Leg of Lamb

Pull apart tender leg of lamb is an impressive holiday or special occasion dinner, and it’s a lot easier to prepare than you might think. 

Why this recipe works

A juicy leg of lamb recipe is key to a grand holiday dinner. We keep it nice and simple when making lamb roast. A few shakes of smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar, and salt mixed with olive oil to make a wet rub does the trick and allows the lamb to speak for itself. Mix, rub, and cook is the jist of it and you’ll be left with an impressively tender slow roasted lamb leg after about 3 and a half hours in the oven.

Because the leg of a lamb is a well-exerted cut of meat, it benefits from slow roasting whereas something like lamb loin chops can be seared, grilled, or cooked quicker in the oven. Some things are worth waiting for, this lamb leg is certainly one of them.

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

LAMB – You can find lamb leg roast at most grocery stores at the meat counter. We chose boneless lamb leg roast, but you can use bone-in if you prefer. Boneless leg of lamb roasts will come wrapped in netting, which is typically oven safe but always check to make sure before putting it in the oven. The netting holds the deboned meat in place as it cooks. You can wrap it with butchers twine if your netting is not oven-safe. If you opt for bone-in, it’s helpful to ask the butcher to trim the fat for you.

SEASONINGS – Smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar, and salt come together with olive oil to make a simple wet rub. Feel free to adjust your seasonings and spices to your preference. Fresh herbs or garlic are always a welcome addition!

How to Make Leg of Lamb

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

1. Preheat oven to 325 F.
2. Combine all of the seasonings with the olive oil in a small bowl to form a wet paste. Rub the paste all over the meat.
3. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place a wire rack over the foil lined baking sheet.
4. Place the seasoned roast onto the wire rack and wrap the pan tightly with foil.
5. Place in the oven and bake for 3 1/2 – 4 hours.
6. Remove from the oven and allow to rest, do not remove foil, for 20-30 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

Serving Suggestions

Serve lamb roast with a side of mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes along with roasted vegetables such as carrots, asparagus, green beans, or Brussels sprouts. It also pairs really well with both carrot souffle and sweet potato souffle. Enjoy!

More Lamb Recipes

• Lamb Chops
• Lamb Meatballs
• Broiled Lamb Chops
• Fried Lamb Chops

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Leg of Lamb

A few shakes of smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar, and salt mixed with olive oil to make a wet rub does the trick and allows the leg of lamb to speak for itself. Mix, rub, and roast – that's it!

5 from 3 votes

IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!

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Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6 servings

4 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Calories: 192

Author: Amanda Davis

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 ½ pound boneless leg of lamb roast
• ▢ ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 ½ Tablespoons olive oil

Things You’ll Need

• ▢
  Baking sheet
• ▢
  Wire cooling rack
• ▢
  Vinyl gloves

Before You Begin

• You can find lamb leg roast at most grocery stores at the meat counter. We chose boneless lamb leg roast, but you can use bone-in if you prefer.
• Boneless leg of lamb roasts will come wrapped in netting, which is typically oven safe but always check to make sure before putting it in the oven. The netting holds the deboned meat in place as it cooks. You can wrap it with butchers twine if your netting is not oven-safe. 

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325 F.
• Combine all of the seasonings with the olive oil in a small bowl to form a wet paste. Rub the paste all over the meat.
• Line a baking sheet with foil. Place a wire rack over the foil lined baking sheet.
• Place the seasoned roast onto the wire rack and wrap the pan tightly with foil.
• Place in the oven and bake for 3 1/2 – 4 hours.
• Remove from the oven and allow to rest, do not remove foil, for 20-30 minutes.

Expert Tips & FAQs

• Store any cooled leftovers in an air tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350F oven until warmed through.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 192cal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 463mg | Potassium: 359mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 82IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 2mg

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