Learn how to cook perfect Boneless Leg of Lamb Recipe every time! Herb crusted and garlic stuffed, this is an easy lamb roast anyone can make!

If you have bone-in leg of lamb, use this leg of lamb recipe. We also absolutely love our braised lamb shanks!

Boneless leg of lamb roast in a dutch oven.

My favorite way to celebrate anything is with this boneless leg of lamb recipe. I love roasting it because it’s so easy to make but looks grande on the table!

I created this recipe about 15 years ago. I make it for Easter dinner, Holidays or whenever I need to leave a lasting impression. Works every time!

Why You Will Love This Recipe

  • Easy to make: Boneless leg of lamb is actually the easiest red meat to roast. Lamb is expensive, so I understand your fear of “screwing it up”. You will not!
  • Tender juicy meat: Thanks to the precise cook times for your preferred level of doneness.
  • Garlic lovers’ dream: Stuffed with over 30 slivers of fresh garlic.
  • Foolproof recipe: This lamb recipe is 15 years old, tried and tested on our family.
  • Video: If you are more of a visual learner, video instructions will be helpful.

Ingredients You’ll Need

To make this recipe you will need 6 simple ingredients you more likely have on hand right now. General rule of thumb is to plan about 1/2 pound of roasted lamb per person.

Boneless leg of lamb, oil, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper.
  • Boneless leg of lamb: It is a leg of lamb where bone has been removed and meat rolled, tied or netted into a shape of oval roast. You can find it in many grocery stores fresh or frozen, or in a butcher shop.
  • Garlic: Juicy, fresh and plump garlic cloves make all the difference. I don’t recommend to use garlic powder.
  • Dried rosemary: Dried rosemary is more convenient. However, you can use fresh rosemary if you wish and it will yield even more flavor. Or a mixture of both.
  • Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil goes well with lamb naturally. But you can also use avocado oil or grapeseed oil.
  • Salt and black pepper: To season and taste.

How to Cook Boneless Leg of Lamb

Here is a step-by-step process how to roast a boneless leg of lamb. Full recipe card is located below.

1. Season with garlic and rosemary

Person showing how to stuff boneless leg of lamb roast with garlic and season with olive oil and rosemary.
  • Prep: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F while you are preparing the roast. Cut garlic into thin slivers.
  • Make holes in the roast: In a medium roasting pan or Dutch oven (no need for a rack but you can use one), place deboned leg of lamb roast and make about 20-30 inserts with a paring knife.
  • Stuff with garlic: Stick garlic slice into each opening until you run out of garlic.
  • Season with spices on both sides: Rub the roast with oil all around. Then sprinkle one side with half of rosemary, salt and pepper. Turn around and repeat on another side.

Fat Tip

Fat side up or down? Like with any roast, the best practice is to cook meat with fat side up, so it keeps it moist and juices locked in inside. It acts like a blanket.

2. Roast uncovered

Boneless leg of lamb roast seasoned cooking in Dutch oven and then meat thermometer inserted in it.

Bake lamb roast uncovered according the schedule below until desired doneness when checked with a quality meat thermometer.

Meat will keep “cooking” as it rests. Please keep in mind internal temperature will rise while meat is resting after baking in the oven.

3. Let meat rest and carve

Person showing how to remove casing and slice the lamb roast.
  • Important to let meat rest: Remove boneless leg of lamb roast from the oven and let rest uncovered for 15 minutes. Do not skip!
  • Remove casing: Transfer lamb roast on a cutting board. Using a sharp carving knife, remove the casing. I highly recommend to sharpen the knife before slicing, helps a lot not to destroy the roast.
  • Carving roast: Slice into 1/4 inch slices against the grain. Thin slices of lamb taste better than thick ones.

4. Roast potatoes in fat drippings (optional but so good)

Lamb is extremely fatty meat. You will see a lot of fat and drippings at the bottom of roasting pan. Take advantage of it to make lamb and potatoes (and other veggies), so good!

Roasted baby potatoes, carrots and mushrooms in dutch oven with metal spoon.
  • Remove some fat and drippings: Scoop out 1 cup of drippings as it is just too much and roasted vegetables will come out too greasy. Not healthy and there is enough flavor in remaining juice and fat.
  • Add veggies and seasonings: I added about 2 pounds baby potatoes, 2 carrots, 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder, 3/4 tsp salt and ground black pepper to taste. Then stir to coat.
  • Bake: At 450 degrees F for about 35 minutes or until fork tender. You can prep the veggies and seasonings while lamb is cooking, so after just pop them in without even turning off the oven.

