I’ve always had a little anxiety about roasts. My mom didn’t make a lot of roasts while I was growing up, so that was one thing that I had to branch out and learn on my own. I’m always pleasantly surprised at how simple they are to prepare. A bone-in leg of lamb is pleasantly easy to prepare: You basically just make your rub, season the roast, and pop it in the oven.
This herbaceous and garlicky lamb roast recipe really is a show-stopper though: When I took it out of the oven, my guests were basically drooling! Seasoned with anchovy filets and paired with its own rich gravy, this was an absolutely beautiful meal. I love sharing something fancy with my guests. Another bonus of making roasts is the leftovers! Leftover lamb with some potatoes and a side salad makes a lovely lunch the next day!
Tips on How to Roast the Perfect Leg of Lamb
Use a Meat Thermometer
A meat thermometer is a necessity when you prepare any type of roasted meat or poultry. You simply cannot guess what the internal temperature of your roast is. I suggest getting a digital instant read thermometer. Meat thermometers are available for any kind of budget, so there’s no excuse to skip this step!
Use a Roasting Pan that comes with a Rack
I recommend using a roasting pan that comes with a rack so you can easily elevate whatever meat you are roasting. This keeps the pan juices in the pan so you can easily remove the meat and place the pan directly over heat to make a delicious pan sauce out of the drippings.
Know your temperatures for meat doneness!
Remember that a roast always needs to rest for about 15 minutes before carving. That’s because you want the juices to stay in the roast, not leak all over your serving platter or carving board. A roast will continue to cook another 5 degrees as it rests so place it somewhere accordingly when removing the roast from the oven.
Keep an eye on it.
You do have to keep your eye on your roast so it doesn’t overcook. Also, make sure there is enough liquid for basting and gravy. Follow the instructions carefully and use your meat thermometer and you should be good to go!
Here’s a handy roasting temperature guide:
Doneness |
Temperature out of the oven |
Temperature after 15 minute “rest” |
Medium Rare |
127°F to 130°F |
132°F to 135°F |
Medium |
138°F to 140°F |
143°F to 145°F |
Well-done |
155°F |
160°F |
Can you prepare your lamb roast ahead of time?
You can prepare—but not roast—a leg of lamb about 4 to 5 hours ahead and keep it in the refrigerator, wrapped loosely in plastic wrap. Remember to remove the lamb from the refrigerator about 45 minutes before you want to start cooking it. A cold roast will not cook evenly. Personally, I prefer to prepare my roast right before cooking it. You don’t save that much time or effort by doing it a few hours ahead.
How to Make a Boneless Leg of Lamb Roast
While I love a showstopping bone-in lamb roast, sometimes I just don’t want to deal with a bone-in part! A boneless leg of lamb will be a little bit easier on your pocketbook, and it’s always good to have recipes in hand for both in case you can’t find either cut at the butcher’s counter. So I’ve included a recipe below showing you how to make this roast with a boneless cut as well!
Looking for more hearty roast recipes for next time you have company?
Make sure to check out my best Easter recipes, too!
Bone-in Herb Garlic Leg of Lamb Roast Recipe
This herb and garlic roasted leg of lamb recipe is packed with flavor and cooked to juicy perfection. A rich pan gravy made from the drippings takes it over the top! Includes a temperature guide so you can make it exactly how you like it.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Using a sharp paring knife, make about a dozen large slits through the fat that covers the top of the leg of lamb.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the chopped garlic, smashed anchovy filets, mustard, parsley, rosemary, and grind of fresh black pepper. There is no need to add salt as the anchovies and mustard create a nice salty flavor to the rub.
- Add the softened butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix to create a chunky paste. If needed, add the additional tablespoon of olive oil.
- Smear this rub mixture all over the leg of lamb, making sure to get some of the rub into the cuts you made on the lamb.
- Prepare your roasting pan by placing the cut garlic heads, cut side up, and the fresh rosemary sprigs on the bottom of your pan. Place a roasting rack in your pan to elevate the lamb while roasting. If you don’t have a roasting pan, you can simply place the lamb on top of the cut garlic heads.
- Squeeze the lemon halves over the lamb. Pour 1½ cups white wine around the roast in the pan. Discard the lemon halves.
- Place the lamb in the oven on the middle rack and roast for 15 minutes at the high heat. After 15 minutes, reduce the temperature to 350 degrees, basting the roast about every 15 minutes. If needed, add a little more white wine during the roasting process to keep the bottom of the pan moist.
- Roast the lamb to an internal temperature of 130 degrees for medium rare. Depending on the size of your lamb, this should take a total roast time of about 75 to 90 minutes. I do a check with a meat thermometer at the 60 minute mark to see where the temperature is. A leg of lamb will take a total roasting time of approximately 15 minutes per pound. Make sure to check the thickest part of the roast and to not hit the bone with the thermometer to get an accurate reading!
- Remove the lamb from the oven and move it to a serving platter or carving board. Place aluminum foil loosely on the lamb to retain the heat while it rests. The lamb should rest for 15 minutes before carving. Remember that the lamb will continue to cook about 5 more degrees while it is resting. Removing the lamb at 130 degrees should insure a nice rosy pink medium-rare lamb. For those who like their meat more on the well-done side, simply cut the pieces more towards the skinnier side of the lamb or roast longer according to my roasting information in my Pro Tips..
- To make the gravy. Remove the garlic heads and rosemary from the pan. If there is excessive fat from the drippings, tip the pan slightly and spoon off the top layer of fat. Place the pan over medium heat and cook until the liquid starts to simmer. Whisk in the flour, a little at a time, and stir for about 1 minute to cook off the flour taste and thicken the drippings. Drizzle in the beef stock as needed to make a gravy that is the consistency you would like. Taste the finished product and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- I like to pour the gravy through a strainer, pressing any remaining pieces of garlic and rosemary that may still be in the gravy. Serve with your perfectly roasted leg of lamb!
Boneless Herb Garlic Leg of Lamb Roast Recipe
Using a boneless cut for your leg of lamb roast makes carving much easier. Plus, you will find that a boneless leg of lamb is a bit easier on your pocketbook!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Select a boneless leg of lamb that is 5 to 6 pounds. The lamb roast will usually come in a netting as the lamb has been butterflied to remove the bone. Remove the netting and place the lamb on your work surface. Using a chef’s knife, go over the inside of the butterflied area to remove any excess hard fat areas. You can also use the knife to butterfly any areas that seem too thick. You want to try to have an even meat surface.
- Cut 8 pieces of butcher twine that are double the width of the roast. Evenly rub about ⅓ of the garlic paste over the surface of the butterflied lamb.
- Now roll the lamb up, starting at the shorter end, to create a compact cylinder. Do your best but it doesn’t have to look perfect. Use the butcher twine to tie the roast together. I start at one end, putting a piece of twine around the roast, bringing the ends up to meet, and tying them together. Do this in about 1 ½-inch increments until the lamb roast is securely tied together. Trim the butcher twine ends as needed. Smear the remaining rub over the entire roast and proceed with the roasting instructions.
- Now you are ready to roast the lamb. Just proceed with the recipe starting on instruction #5 and roast the lamb for 15 minutes at 425 degrees, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees. Roast until the internal temperature of the lamb reaches 130 degrees. Total roasting time will be approximately 15 minutes per pound. For a boneless leg of lamb, begin checking the temperature at about 50 minutes.
- Remove the lamb roast and let rest, loosely covered in foil, while preparing the lamb sauce as directed in the bone-in leg of lamb recipe. When ready to serve, remove the twine and cut into serving pieces.
