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Whether you’re hosting a holiday gathering or a casual dinner party, this roasted boneless leg of lamb is a surprisingly easy choice to serve guests. Seasoned with a simple six-ingredient rub, it can be prepped up to a day ahead, giving you an impressive entrée with minimal last-minute effort.
Notes From the MGC Kitchen
Although it’s inspired by traditional Italian Easter dinners, this dish is a bold-flavored entrée that works year-round for just about any special gathering. Seasoned with a combination of olive oil, garlic, and fresh rosemary, thyme and parsley, it’s a simple oven meal that pairs well with a variety of sides.
Boneless Leg of Lamb: Shopping Tips
AMERICAN VS. AUSTRALIAN LAMB: When shopping for boneless leg of lamb, look for where it was raised. If you prefer very mild lamb flavor, look for American lamb. Australian lamb is almost always grass fed, which gives it a slightly stronger (but not gamey) lamb flavor.
HOW MUCH LAMB TO BUY: As a general rule of thumb, you’ll want about 1/2 pound of lamb per person. Most boneless legs of lamb weigh between 3-1/2 to 5 pounds before trimming. We always buy larger than we need and use the leftovers to make lamb sandwiches.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR: If you’re buying a boneless leg of lamb that’s already packaged, it will likely have netting around it to hold it together during roasting. You’ll need to remove that for this recipe. If you’re buying from a butcher, ask if they can trim it for you for you to make seasoning and rolling easier.
Overview
How to Make Roasted Boneless Leg of Lamb
Planning to make this recipe? Here’s a quick overview of how it’s done. Detailed, step-by-step instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN: Take the lamb out of the fridge about 45 minutes prior to roasting so it can come to room temperature.
MAKE THE GARLIC-HERB RUB: Meanwhile, make the rub by mixing olive oil with salt, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and parsley. Set it aside and preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly coat a roasting pan and rack with nonstick spray.
PREPARE THE LEG OF LAMB: Lay the lamb flat on a baking sheet, fatty side up. Trim any fat thicker than 1/8 inch, but don’t remove it all – it adds flavor and keeps the lamb tender and juicy. Turn the lamb over and use a boning knife to trim away any large chunks of fat or tough connective tissue. Cover with plastic wrap and gently pound the thicker areas with a meat mallet to even things out a bit, then season with salt and pepper.
COAT THE LAMB WITH RUB: Spread about 2/3 of the rub on the inside of the lamb, then roll it up, fat side out. Shape it into a cylinder and secure it with kitchen twine. Tuck in the ends and secure them with a piece of twine running lengthwise, weaving it under the crosswise ties.
ROAST THE LAMB: Add 1/2 inch of water to the roasting pan, place the lamb on the rack, and roast at 425°F for 15 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 375°F, spread the rest of the rub over the outside of the roast, and continue roasting. Start checking the internal temperature after 40 to 45 minutes. Aim for 120°F for rare or 125°F for medium-rare (the temperature will rise as the roast rests).
REST, SLICE, AND SERVE: Once it’s done, let the lamb rest for 15 minutes before removing the twine. Slice into ½-inch thick pieces and serve.
Make Ahead Instructions
You can prepare, roll, and tie the lamb according to the recipe instructions the night before (hold off on the exterior rub). The garlic and herb mixture holds up well and the flavors will have more time to penetrate the meat.
After seasoning and tying the roast, place it on a rimmed tray or plate, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Remove it from the refrigerator an hour ahead of roasting to allow it to come to room temperature.
Our Spring Lamb Dinner Menu
- Mushroom Puffs – a savory puff pastry appetizer with a deliciously cheesy mushroom filling.
- Risotto Primavera – a springtime risotto recipe made with pancetta, peas, and white wine.
- Lemon Roasted Asparagus – an easy side dish of fresh spring asparagus roasted in lemon butter.
- Italian Ricotta Pie – a silky-smooth ricotta cheesecake flavored with orange and lemon.
Roasted Boneless Leg of Lamb
Ingredients
- 1 boneless leg of lamb, 4 to 6 lbs
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- Remove the lamb from the refrigerator and set aside for 45 minutes to allow it to come to room temperature.
- Make the rub by combining the olive oil, salt, garlic, rosemary, thyme and parsley in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and coat a roasting pan and rack with nonstick spray.
- Lay the lamb flat on a baking sheet, fatty side up. If there are layers of fat that are thicker than 1/8-inch, use a boning knife to pare them down a little, but don't trim any of the fat away completely.
- Turn the lamb over and with the tip of your boning knife, remove any large chunks of fat and tough connective tissue.
- Cover the lamb with plastic wrap and pound the thickest portions with the flat side of a meat mallet to even the thickness slightly for easier rolling. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
- Spread about 2/3 of the rub mixture over the cut side of the roast. Roll it into a cylinder, then turn it fat side up and reshape as needed.
- Using unbleached cotton kitchen twine, tie the roast crosswise at 3/4 to 1-inch intervals. Tie snugly, but not so much as to create significant bulges in the meat.
- Tuck in the ends of the roast and run a piece of twine lengthwise to hold them in place, weaving it over and under each of the crosswise pieces.
- Add 1/2-inch of water to the roasting pan, position the lamb on the rack and roast for 15 minutes at 425°F. Remove the lamb from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375°F.
- Spread the remaining garlic mixture over the outside of the lamb and roast until a thermometer reads 120°F for rare (125 to 130°F for medium-rare). To avoid overcooking, begin checking the temperature after 40 to 45 minutes (depending on the size of your roast).
- Once the lamb is done, let it rest for 15 minutes, then remove all the twine and carve into 1/2-inch thick slices.
Notes
Internal Temperatures for Roasted Lamb
For maximum juiciness and flavor we recommend serving roasted leg of lamb medium rare.- RARE: Remove from the oven when the internal temperature reaches 115 to 120°F (120 to 125°F after resting).
- MEDIUM-RARE: Remove from the oven when the internal temperature reaches 120 to 125°F (125 to 130°F after resting).
- MEDIUM: Remove from the oven when the internal temperature reaches 130 to 135°F (135 to 140°F after resting).
- MEDIUM-WELL: Remove from the oven when the internal temperature reaches 140 to 145°F (145 to 150°F after resting).
Make Ahead Instructions
You can prepare, roll, and tie the lamb according to the recipe instructions the night before (hold off on the exterior rub). The garlic and herb mixture holds up well and the flavors will have more time to penetrate the meat. After seasoning and tying the roast, place it on a rimmed tray or plate, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Remove it from the refrigerator an hour ahead of roasting to allow it to come to room temperature.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this last weekend when friends came in from out of town and everyone loved it. The flavors were perfect. Thanks!!