Slow Roasted Boneless Leg of Lamb

Slow Roasted Boneless Leg of Lamb is seasoned with herbs, citrus, and garlic…Greek-style! This melt-in-your-mouth succulent lamb is the perfect centerpiece for any holiday dinner. 

Lamb is served on family dinner tables around the world during Easter celebrations and if anyone knows how to cook lamb, it’s the Greeks! Try this low and slow foolproof roasting method for the most delicious Boneless Leg of Lamb. Serve it to your family with a side of amazing creamy Mashed Potatoes or any of these 40 Amazing Easter Side Dishes for a fabulous Easter feast. Another great lamb dish is our Herb Crusted Grilled Leg of Lamb if you like your lamb still medium rare. 

How Do You Tie A Boneless Leg of Lamb?

Sometimes boneless legs of lamb come in a netting; if so, then just leave it as is unless you want to stuff it. Tying or trussing a boneless leg of lamb will give you uniform cook and shape. 

To do so simply roll the roast into a log shape with or without stuffing inside. Cut kitchen twine to fit nicely around the roast and tie in 2″ intervals making sure it is not tied too tightly making the roast bulge. 

Leg of Lamb

Let’s face it. Cooking a large roast for a big dinner can be intimidating, especially if it’s your first time. Lamb is also quite polarizing in that there are some who do not enjoy its game-y flavor. However, do not worry; I am here to hold your hand the entire way! 

Don’t be put off by the long cooking time of this recipe. It’s a key component in roasting the best lamb possible and when compared to roasting a stuffed turkey, it takes roughly the same amount of time. Delicious food is worth the wait.

Roasting the lamb using this low ‘n’ slow Greek-style method is guaranteed to give you the most fabulous, fall apart tender lamb. Serve it to the non-believers and they’ll be lamb fans in no time. 

Hello NWTN readers, I’m Bernice, the food maker/blogger over at Dishnthekitchen.com. Today I’m excited to bring you my very first recipe for Boneless Leg of Lamb. Let me tell you…the smell of this lamb roasting in my kitchen all day had me drooling! 

Later on, when we sat down to tuck into this delicious spread, I served it with this easy Oven Roasted Asparagus (which I made while the lamb was resting) and our favorite new recipe…Hasselback Potatoes.

Fast vs. Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb

There are two ways to roast a Leg of Lamb; fast or slow. Cooking the lamb quickly (relative to the latter method) is always a bit of a gamble because the lamb should be cooked to medium rare (145 F).

You must use a meat thermometer to gauge the precise moment just before the lamb reaches this stage, then remove the lamb from the oven and let it rest. As you can imagine, it’s quite easy to overcook lamb this way.

With slow roasting, there is less worry about overcooking the lamb because that’s exactly what you want to do (sort of). Slow-cooking lamb brings it beyond that tough, dry phase, to melt-in-your-mouth goodness. The consistently low temperature breaks down the fat and connective fibers within the meat structure, causing the meat to become fork tender.

Lastly, it is possible to still overcook the lamb using the low and slow methods. Be aware of the size of your lamb roast and the recommended cooking time and temperature. 

Bone-in vs. Boneless Leg of Lamb 

Generally, bone-in meat will always have more flavor than the same cut with the bone removed. This is because the bone will impart deeper flavors within the meat.

However, roasting bone-in meat takes up more space in the pan (hint: take your roaster along to ensure it fits!) and requires even more cooking time.

Boneless is the way to go for space consideration and ease of serving. This recipe will cook a great leg of lamb, regardless of which style you use. 

How to Roast a Boneless Leg of Lamb…Greek Style!

Boneless lamb leg bought from a store will come neatly wrapped in an elastic netting. There’s a reason for this and the ONLY reason you should remove it is if you are planning on stuffing it. Otherwise, leave it as is and read on to find out how to make this delicious recipe. 

Step 1 – Remove the lamb from the fridge and allow it to warm up to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 450 F.

Carefully make 12 slits around the entire roast and insert the garlic clove halves deep into each slit. Rub the lamb with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan and roast for 30 minutes. 

Step 2 – Once the lamb is well browned, remove it from the oven and place (fat side down) in a Dutch oven or lidded roaster containing the rest of the ingredients (other than half the gremolata).