Recipe Tip

Do not drain fat into your sink to avoid clogged pipes. Instead, let it solidify for a few hours in a cup before discarding in the garbage.

How Long to Cook Boneless Leg of Lamb?

Here is a handy boneless leg of lamb roasting times chart. Always check with a good internal meat thermometer. Cooking times are listed per 1 pound of meat.

Desired lamb donenessInternal TemperatureTime
Medium rare130F – 135F16 minutes/lb
Medium well140F – 145F18 minutes/lb
Well done150F – 155F20 minutes/lb

All ovens vary due to age, electric vs. gas etc. Not to mention convection oven cooks food faster. So check earlier than later!

My best advice is for 4-5 pounds roast to check internal temperature after 1 hour and go from there. For 2-3 pounds roast, check after 45 minutes. It all comes down to checking often after a certain period of time.

Tips for Foolproof Results

Here are the tips on how to cook perfect lamb roast every time!

  • Plan ahead: Roasting boneless leg of lamb in the oven is easy! It just needs enough cooking time. I recommend to plan ahead with this recipe. Just make sure you understand your dinner will be on the table in 2 hours if you roast lamb. I speak from my own experience.
  • Don’t remove the casing before cooking: Under any circumstances keep netting or rope on. It is what is holding pieces of meat together. If you remove it, meat will fall apart.
  • Bake roast uncovered: You need meat to brown on the outside, not steam. If you cover it with a lid or aluminum foil, roast will steam instead of roasting.
  • Adjust for your oven: All ovens vary, I can’t stress this enough! If your oven runs hotter or takes longer to cook, adjust cook time accordingly to avoid overcooked or undercooked lamb. Rule of thumb is to start checking with instant-read thermometer 1/2 hour before end of cook time as per recipe.
  • If you use a convection oven method: It cooks food faster than regular oven. To cook any recipe in a convection oven, follow this easy formula: reduce the temperature by 25 degrees F or reduce the cook time by 25%. Today some ovens even offer convection conversion completely eliminating any guesswork!
Sliced boneless leg of lamb roast on a cutting board.

What to Serve with Leg of Lamb?

Serve sliced boneless leg of lamb on its own, or drizzled with freshly squeezed lemon juice or fresh mint jelly. We usually have lemon on hand at all times, so it rounds up meat flavors nicely.

How to Store and Make Ahead

Store: Refrigerate leftovers whole as a roast or sliced in an airtight container for up to 5 days. It tastes so good cold!

Freeze: Freeze leftover lamb sliced or cut into bite sized pieces in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator and then use as a protein in a salad for lunch, sandwich on-the-go or for lamb tacos!

Make ahead: To save time during a busy day of cooking of a holiday, you can stuff and season roast, cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. Then let it come to room temperature and roast as per recipe.

FAQs

Do I have to marinate this boneless leg of lamb?

No. Lamb is tender meat. You just need to season it properly. My absolute favorite classic seasonings are garlic and rosemary. Maybe a squeeze of lemon at the end. So, no lamb marinade recipe to follow.

Should leg of lamb be cooked covered or uncovered?

This leg of lamb recipe should be cooked uncovered.

What oven temperature should it be?

We cook this boneless leg of lamb roast at 425 F for the entire roasting time. It might seem high but trust me I have tested this recipe well. If you cook it at 300s F, roast will take hours and hours to cook through. It is quite thick piece of meat.

What is the cooking time for lamb per pound?

Lamb roast cooking time per pound depends on how well you like it done. For medium-rare cook for 16 minutes per pound, for medium-well cook for 18 minutes per pound, and for well-done it’s 16 minutes per pound.

What internal temperature should it be cooked to?

Internal temperature of lamb for medium-rare is 130-135F, for medium-well is 140-145F, and for well-done it’s 150-155F. But keep in mind that temperature will rise a bit more during rest time, so I recommend to remove lamb 5-10 F below your desired doneness.

More Roast Recipes to Try

More Lamb Recipes

Closeup of sliced stuffed with garlic boneless leg of lamb.
boneless lamb roast

Boneless Leg of Lamb Recipe

How to cook perfect Boneless Leg of Lamb Recipe every time. Herb crusted and garlic stuffed, this is easy lamb roast recipe anyone can make!
4.99 from 178 votes
Servings 8
Calories 175
Diet Gluten Free
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Equipment

Ingredients  

Boneless Leg of Lamb Roast

Roasted Potatoes After (Optional)

