Roast Bone In Leg of Lamb Recipe
Published March 31, 2021. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Learn how to make this delicious garlic and herb marinated and roasted bone-in leg of lamb recipe that is perfect to serve up to family and friends.
It’s no secret that I am a comfort food cooker. I love hearty meals that serve a large number of people, and that you can graze on all day. If you’re the same way then my Smothered Pork Chops or my Kofta Kebabs are a must-try!
Leg of Lamb
A leg of lamb is a large cut of meat that literally comes from the leg of a lamb. Leg of lamb is an extremely tender piece of meat and can be cooked in a myriad of ways from over an open fire to being roasted in the oven. It is most often offered as a bone-in or boneless cut of meat varying in weights from 3-9 pounds coming in at around $11.00 per pound. Of course, if you decide to purchase the bone-in cut, then about 2 pounds of it will surely be bone weight.
This is a fantastic roast that is perfect to serve up to a large group of family or guests especially for holiday occasions such as Easter, Passover, or Christmas. You will often see a leg of lamb in abundance in the weeks leading up to Easter. For an Italian Easter, you would roast the lamb and serve it with browned potatoes which are known as abbacchio al forno.
Best Temperatures to Cook It
There are several ways to prepare and serve a leg of lamb and most of it will be based upon personal preference. Due to its tenderness, it is often served at a medium internal temperature, or on the opposite end of the spectrum as pulled and long-cooked. Here are the best temperatures to cook:
- For a 7-9 lb. leg of lamb at a medium internal temperature of 135° F <-> Cook at 350° for 15-20 minutes per pound.
- For fall off the bone internal temperature of 203° to 205° <-> Cook at 325° for 45-50 minutes per pound
How to Roast a Leg of Lamb
Follow these simple instructions for how to make this amazing roast leg of lamb recipe:
Start by scoring the lamb in a chess-like pattern all around the lamb going about a ½” deep.
Next, thoroughly rub the lamb with olive oil, garlic, herbs, wine, salt, and pepper until it is completely coated.
Cover and marinate the lamb in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 12 hours and all the way up to 48 hours.
Transfer the lamb to a pan with a rack and cook at 425° for 25 minutes and then at 350° for 60 minutes for a medium internal temperature.
Remove the lamb from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
If wanting to keep it very Italian, then serve it up with roasted potatoes.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: This recipe is meant to be eaten as soon as it is done cooking and resting. However, you can make it up to 1 hour ahead of time and keep it warm at low temperatures in the oven, at around 225° F, before serving it.
How to Reheat: Place the desired amount of meat in a medium size pan and add in ¼ cup of beef stock and heat at 350° for 8-12 minutes or until hot. You can also heat it in the microwave until hot.
How to Store: Place covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
chef notes + tips
- Any drinking white wine will do for this recipe.
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Video
Roast Bone In Leg of Lamb Recipe
Ingredients
For the Lamb
- 7-9- pound bone-in leg of lamb
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 10 finely minced cloves of garlic
- leaves of 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- leaves of 10 sprigs fresh thyme
- ¼ cup white wine
- sea salt and cracked pepper to taste
For the Potatoes
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 10 yellow potatoes cut into 2” pieces
- ½ peeled and sliced red onion
- sea salt and cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Score the lamb in a chessboard-like pattern all over the leg of lamb.
- Generously rub the lamb with olive oil, garlic, herbs, white wine, salt, and pepper on all sides.
- Place the lamb in a pan and cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight to marinate for at least 12 hours and up to 48 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 425°.
- Remove the lamb and place it in a pan with a rack and roast at 425° for 25 minutes and then at 350° for 80-90 minutes or until it reaches 135° to 140° internally.
- Remove the lamb and let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
- For the Potatoes: With about 30 minutes left in the cooking process of the lamb, begin to make the potatoes.
- Add the oil to a very large frying pan or rondeau pot over high heat until it begins to lightly smoke.
- Add the potatoes and onions into the pan and sauté for 10-12 minutes or until they begin to brown.
- Place the pan in the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are browned and tender.
- Serve the sliced lamb along with the potatoes.
Notes
- Make-Ahead: This recipe is meant to be eaten as soon as it is done cooking and resting. However, you can make it up to 1 hour ahead of time and keep it warm at low temperatures in the oven, at around 225° F, before serving it.
- How to Reheat: Place the desired amount of meat in a medium size pan and add in ¼ cup of beef stock and heat at 350° for 8-12 minutes or until hot. You can also heat it in the microwave until hot.