Check to make sure the liquid level is covering 1/4 to 1/3 of the lamb leg. Decrease the oven temperature to 350 F and roast for 2 hours. Top up the liquid level with boiling water, if needed. 

Step 3 – Flip the lamb leg over so the fat cap is on top and roast (covered) for another 1 – 1 1/2 hours or until the meat pulls apart easily. 

Step 4 – Remove the lid and roast for another 30 minutes to get all those nice crispy bits. Remove the lamb leg from the Dutch oven and place it on a serving dish or cutting board. 

Cover with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 20 minutes. Shred the roast and serve with strained pan juices. Serve with more gremolata if desired. 

What to Serve with Roasted Boneless Leg of Lamb

While this Greek-style roasted lamb leg is delicious on its own, the fresh herb Gremolata with lemon zest and garlic really brightens up the flavor. Who can say no to ‘extra garlic’? Additionally, it makes a great topping to roasted potatoes and any vegetables you might serve with the roast. 

Serve garnished with fresh rosemary, roasted lemon, asparagus, and mini hasselbacks for one of the best dinner recipes around. 

Why not make Easter dinner an entire Greek feast? Serve it alongside an authentic Horiataki (Greek Salad), warmed briny olives, pitas with whipped feta, lemon roasted potatoes, and finish with baklava, of course!

How to Warm Up Leftovers

The best way to warm up a boneless leg of lamb leftovers is to place all the shredded meat in a saucepan and add the pan juices to cover. Warm over medium heat and enjoy in a sandwich or on mashed potatoes. 

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Pin it HERE!

Slow Roasted Boneless Leg of Lamb

Tara Noland

Slow Roasted Boneless Leg of Lamb is seasoned with herbs, citrus, and garlic…Greek style! This melt in your mouth succulent lamb is the perfect centerpiece for any holiday dinner.

4.63 from 119 votes

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Additional Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 5 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course Easter Recipes and Ideas

Cuisine Greek

Servings 8 servings

Calories 250 kcal

Ingredients

 

• 5 lb 2.2 kg boneless leg of lamb
• 6 cloves garlic; peeled and sliced in half lengthwise
• Olive Oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 cups hot chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 onions; sliced into wedges
• 1/2 cup lemon juice

FOR THE GREMOLATA

• 2 tbsp fresh rosemary; chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tsp dried oregano leaves
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 lemon; zested and juiced
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 450 F.
• Using a small paring knife, make 12 slits at equal intervals all over the lamb. Insert the halved cloves into each slit.
• Rub the boneless leg of lamb with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Place the fat side up on a rack over a roasting pan. Roast for 30 minutes or until the lamb has been nicely browned.
• While the lamb is browning, place the rest of the ingredients in a Dutch oven, white wine, chicken stock, bay leaves, thyme, onions, and lemon juice.
• MAKE THE GREMOLATA – Mix all of the ingredients in a small bowl.
• When the lamb has finished browning, place it fat side down in the Dutch oven. Reduce oven temperature to 350 F.
• Add boiling water so that the liquid level covers the bottom 1/3 of the lamb.
• Add half of the gremolata.
• Cover and roast for 2 hours, checking the liquid level after the first hour. Add a bit of boiling water as needed.
• After 2 hours, remove the roast from the oven and turn it over. Roast for another 1 1/2 hours or until the meat pulls apart easily.
• Remove the lid and roast for a further 30 minutes.
• After the lamb has browned nicely, remove it from the Dutch oven and place it on the serving platter. Cover loosely with foil and let rest for 20 minutes.
• While the lamb is resting, carefully remove any large bits in the sauce (onions and thyme sprigs), simmer it, and thicken it with a flour slurry, if desired. Top the roast with more gremolata if desired.

Equipment

Rachael Ray Cucina Dinnerware 8-Inch x 12-Inch Stoneware Rectangular Platter, Cranberry Red – 57232

Lodge 6 Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven. Classic Red Enamel Dutch Oven (Island Spice Red)

Circulon 56539 Nonstick Roasting Pan / Roaster with Rack – 17 Inch x 13 Inch, Gray

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 250kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 16gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 455mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3g

Nutrition calculation is an estimation only. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

*adapted from Greek Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb by Recipe Tin Eats.