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Home » Recipes » Garlic Rosemary Leg of Lamb

Garlic Rosemary Leg of Lamb

March 15, 2022 by Alida Ryder 2 Comments

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Leg of lamb roasted to juicy perfection, seasoned simply with fresh rosemary and garlic is a showstopper perfect for any feast table. Roast lamb is a classic main dish for Easter dinner but is also a classic Sunday lunch dish served with all the sides.

Garlic Rosemary Leg of Lamb

Ingredients

This leg of lamb recipe requires only 5 ingredients (not including oil, salt and pepper which I assume every household has) and can be prepped in minutes. The rosemary can be substituted with other herbs like fresh thyme or sage but the fresh garlic is non-negotiable. Avoid using crushed garlic from a tub as the aroma and flavor can be over powering. 

  • Leg of lamb. I like using bone-in lamb as the flavor is so much better, however boneless leg of lamb can also be used. The cooking time will need to be adjusted as a boneless joint will cook much quicker.
  • Olive oil.
  • Fresh rosemary. 
  • Fresh garlic cloves.
  • Salt and black pepper. 
  • Onion.
  • Lemon. 

Leg of lamb seasoned with garlic and rosemary.

How to cook leg of lamb

  1. Season: Finely chop the rosemary and garlic then mix with the olive oil. Season the lamb on both sides generously with a few teaspoons of salt and pepper. Brush the garlic mixture over the lamb. Place in a roasting pan and add the onion, lemon slices, whole garlic cloves and rosemary sprigs. Pour in a cup of water (you can use stock or broth too) then cover tightly with foil.
  2. Roast: Place in the oven and allow to roast for 25-30 minutes per 500g (1lb) for medium-rare to medium meat. For the final 30 minutes, remove the foil and turn the heat of the oven up to 200ºC/390ºF and roast until the lamb is golden brown.
  3. Rest and carve: Once cooked and tender, remove the lamb from the oven and allow to rest, loosely covered with foil, for at least 20 minutes. This is the time to make a delicious or sauce with the lamb juices. Simply scrape the drippings into a saucepan with some stock then thicken with a flour slurry. Don’t forget to get the browned bits from the bottom of the pan too. That’s where all the flavor is! Season to taste with salt and pepper. A teaspoon of berry jam also adds great flavor to gravy. Carve with a sharp knife and serve.

How long to cook a leg of lamb

I always work on 25-30 minutes per 500g (1lb) of lamb at 160ºC/320ºF with the final half an hour at a higher heat to brown the meat. This delivers a super juicy, slightly blushing medium cooked meat. The internal temperature should be around 57ºC/135ºF when taken with a meat thermometer. (Remember to insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the lamb leg.) It will be rare at this temperature but will continue cooking as it rests. I would suggest testing the temperature every 30-45 minutes to make sure you don’t overcook the meat.

Juicy lamb roasted with garlic and rosemary

What to serve with leg of lamb

  1. Crispy smashed baby potatoes
  2. Orange brown sugar glazed carrots
  3. Bacon garlic sauteed green beans

Garlic rosemary leg of lamb

Lamb recipes

  1. Lamb ragu with cauliflower gnocchi
  2. Easy lemon-garlic lamb chops
  3. Easy sticky lamb ribs
Garlic rosemary leg of lamb

Garlic Rosemary Leg of Lamb

Leg of lamb roasted to juicy perfection, seasoned simply with fresh rosemary and garlic is a showstopper perfect for any feast table.
4.25 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Dinner
Keyword: Leg of lamb, leg of lamb recipe, Roast leg of lamb
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 387kcal
Author: Alida Ryder

Ingredients

  • 3.5 kg (7lb) leg of lamb
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp fresh rosemary finely chopped
  • 8 garlic cloves finely chopped/crushed (+ more for roasting)
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 2 onions quartered
  • 1 lemon sliced
  • 1 cup water

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F.
  • Finely chop the rosemary and garlic then mix with the olive oil.
  • Season the lamb on both sides generously with salt and pepper.
  • Brush the garlic mixture over the lamb.
  • Place in a roasting dish and add the onion, lemon slices, whole garlic cloves and rosemary sprigs.
  • Pour in a cup of water (you can use stock too) then cover tightly with foil. 
  • Place in the oven and allow to roast for 25-30 minutes per 500g (1lb) for medium-rare to medium meat.
  • For the final 30 minutes, remove the foil and turn the heat of the oven up to 200ºC/390ºF and roast until the lamb is golden brown. 
  • Once cooked, remove the lamb from the oven and allow to rest, loosely covered with foil, for at least 20 minutes. Carve with a sharp knife and serve. 

Nutrition

Calories: 387kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 60g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 187mg | Sodium: 571mg | Potassium: 895mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 13IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 5mg
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Filed Under: Dinner Recipes, Gluten Free, Holidays, Meat, Recipes Tagged With: dinner, Easter, Gluten Free, keto, lamb recipe, leg of lamb, low carb, main dish, Meat, roast lamb

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Comments

  1. Christian

    March 3, 2022 at 7:07 AM

    Hi there
    I am curious as to why you used water/stock? I’ve just pulled my lamb (1.4kg) out after an hour and heaps of water (1/2cup) in there and I had no idea how this was going to roast properly so I poured the water into my gravy mix.

    After the foil came off would it have evaporated and gone nice and brown like your picture? I doubt it!!

    Anyway let’s hope it turns out – not cheap food these days lol

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      March 27, 2022 at 7:08 PM

      That’s strange, I add liquid because my lamb dries out without it. Did you use frozen lamb? It could be that it released more liquid than mine.

      Reply

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Hi! I'm Alida, mom of twins and creator of Simply Delicious. I hope to encourage a love for cooking by creating fool-proof recipes that are easy and delicious. Read More…

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