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
About this recipe
This leg of lamb is marinated with wonderful 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.
I cook my lamb medium-rare, about 135 F using a meat thermometer. But, you can also cook 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.
- or 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, approximately 30 minutes per pound.
I love to serve my roast lamb with roast potatoes or mashed potatoes. My kid's favorite is my rice pilaf with dried fruit and nuts. I love a side of salad such as my
Cherry Tomato Mozzarella Salad, Cabbage Salad, Easy Celery Salad, Carrot Salad
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 tbsp 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.
Step by step instructions (pin)
Marinate
- Chop some fresh herbs - rosemary, thyme, and oregano - about 2 tbsp each.
- In a mixing bowl, combine chopped fresh herbs, sliced garlic, paprika, lemon juice, and olive oil - Set aside.
- Wash clean and pat dry the leg of lamb. Season with salt and pepper.
- Rub the marinade with your hands all over the lamb.
- Leave to marinate for two hours up to overnight in the fridge.
- An hour before cooking - take it out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature.
Roast
- Preheat the oven at 390 F or 200 C for 20 minutes.
- Place the leg of lamb in the roasting pan surrounded by baby potatoes.
- Season with salt and pepper. Add some sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme.
- Insert the meat thermometer in the thickest part of the meat, but without touching the bone.
- Place in the preheated oven on the middle rack.
- Immediately, reduce oven temperature to 320 F or 160 C.
- For medium-rare, roast until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 130 F to 135 F, which usually takes between 60 to 70 minutes.
- When the thermometer reaches your desired temperature, remove the lamb out of the oven.
- Loosely tent it with aluminum foil and let rest for at least 15 minutes before you cut into it.
Gravy
- Transfer the meat and potatoes to a serving platter.
- Place the roasting pan on medium-low heat.
- Add wine (or stock/water), and deglaze the pan by scraping with a spatula.
- Gather as much of the flavor as you can - add one tbsp flour and cook until the gravy is thick.
- If necessary, add more water, so it's not too thick. Cook for another minute.
- Strain the gravy through a sieve and pour into a gravy boat.
- Enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
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.
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.
Leftover roast meat works great in sandwiches and wraps. But, I also use leftover lamb in my chicken pot pie or shepherd's pie.
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.
Almost any vegetable works great on the side. Try
quick garlic sesame asparagus or garlic Parmesan asparagus, Swiss chard patties, sesame green beans, oven-baked butternut squash, oven-baked carrot sticks
If you like this recipe you may also like this
- Roast leg of lamb
- Garlic butter leg of lamb or Leg of lamb with veggies
- Lamb Shoulder in red wine
- Standing prime rib roast
- Grilled Lamb chops or Lamb chops with balsamic glaze
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You may also like
- Boneless leg of lamb
- Herb Crusted Roast Let of Lamb
- Roast lamb shoulder in red wine sauce
- Braised lamb in red wine
Printable Recipe
Roast Leg of Lamb
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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
Marinade
- 4 cloves Garlic (thinly sliced)
- 2 sprigs Rosemary fresh
- 4 sprigs Thyme fresh
- 2 sprigs Oregano
- 1 tbsp Coarse salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 4 tbsp Lemon juice
- 4 tbsp Olive oil
Extra
- 4 sprigs Thyme and rosemary each
- 2 sprigs Rosemary
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 lb (1 kg) Baby roasting potatoes 2 lbs
For the gravy
- 1 tbsp All-purpose flour
- ½ cup (120 ml) Red wine or stock/water
Instructions
Marinade
- Chop some fresh herbs - rosemary, thyme, and oregano - about 2 tbsp each.
- In a mixing bowl, combine chopped fresh herbs, sliced garlic, paprika, lemon juice, and olive oil - Set aside.
Marinate the lamb
- Wash clean and pat dry the leg of lamb. Season with salt and pepper.
- Rub the marinade with your hands all over the lamb.
- Leave to marinate for two hours up to overnight in the fridge.
- An hour before cooking - take it out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature.
Roast the leg of lamb
- Preheat the oven at 390 F or 200 C for 20 minutes.
- Place the leg of lamb in the roasting pan surrounded by the baby potatoes. (if you are not using the potatoes, place the lamb on a roasting rack).
- Season with salt and pepper. Add some sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme.
- Insert the meat thermometer in the thickest part of the meat, but without touching the bone.
- Place in the preheated oven on the middle rack.
- Immediately, reduce oven temperature to 320 F or 160 C.
- For medium-rare, roast until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 130 F to 135 F, which usually takes between 60 to 70 minutes.
- When the thermometer reaches your desired temperature, remove the lamb out of the oven.
- Loosely tent it with aluminum foil and let rest for at least 15 minutes before you cut into it.
Make the gravy
- Transfer the meat and potatoes to a serving platter.
- Place the roasting pan on medium-low heat.
- Add wine (or stock/water) and deglaze the pan by scraping with a spatula.
- Gather as much of the flavor as you can - add one tbsp flour and cook until the gravy is thick.
- If necessary, add more water, so it's not too thick. Cook for another minute.
- Strain the gravy through a sieve and pour into a gravy boat.
- Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
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- 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
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
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.