Boneless Leg of Lamb Recipe

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A perfectly roasted boneless leg of lamb is a beautiful meal to serve for Easter, special occasions, and holidays. With this simple recipe, you can present an elegant cut of meat that’s tender and juicy with mouthwatering flavors of rosemary and garlic. If this is your first time making lamb, it won’t be your last!

Boneless Leg of Lamb Recipe - Southern Cravings (1)

If you are intimidated by lamb, don’t be. This is quite possibly one of the easiest and awe-inspiring recipes. Guests will marvel at how delicious it was, and you will be cool as a cucumber because it was so easy.

In fact, find all of the sides and fixings to round out your Easter Dinner Menu where the rest of my Easter recipes live. Don’t forget the deviled eggs and mashed potatoes! Those complete every Easter meal!

How to cook a boneless leg of lamb

Unlike most recipes for large cuts of meat, this one does not require any brining time. This leg of lamb just needs a simple herb rub that serves as a brief marinade right before it goes in the oven.

Boneless Leg of Lamb Recipe - Southern Cravings (2)

Which is better bone-in or boneless leg of lamb?

Bone-in leg of lamb is usually a little cheaper and cooks faster. Plus, you get a bone for making stock. The bone adds a little extra juiciness to the meat; however, boneless lamb roasts can be just as delicious and are much easier to carve without the bone.

Leg of Lamb Marinade Ingredients

Lamb Roast
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves, coarsely chopped (1 teaspoon dry rosemary leaves)
1/4 teaspoons ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil, extra-virgin
2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh-squeezed

This recipe uses a blend of rosemary, garlic, and black pepper. Cumin, oregano, and curry are also popular seasonings for lamb.

Boneless Leg of Lamb Recipe - Southern Cravings (3)

Boneless Leg of Lamb Recipe - Southern Cravings (4)

You will also need a rack inside of a roasting pan, like the one below. If you do not have a pan like this, a deep casserole dish or dutch oven will also work. Cooking times may vary depending on these changes.

Boneless Leg of Lamb Recipe - Southern Cravings (5)

Boneless Leg of Lamb Recipe - Southern Cravings (6)

What size lamb roast should I buy?

This is a question I struggled with for a long time. My secret: always estimate more than what you need. I always account for about ½ pound of meat per serving. Most people don’t actually eat that much, especially if you are factoring in children.

With ½ pound per person, here’s a chart for getting the right size for the number of servings:

Servings	Weight of Roast
6 people	3 pounds
8 people	4 pounds
10 people	5 pounds
12 people	6 pounds
12+ people	purchase 2 roasts

Lamb Roast Internal Cooking Temperatures

If you take nothing else away from this article, hear this: Please. Please. Please. Use an in-oven meat thermometer.

You can pick them up off of Amazon, Target, Wal-Mart, or just about any grocery store.

Boneless Leg of Lamb Recipe - Southern Cravings (8)

Internal temperature – not time – will yield the perfectly tender result that you want!

Level	Internal Temp (F)	Looks Like
Rare	120-125F	Bright red center, pinkish toward exterior
Medium Rare	130-135F	Pink center, slightly browned toward exterior
Medium	140-145F	Light pink center, outer portion is brown
Medium Well	150-155F	Not Pink
Well Done	160F and above	Uniformly brown throughout

What is the cooking time for a leg of lamb?

Of course, the time it takes to reach the desired internal temperature is determined by the weight of the lamb roast.

Keep in mind that all ovens vary, which is why it’s so important to use an in-oven meat thermometer while cooking, so you can monitor the process.

As a general guide, refer to this chart when preparing estimates for cook time:

Weight	Rare (120-125F)	Medium-Rare (130-135F)	Medium (140-145F)	Well Done (160-165F)
1 pound	15 minutes	20 minutes	25 minutes	30 minutes
2 pounds	30 minutes	40 minutes	50 minutes	60 minutes
3 pounds	45 minutes	60 minutes	1 hour, 15 minutes	1 hour, 30 minutes
4 pounds	60 minutes	1 hour, 20 minutes	1 hour, 40 minutes	2 hours
5 pounds	1 hour, 15 minutes	1 hour, 40 minutes	2 hours, 5 minutes	2 hours, 30 minutes
6 pounds	1 hour, 30 minutes	2 hours	2 hours, 30 minutes	3 hours

Tips for this recipe

After the roast is removed from the oven, it will continue cooking as it rests. The longer the meat rests, the higher the internal temperature will rise. Keep this in mind when you are calculating serving and cooking times.
If you do not have an in-oven thermometer, use a regular meat thermometer to begin checking the internal temperature about 30 minutes before the estimated roasting time ends.
Bringing the meat to room temperature is crucial for a well-roasted cut of meat. Otherwise, you could end up with a tough roast.

