This roast leg of lamb is marinated with Morrocan spice ras el hanout and is slow-roasted in the oven for almost 4 hours until fork tender. We use both dry rub and a wet marinade to pack as much flavor into the meat as possible
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Have you ever been intimidated by the idea of cooking lamb? especially large cuts such as a leg or shoulder of lamb? Well, this recipe is the perfect method to cook fork-tender meat for any novice or lazy cook.
Have you heard about the famous Morrocan Mechoui? It is a traditional way of cooking lamb or sheep in Moroccan cuisine. The word 'mechoui' means 'roasted' in Moroccan Arabic. A whole lamb or sheep is seasoned with spices and herbs and slow-roasted over a charcoal fire or traditional oven called 'farran' until tender and juicy.
This recipe is inspired by Moroccan 'Mechoui' but with a leg of lamb instead of the whole lamb and in a home oven instead of the 'farran'. We start with meat that is generously packed with seasoning and marinade. Then we slowly roast it in the oven for 4 hours until the meat is fork tender. Finally, we give it some high heat for that crust and color. The result is a show-stopper that your family and friends will think you are a pro.
Why make this recipe
- This leg of lamb is marinated with an aromatic spice called ras el hanout and herbs, including rosemary, and thyme. In addition, the garlic and ginger add a punch of flavor while the paprika also adds a bit of color.
- Most of the ingredients used in this recipe are simple and easy to find.
- We use a slow roasting method which means you don't have to worry about cooking the meat to a certain degree to get rare or medium meat and have no fear of overcooking it either.
- You can serve the whole leg of lamb on the platter as a centerpiece which makes an impressive presentation for special occasions such as Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas.
- 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.
- Dry rub - 10 mins
- Prepare marinade - 10 mins
- Marinate the lamb - 2 hours up to 12 hours (overnight in the fridge)
- Roast the lamb - 31/2 to 4 hours
- Rest - 15 mins
Ingredients and substitutes
- Lamb -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. Another great cut of meat to use for this recipe would be Lamb Shoulder. 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 such as potatoes, carrots, and parsnips. Today, I am only using onions, shallots, garlic, and lemon for the pan to prop the meat up and encourage circulation.
- 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.
- Ras el hanout - this is a popular Moroccan spice mix that is made with a few other spices. It is easily available in most supermarkets. But, you can also make it yourself (recipe below) and you probably already have the spices you need in your kitchen.
Roast leg of lamb
- Lamb - Trim excess fat from the leg of lamb and pat it dry.
Pro tip - The marinade will slide off the meat when cooking if the meat is wet. So pat dry thoroughly.
- Dry rub - In a small bowl, combine all the dry rub ingredients. Then, generously apply it to the leg of lamb on all sides. Leave to marinate on the counter for an hour or up to overnight in the fridge.
Pro tip - be generous and make sure to rub the spices into the meat with your hands.
- Marinade - In a mortar and pestle, combine all the marinade ingredients until fairly coarse. Apple the marinade onto the lamb coating well on all sides. Leave to marinate on the counter for an hour or overnight in the fridge.
Pro tip - you can marinate the lamb with the dry rub and wet marinade up to overnight. Thaw to room temperature for at least 2 hours before roasting.
- Oven - Preheat the oven to 400°F/ 200°C/ Gas Mark 6
- Roasting pan - Place the veggies in the roasting pan and pour the broth over. Then place the leg of lamb on the veggies and cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil.
Pro tip - Do not pour the broth on the leg of lamb as it will wash down all the marinade. - Slow roast - Transfer the roasting pan to the oven and reduce the oven to 325℉/165℃/Gas Mark. Leave to roast in the oven for 4 hours until fork tender.
- Color - Increase the oven temperature back up to 400°F/ 200°C/ Gas Mark 6. Remove the aluminum foil and baste the lamb generously with the pan juices. Return the leg of lamb back to the oven and roast for another 15 minutes until you have a nice golden color.
Pro tip - Alternatively, you can also set the oven to broil for just 5 to 10 minutes.
- Rest - Take the roast out of the oven and loosely tent it with aluminum foil. Let rest for at least 15 minutes.
- Serve - Transfer the leg of lamb to a large serving platter surrounded by the roasting veggies. Serve the pan juices as gravy along with the lamb.
Pro tip - We left the skin for the shallots and garlic, this makes them soft but still holds their shape. They are absolutely delicious and can be enjoyed. - Enjoy!
Sides to serve with lamb
- Roast potatoes or mashed potatoes.
- Festive rice pilaf with dried fruit and nuts,
- Salad - Cherry Tomato Mozzarella, Cabbage, Celery, Carrot Salad.
- Quick garlic sesame asparagus or garlic Parmesan asparagus,
- Swiss chard patties, sesame green beans,
- oven-baked butternut squash, oven-baked carrot sticks.
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.
- Elevate the bone from the base if possible. This encourages even cooking by circulating the air.
- 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.
- 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
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.
Ras el hanout is a Moroccan spice blend. Its name translates to 'head of the shop' in Arabic and refers to the blend as the best spices that a storekeeper has on offer. The exact measurements oven vary from shop to shop each claiming theirs to be the best. Here's a blend that I love and make for our family.
1 teaspoon each of cinnamon powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, ground ginger, cardamom powder, hot paprika, and sweet paprika.
