Learn how to roast 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 meat with bone-in, use this leg of lamb recipe. We also absolutely love our braised lamb shanks and lamb stew!
Table of Contents
- Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Ingredients for Boneless Leg of Lamb
- How to Roast Boneless Leg of Lamb
- How Long to Cook Boneless Leg of Lamb?
- Tips for Best Results
- What to Serve with Leg of Lamb?
- How to Store and Make Ahead
- FAQs
- More Roast Recipes to Try
- More Lamb Recipes
- Roasted Boneless Leg of Lamb Recipe Recipe
My favorite way to celebrate anything is with this boneless leg of lamb recipe. I love roasting it because it’s so easy to do 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 recipe: 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.
- It’s for garlic all lovers: Stuffed with over 30 slivers of fresh garlic.
- Foolproof results: This lamb recipe is 15 years old, tried and tested on our family.
- Recipe with a video: If you are more of a visual learner, video instructions will be helpful.
Ingredients for Boneless Leg of Lamb
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: 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: Fresh 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 Roast Boneless Leg of Lamb
- 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.
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.
- Important to let meat rest: Remove 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.
To 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!
- 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 roasting times chart. Always check with a good internal meat thermometer. Cooking times are listed per 1 pound of meat.
| Desired lamb doneness | Internal Temperature | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Medium rare | 130F – 135F | 16 minutes/lb |
| Medium well | 140F – 145F | 18 minutes/lb |
| Well done | 150F – 155F | 20 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 Best Results
- 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!
What to Serve with Leg of Lamb?
Serve sliced lamb meat 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.
- Sauces: Aside mint jelly and traditional gravy, chimichurri sauce adds bright tangy flavor to roasted lamb.
- Potatoes: Lamb roast would be delicious with healthy mashed potatoes, Instant Pot mashed potatoes, sweet potato mash, crispy Parmesan potatoes or this genius cauliflower mashed potatoes.
- Salads: Look for salads that are bright and colorful like traditional Greek salad, spinach avocado salad, tomato cucumber feta salad or this spinach salad recipe.
- Vegetables: Garlic green beans and baked asparagus are just classics. Also sauteed broccoli would be very nice!
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
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.
This leg of lamb recipe should be cooked uncovered.
Yes, you can cook 2 lamb roasts at same time if both of them fit into your Dutch oven or roasting pan in a single layer. Also you can use 2 separate Dutch ovens at same time as long as they fit on the same bottom shelf of your oven.
More Roast Recipes to Try
More Lamb Recipes
- Pan seared lamb chops
- Air fryer lamb chops
- Lamb loin chops recipe
- Grilled lamb kofta kebabs
- Garlic butter lamb chops
Roasted Boneless Leg of Lamb Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Boneless Leg of Lamb Roast
- 4-5 pounds boneless leg of lamb
- 5-7 large garlic cloves cut into slivers
- 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 2 tablespoons rosemary dried
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
Roasted Potatoes After (Optional)
- 2 pounds potatoes cubed
- 2 large carrots sliced
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- Ground black pepper
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.
Is there a specific size the dutch oven needs to be for a 4.5 pound of boneless leg of lamb? I have a 6 quart.
It will fit.
This was delicious! I was worried because I had never cooked lamb before, but the recipe was easy and came out perfectly. Thank you!
It doesn’t make sense to roast vegetables separately. You want to eat your lamb after it rests not 40min. later when your vegetables are done. Calculate the cook time on your vegetables and add them later if the total time to cook your meat is too long for them. I buy small boneless leg pieces that are 2-3 pounds so I put everything in together at the beginning. Perfect for small cut potatoes!
I have had lamb I liked and lamb that was too “gamey” I bought a boneless lamb roast from publix. Should/can I do a buttermilk bath overnight to pull some gamey flavor out of it?
I would not recommend it because buttermilk is acidic and it will start actually cooking your lamb. I think lamb is a just a gamey meat, you either like it or not. It does have unique taste.
Just curious as to why the lamb is roasted rolled up and secured with twine as opposed to opening it up and roasting it flat out (unrolled) inside of a big enough roasting pan ? I would definitely like for my lamb to come out well done. It seems like with it rolled up the inside ends up very pink (not to my liking).
Please advise me how to get it well done and still moist please and thank you 🙂
*** Love your idea with the garlic ! ***
There are instructions in the recipe how to make roast to well done condition. You just have to cook it a bit longer, no need to unroll. Honestly I have never seen a roast unrolled and roasted. When you unroll the lamb roast it becomes odd shaped long pieces of meat that do not look very appetizing. I know majority of people, including me, prefer the roast but you can definitely try to unroll it and cook for less time. You do not want to overcook the lamb to make it tough.
Thank you very much Olena… I cooked the lamb as you instructed… rolled up and cooked for the
well-done amount of time indicated in your recipe (very helpful tips). This lamb came out soooooooo well cooked (the way I like it, tan colored, not pink) still super moist and soft. After slicing it, I took several pieces and placed them in a dish under the broiler while they bathed in their juices… it was absolutely delectable! Rolled from now on and forever 😀
This recipe is an absolute winner!
Fantastic! I am happy you are happy!
I want to try this recipe but I only have a 1 1/2 pound boneless roast.
Any thoughts on how long I should cook it?
Yes. Just follow the recommended cooking time per pound listed in the post and in the recipe card.
I just tried this recipe. I am very happy with it and will make it again. So easy.
So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
Very nice recipe chef 👍👌👏. HAPPY EASTER 🐣🐰. Thank you for your effort 🌞😎
Not covering it makes a great mess in oven. I made this for my gf and she asked me to cover 3 times I said. It’s not what it says…
It turned out good but…damm I looked like an idiot.
You should not cover this lamb roast because it will come out over cooked and not roasted. To avoid mess in the oven use a Dutch oven or roasting pan with high walls. No mess.
Can I roast it over the vegetables? Why do you have to do it on two separate steps?
Thank you 🙏🏻
I don’t recommend it. vegetables will burn and overcook. It’s a very long roasting time for the veggies.
Had for Christmas dinner and WOW…this was the BEST lamb we ever had! Loved it!!!
As a big fan of Costco foods this was a perfect match for us.
Simple to follow instructions but the “Notes and tips” made it easy to not screw it up :).
So nice to put together a great meal for your family and not stress over the outcome, especially for a important holiday meal when you want everything to come out perfect.
Have subscribed and look forward to more “notes/tips/recipes” in my inbox!
Many thanks!
Fantastic! Glad you enjoyed the recipe, Trisha!
This was the most delicious leg of lamb I ever made. I followed the recipe exactly and it was perfect. Medium rare in the center and medium on the ends. Can’t wait until I make it again!!
So happy to hear, Amy!