wine gravy. The perfect dish to make for the weekend or when entertaining family and friends.
Ingredients
A Leg of lamb with bone is usually between 4 to 6 lbs (2 to 3 kgs)
- 5 lbs (2.5 kg) Leg of lamb (with bone, trim excess fat)
Marinade
- 6 - 8 cloves Garlic (finely chopped)
- 2 sprigs Rosemary fresh (finely chopped )
- 4 sprigs Thyme fresh (finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon Dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon Coarse salt
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 4 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 4 tbsp Olive oil
For the roasting pan
- 4 sprigs Thyme and rosemary (each)
- 2 sprigs Rosemary
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- 2 lb (1 kg) Baby roasting potatoes (2 lbs)
For the gravy
- 1 tablespoon All-purpose flour
- ½ cup (120 ml) Red wine (or stock/water)
Instructions
- Lamb - Trim excess fat from the leg of lamb and pat it dry. Season with salt and pepper.Pro tip - The marinade will slide off the meat when cooking if the meat is wet. So pat dry thoroughly.5 lbs Leg of lamb
- Marinade - In a small bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients and set aside.6 - 8 cloves Garlic, 2 sprigs Rosemary fresh, 4 sprigs Thyme fresh, 1 tablespoon Dried oregano, 1 tablespoon Coarse salt, 1 teaspoon Black Pepper powder, 1 teaspoon Paprika, 4 tablespoon Lemon juice, 4 tablespoon Olive oil
- Marinate - Rub the marinade with your hands over the lamb making sure to get all the sides as well. Leave to marinate for two hours on the counter or up to overnight in the fridge. Thaw an hour before cooking. Pro tip - for overnight marinade do not use aluminum or metal to store the meat. The acid in the marinade can react with the metal and cause oxidization.
- Oven - Preheat the oven to 400°F/ 200°C/ Gas Mark 6
- Roasting pan - Place the leg of lamb in the roasting pan surrounded by the baby potatoes. Season with more salt and pepper. Add the fresh rosemary and thyme sprigs among the potatoes Pro tip - if you are not using the potatoes, place the lamb on a roasting rack.4 sprigs Thyme and rosemary, 2 sprigs Rosemary, 2 tablespoon Olive oil, 2 lb Baby roasting potatoes
- Thermometer - Insert the meat thermometer in the thickest part of the meat making sure not to touch the bone. Pro tip - I set my meat thermometer to 135°F for medium-rare. When the meat reaches the desired temperature the bell rings.
- Roast - Place the roasting rack in the oven on the middle rack and reduce the oven temperature to 325°F/165°C/ Gas Mark 3
- Time - I cook my lamb medium-rare, about 135°F using a meat thermometer. This roast took about 70 minutes. If you don't own a thermometer 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.Medium well - between 145 F to 150 F, approximately 25 minutes per pound.Well Done is between 155 to 165 F, approximately 30 minutes per pound.
- Rest - Take the roast out of the oven and loosely tent it with aluminum foil. Let rest for at least 15 minutes while you make the gravy.
- Pan - Transfer the meat and potatoes to a serving platter so you can use the roasting pan to make the gravy. Pro tip - if you can't use the roasting pan, pour the pan juices into a frying pan to make the gravy.
- Gravy - Place the roasting pan on medium-low heat. Add red wine or stock and deglaze the pan by scraping with the edge of a spatula. Then, add the flour and continue to deglaze while the flour thickens the gravy. Pro tip - If necessary add a little water to ensure it is not too dry.1 tablespoon All-purpose flour, ½ cup Red wine
- Strain - Strain the gravy through a sieve of mesh to remove all the excess bits and pieces from the roasting pan. Pro tip - straining will give a wonderfully smooth gravy. You can also add 2 tablespoon of butter to enhance the flavor.
- Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- You want to choose a well-marbled piece of meat with a decent amount of fat on top. The fattier the meat the more juicy and flavorful the roast.
- Always thaw the lamb before cooking - a few hours at least 2 to 3 hours. Cooking chilled meat can result in uneven baking causing the outer parts of the meat to overcook.
- A leg is a large chunk of meat and not much exposed. So, make sure to over season the meat, because only some of it will penetrate the meat. The rest of it will get crusted on.
- Use a roasting rack, don't just place the meat on the baking tray. The roasting rack will let the juices flow below and let the outside of the leg forms a crust almost a sear that keeps all the juices in.
- Elevate the bone from the base if possible. This encourages even cooking by circulating the air.
- Cook the meat just until you reach the desired doneness, not a minute more. The meat continues to cook to about 5 to 10 degrees more after you take it out of the oven.
- If you are entertaining and want to ensure you have the perfect roast. Remove the lamb at about 135 F - this will be perfectly pink and about 140 F by the time you serve.
- Don't open the oven door too often to check doneness. Instead, calculate the cooking time and check closer to the time.
- Don't poke too many holes in the meat while checking for doneness. The moment you poke a hole in the meat you will see juices flow out. You want these to stay in so don't make too many holes. I poke the thermometer just once and leave it there until it reaches the desired temperature.
- Let the meat rest after cooking. If you cut the meat too soon all the juices will flow out of the meat and give you a dry roast. Instead, let the meat rest for at least 15 minutes if not more.
Cooking temperatures
I cook my lamb medium-rare, about 135 F using a meat thermometer. But, if you don't own a thermometer 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.
- Medium well - between 145 F to 150 F, approximately 25 minutes per pound.
- Well Done is between 155 to 165 F, approximately 30 minutes per pound.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 227- gCalories: 366- kcalCarbohydrates: 15.4- gProtein: 24.6- gFat: 22.5- gSaturated Fat: 9.6- gPolyunsaturated Fat: 12.9- gMonounsaturated Fat: 0- gTrans Fat: 0- gCholesterol: 83- mgSodium: 687- mgPotassium: 0- mgFiber: 2.2- gSugar: 1.7- gVitamin A: 0- IUVitamin C: 0- mgCalcium: 0- mgIron: 0- mg
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
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swathi
I like that your roasted the lamb with wine and herbs. I always thought we can cook lamb only with spices .But this recipe changed my opinion. Delicious.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Swathi. I love lamb and wine together.
Michelle
I love a good roasted leg of lamb. Lamb definitely signifies that it's holiday season for me, it usually what my family eats for most holiday meals
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Michelle. Us too we love lamb on festive occasions.
Catherine
Oh Veena, your herb crusted lamb looks and sounds magnificent! I haven't prepared one since last season and I know my family would absolutely love this!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Catherine. You must try this recipe. So simpple.
Jenni LeBaron
This looks delicious. I bet it was devoured at your Passover celebration. I also agree that adding a little red wine directly to the gravy is a good call!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Jenni. yes, it was very much enjoyed.