½ teaspoon each of ground mace, ground nutmeg, black pepper, star anise powder, all spice powder, c
¼ teaspoon of ground cloves, nigella seeds, caraway seeds, and fennel seeds. Often saffron threads and dry rose bud petals are also used.
If you don't have the spice blend 'ras el hanout' you can also use my classic meat spice rub. In a bowl combine all the below spices and rub on chicken, beef, or lamb.
1 teaspoon each of ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, paprika, ground ginger, and black pepper.
½ teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, cardamom powder,
If you want. you can also make a red wine gravy using the pan juices below this leg of lamb,
- Place the roasting pan on medium-low heat. Add ½ cup red wine or stock and deglaze the pan by scraping with the edge of a spatula. Then, add 1 tablespoon of flour and continue to deglaze while the flour thickens the gravy.
- 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 tablespoons of butter to enhance the flavor.
- Braised Lamb Shanks on Stovetop
- Boneless Roast Lamb
- Indian Goat Curry Recipe
- Lamb Shoulder Roast Boneless
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Moroccan Roast Leg of Lamb
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Conversions Used
1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,
Ingredients
A Leg of lamb with bone is usually between 4 to 6 lbs (2 to 3 kgs)
- 5 - 6 lbs (2.5 kg) Leg of lamb (with bone, trim excess fat)
Dry rub
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
- 1 tbsp (120 ml) Black pepper (or stock/water)
- 1 tablespoon Garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Paprika
- 3 tablespoon Ras el hanout
Marinade
- 2 sprigs Rosemary fresh (finely chopped )
- 4 sprigs Thyme fresh (finely chopped)
- 1 large Lemon zest
- 6 - 8 large Fresh garlic cloves (grated)
- 3 inch Fresh ginger (grated)
- 4 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 4 tbsp Olive oil
- 3 tablespoon Honey (or date syrup)
For the roasting pan
- 2 large Onions (halves)
- 2 large Garlic bulbs (halves)
- 1 lb (500 g) Shallots (skin on (optional) )
- 10 - 12 (250 g) Garlic cloves (skin on (optional) I use fresh garlic shallots)
- 2 cups (500 ml) Broth or stock (chicken, beef, or lamb )
Instructions
- Lamb - Trim excess fat from the leg of lamb and pat it dry. Pro tip - The marinade will slide off the meat when cooking if the meat is wet. So pat dry thoroughly.5 - 6 lbs Leg of lamb
- Dry rub - In a small bowl, combine all the dry rub ingredients. Then, generously apply it to the leg of lamb on all sides. Leave to marinate on the counter for an hour or up to overnight in the fridge. Pro tip - be generous and make sure to rub the spices into the meat with your hands.1 tablespoon Kosher salt, 1 tablespoon Black pepper, 1 tablespoon Garlic powder, 1 tablespoon Paprika, 3 tablespoon Ras el hanout
- Marinade - In a mortar and pestle, combine all the marinade ingredients until fairly coarse. Apple the marinade onto the lamb coating well on all sides. Leave to marinate on the counter for an hour or overnight in the fridge. Pro tip - you can marinate the lamb with the dry rub and wet marinade up to overnight. Thaw to room temperature for at least 2 hours before roasting.2 sprigs Rosemary fresh, 4 sprigs Thyme fresh, 1 large Lemon zest, 6 - 8 large Fresh garlic cloves, 3 inch Fresh ginger, 4 tablespoon Lemon juice, 4 tablespoon Olive oil, 3 tablespoon Honey
- Oven - Preheat the oven to 400°F/ 200°C/ Gas Mark 6
- Roasting pan - Place the veggies in the roasting pan and pour the broth over. Then place the leg of lamb on the veggies and cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil. Pro tip - Do not pour the broth on the leg of lamb as it will wash down all the marinade.2 large Onions, 2 large Garlic bulbs, 1 lb Shallots, 10 - 12 Garlic cloves, 2 cups Broth or stock
- Slow roast - Transfer the roasting pan to the oven and reduce the oven to 325℉/165℃/Gas Mark. Leave to roast in the oven for 4 hours until fork tender.
- Color - Increase the oven temperature back up to 400°F/ 200°C/ Gas Mark 6. Remove the aluminum foil and baste the lamb generously with the pan juices. Return the leg of lamb back to the oven and roast for another 15 minutes until you have a nice golden color. Pro tip - Alternatively, you can also set the oven to broil for just 5 to 10 minutes.
- Rest - Take the roast out of the oven and loosely tent it with aluminum foil. Let rest for at least 15 minutes.
- Serve - Transfer the leg of lamb to a large serving platter surrounded by the roasting veggies. Serve the pan juices as gravy along with the lamb. Pro tip - We left the skin for the shallots and garlic, this makes them soft but still holds their shape. They are absolutely delicious and can be enjoyed.
- Enjoy!
Recipe Notes & Tips
- 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 overseason the meat, because only some of it will penetrate the meat. The rest of it will get crusted on.
- Elevate the bone from the base if possible. This encourages even cooking by circulating the air.
- 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.
- 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.
Red wine gravy (optional)
If you want. you can also make a red wine gravy using the pan juices below this leg of lamb,-
Gravy - Place the roasting pan on medium-low heat. Add ½ cup red wine or stock and deglaze the pan by scraping with the edge of a spatula. Then, add 1 tablespoon of flour and continue to deglaze while the flour thickens the gravy.
-
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 tablespoons of butter to enhance the flavor.
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.