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  • In a medium roasting pan or Dutch oven, place boneless leg of lamb roast and make 20-30 inserts with a paring knife. Stick garlic slice into each opening until you run out of garlic.
  • Rub roast with oil all around. Then sprinkle one side with half of rosemary, salt and pepper. Turn around and repeat on another side.
  • Bake uncovered according until desired doneness. Remember meat will keep "cooking" as it rests.
    °Medium Rare: 130 – 135 degrees F internal temperature – about 16 minutes/lb.
    °Medium Well: 140 – 145 F internal temperature – about 18 minutes/lb.
    °Well-Done: 150 – 155 F internal temperature – about 20 minutes/lb.
  • My best advice for 4-5 lbs roast is to check internal temperature after 1 hour and go from there. For 2-3 lbs roast, check after 45 minutes. It all comes down to checking often after a certain period of time towards the end.
  • Remove lamb roast from the oven and let rest uncovered for 15 minutes.
  • Using  a sharp knife, remove the casing and discard it.
  • Slice lamb into 1/4 inch slices against the grain. Serve warm at a celebration table or use cold leftovers in sandwiches or salads.

Roast Potatoes in Fat Drippings (Optional)

  • Scoop out 1 cup of fat and drippings from the pan and leave in the rest.
  • Add potatoes, carrots, garlic powder, salt and pepper and stir well.
  • Bake at 450 degrees F for about 35 minutes or until fork tender. You can prep the veggies and seasonings while lamb is cooking, so after just pop them in without even turning off the oven.

Video

Notes

  • Make ahead: To save time during a busy day of cooking of a holiday, you can stuff and season roast, cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. Then let it come to room temperature and roast as per recipe.
  • Store: Refrigerate roast whole or sliced in an airtight container for up to 5 days. It tastes so good cold.
  • Freeze: Freeze leftovers sliced or cut into bite sized pieces in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator.
  • Don’t remove the casing before cooking: Under any circumstances keep netting or rope on. It is what is holding pieces of meat together. If you remove it, meat will fall apart.
  • Adjust for your oven: All ovens vary. Rule of thumb is to start checking with internal meat thermometer 1/2 hour before end of cook time as per recipe.
  • Meat will keep “cooking” as it rests: Please keep in mind internal temperature will rise while meat is resting after baking in the oven.

Nutrition

Calories: 175kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 362mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: North American
Author: Olena Osipov
Did you make this recipe?Mention @ifoodreal or tag #ifoodreal!

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About Olena

Welcome! I grew up in Ukraine watching my grandma cook with simple ingredients. I have spent the last 11 years making it my mission to help you cook quick and easy meals for your family!

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I had such bad anxiety going into making this but the FAQ and notes helped so much to make this turn out amazing.

    Thank you for being so thorough in your suggestions!!

  2. 5 stars
    This was soooooo epic! I actually used left overs from the previous recipe of the lamb boneless leg with roasted vegetables. I used a Grifone Sangiovese from Trader joes as the red wine, the left over rosemary from the previous night, a couple splashes of Jugo because i didn’t have enough beef broth and lastly a tablespoon of corn starch mixed in a little cold water to thicken. Since using left overs it was ready in 20min. served with toasted pumpernickle. Thank you so much for a fool proof recipe! I have added it to my fall/winter meal staples.

  3. 5 stars
    Made it for New Year’s Eve dinner.
    3.3 lbs. New Zealand lamb from Sam’s club.
    Roasted for 55 minutes. Perfect! Have plenty of leftovers for the two of us! Served with Brussels sprouts and roasted sweet potatoes. Very good.

  4. 5 stars
    Excellent recipe very simple, only added thing I do with lamb is squeeze 1 lemon and I always use fresh rosemary/thyme/ garlic rub it all over the roast and let it marinade in refrigerator covered for about 6 hours also imbed garlic like you do.

  5. Would it make sense to sear the bottom side of the Leg (not the fatty side) before roasting? Or heat the roasting pan before placing the leg in it?

    1. Personally I don’t think it makes a difference because we’re roasting the leg uncovered, so it does get a chance to get browned and crispy. It will also change roasting time a little bit.

  6. 425F seems a bot hot for this roast.

    I am going to try at 350F (180C) and use a thermometer to aim for a medium rare doneness.

  7. I don’t have a meat thermometer: Are the minutes per pound pretty accurate? My roast is 3.91 lbs. I would rather undercook to begin with than overcook. Over is brand new and temps are accurate. How can I check doneness without cutter the whole roast open. Sorry for the run on! Thanks for your help. It looks so good.
    DeDe

    1. Hi Diane. The times per pound are pretty accurate but again all ovens vary, even brand new ones. I have 2 brand new ovens in the studio and in the house kitchen and they do bake differently. So it’s best to undercook the roast a bit and check with a knife for doneness. You are on the right track of thought. Good luck!

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