Anna Kate

4.39 from 26 votes

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Equipment

Ingredients

3 cloves garlic (minced)
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves (coarsely chopped (1 teaspoon dry rosemary leaves))
¼ teaspoons black pepper
½ cup olive oil (extra-virgin)
2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh-squeezed)
4 pound Boneless Leg of Lamb Roast

Instructions

Make the Herb Seasoning Rub:

Allow the uncooked lamb to come to room temperature – about 1 hour.
Combine the garlic, rosemary, black pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Whisk to combine, and set aside.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Prepare the Lamb:

Remove the lamb from the package, but keep the netting on. Pat the roast dry with paper towels, and place on a rack of a roasting pan.
Apply the rub on all sides of the lamb roast.
Insert an oven-proof meat thermometer into the center of the roast, making sure the tip of the probe is not exposed but inserted into the meat.

Roast the lamb:

Place the uncovered lamb roast in a 450F degree oven for 15 minutes to create a “seared” effect and a flavorful brown crust.
After 15 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 325F degrees for the remaining 1 hour and 20 minutes of cook time. (uncovered; for a 4 pound roast to medium-rare)
Continue cooking until the meat thermometer reads 120F degrees. Remove from the oven and cover with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until it reaches the desired internal temperature. (see chart above)
As you are ready to carve, place the roast on a cutting board with a well to catch juices. Remove the netting with scissors.
With a carving knife, slice the meat across the grain into desired thickness. Serve immediately.

Notes

Please read the entire post for details, tips, and more!

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 707kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 58gFat: 51gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 30gCholesterol: 211mgSodium: 151mg

Boneless Leg of Lamb Recipe - Southern Cravings (2024)

FAQs

How long do you cook boneless lamb legs for? ›

To calculate cooking times, for medium, cook 25 minutes per 500g, plus 25 minutes and for well done cook 30 minutes per 500g and an extra 30 minutes. Allow to rest before serving.

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Is it better to cook leg of lamb with bone or boneless? ›

A boneless leg is easier to carve, while bone-in can be a bit more difficult to slice. If you're looking for a more intense lamb flavor, bone-in is the way to go.

Should you sear leg of lamb before roasting? ›

For the perfect roast lamb, we recommend seasoning the surface of the meat, and then searing it, especially fat side down in a pan before roasting. Why bother with searing? Contrary to some stories, searing is less about locking in moisture, and all about improving the flavour!

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Should you trim fat off boneless leg of lamb? ›

Trim it . There is a lot of internal fat in a leg of lamb, and if you are cooking it to med rare the fat cap won't render off. If it is not tied with butcher twine or netting, open it up and look inside. There is a hard seam of fat that you can remove.

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Does lamb leg get more tender the longer you cook it? ›

The leg and rack of lamb are perfect for herb-crusting and oven-roasting; since the shank and shoulder are a bit tougher, they fare well in stews or braises—the long cook time allows them to significantly break down and become fork-tender.

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Which cooking method is ideal for a leg of lamb? ›

Whether boneless or bone-in, the perfect leg of lamb should be either oven-roasted until blushing pink on the inside (with an internal temp around 130°F) or roasted long and slow for several hours until the meat is very tender and falls apart to internal temp around 175°F (I often use the slow cooker for that).

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Is boneless leg of lamb tough? ›

The leg and rack are the most tender cuts of meat on a lamb, and are at their best when roasted. Roasting is a "dry heat" cooking method, meaning that you do not add any liquid to the meat as you cook it. Tougher cuts of lamb, such as shank and shoulder, are best for braising and stewing.

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Should lamb be room temp before cooking? ›

It is important to let the meat come to room temperature before beginning to ensure it will cook through evenly. It is also imperative to let the meat rest after cooking, 20 minutes is sufficient. Wrap the leg in tin foil to prevent it from getting too cold.

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Should lamb be cooked slow or fast? ›

It's a very lean, neat piece of meat that should be quick-cooked and served rare. Lamb breast – A very fatty inexpensive cut that's often minced. Whole, it needs to be slow-cooked until tender and can be cooked on the bone, or boned and rolled.

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Do you wash a leg of lamb before cooking? ›

Washing beef, pork, lamb, or veal before cooking it is not recommended. Bacteria in raw meat and poultry juices can be spread to other foods, utensils, and surfaces. We call this cross-contamination. Some consumers think they are removing bacteria and making their meat or poultry safe.

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Should I salt leg of lamb before cooking? ›

No matter how you decide to cook your beautiful cut of grass-fed lamb, seasoning is the essential first step. Start by setting your cut of lamb onto a wire rack set into a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle generously on all sides with kosher salt.

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What happens if you don't sear a roast before cooking? ›

Admittedly, searing isn't strictly necessary for the cooking process. Technically speaking. The meat will cook just fine without searing. (And any surface bacteria will die during cooking anyway.)

How many pounds of boneless leg of lamb per person? ›

Plan on buying 1/3 of a pound of boneless lamb per person, or 1/2 to 2/3 of a pound of bone-in lamb.

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Should you flip leg of lamb? ›

Once it's fall-apart tender, take it out of the oven, flip the leg of lamb (this will be difficult because it breaks into parts, simply use some tongs and a spatula and do your best). Return leg of lamb into the oven uncovered this time for 40 minutes.

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Do you bake lamb fat side up or down? ›

Place the lamb, fat side up, on a rack set in a roasting pan; spread garlic paste all over lamb. Roast in oven until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 135 degrees, for medium rare, about 2 hours.