- How to Store: Place covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
- Any drinking white wine will do for this recipe.
I made this for Easter Sunday dinner. Very pleased. I took mine out at 120 degrees. It rested for 30 minutes. Perfect rare to medium rare with outer slices medium to medium well. Great technique on seasoning and oven control. Will be making this again 🤠
Fabulous ChefBilly love your recipe many thank you’s sooooo tasty 😋 🤤😁
Looks amazing. Any idea where I can buy a long oval serving dush like yours?
amazon?
Chef, what’s the cooking time for a 5 lbs. bone in leg-of-lamb? You indicated 15-20 minutes per lb. for the normal cooking method, but also said 4-to-4 1/5 hours for the fall off the bone method, but I think that was for a 7 to 9 lb weight. I would assume that I should trim back to 3.5 or so for a 5 lb. piece? Thanks
Thank you ChefBill fabulous will be try this recipe you have shared with me thank you 😁👋🤩😋
my pleasure!
Delcious!
Chef, I have health issues….do you ever trim the fat from your lamb before cooking it or know of people who do? I have been trying it out so far. Cooked lamb I got on sale to make your Shepherd’s Pie today. Thanks
I do not.
Hi Chef, I wanted to let you know that your recipe and instructions are spot on. I have never made lamb before, and your recipe is so delicious that my son ate the whole leg of lamb by himself and didn’t leave me any as I had made the leg of lamb before going to work and left it resting on the stove for my son to have his dinner and then he was to save the rest in the fridge. So, I am making this recipe again and I am making sure that I am having some this time! Thank you so much for this recipe! 😀
Hi Chef Parisi,
Thank you so much for posting this amazing recipe! I have never cooked any cut of lamb before and your site made me decide to buy a leg of lamb as the price was right. Your recipe was so simple, easy to follow and with ingredients that I had on hand. Your video was so full of important information and simple to follow as well. I cooked my first leg of lamb today!! I can honestly say that my eldest son could have eaten the whole leg of lamb on his own as it was so very tender and very melt in your mouth goodness. I had to remind my son that he had to share with the rest of the family. Thank you so much again Chef!!!
Excellent! Changed the recipe slightly but cooking instructions were perfect
Gonna make this on weekend!!! Have a question on the marinating part – do you need the lamb leg to be room temperature when you marinate it? Or do you marinate it right away after taking it out from the fridge? Thanks in advance!
no
Made in on the weekend, was so good even my picky toddler loved it! Thank you for such easy to follow recipe!!!
excellent!
Made this last night it was excellent! We raised our own lamb and didn’t know how to cook any of it and I was glad to get this recipe for the leg of lamb. Thank you again Chef Billy.
My pleasure
So incredibly delicious. I cook it out on our Weber gas grill with smoke chips! Everyone loves it.
thank you so kindly!!
I made this for our Easter dinner this year along with your roasted Parmesan red potatoes, asparagus, and orange glazed carrots. It was only the second time I had ever cooked lamb so I was a bit nervous. Well to my surprise it came out absolutely perfect and everyone loved it! Oh man it was good! So flavourful and tender. Billy, your the best. Thanks for sharing your skills with us.
P.S. I’m enjoying being one of your ‘Commis’, I can hear your voice in my head as I go through all the steps.😆 Cheers! Have a blessed day!
That is awesome, thank you so much for trying all those recipes!
Fantastic as always! My first time cooking lamb and it was beyond easy and turned out delicious. Even our son couldn’t stop eating it! Huge hit. Thank you!
Excellent! My pleasure!
Why do you not put the potatoes in with the Lamb at the same time to roast? Also, why do you not make a Gravy from the drippings? I’m thinking of putting some other veggies in with it to roast also…instead of separately…Good or not Good? I never made a roast Lamb before…I did make your Lamb shanks and Standing Rib Roast and they were amazing…So I really don’t know and I hope these are not annoying or dumb questions…Thanks Billy…
The potatoes would over cook if they roasted the exact same time. To me, no need for gravy with the herb and garlic crust. You could for sure do veggies if you’d like. Make it work for you 🙂
There’s always a reason for gravy!
😀
Hey Billy…I see Lemons on the plated lamb in the video at the end. But I don’t see lemons in the ingredients or where you put them in in the video. Are they just for show/garnish? Thanks…
Yes
Great recipe – thank you. Lamb is not appreciated enough in the US
Great recipe – thank you.
Wow!