• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to privacy navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Jo Cooks

Simple - Easy - Comfort

Join my free recipe email club!
Free eBook
  • Recipe Index
  • Cookbooks
    • The Big Book of Jo’s Quick and Easy Meals
    • 30-Minute One-Pot Meals
  • ABOUT JO
  • Contact
  • Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube
  • Dinner Ideas
  • Instant Pot
  • Slow Cooker
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • One Pot
  • Desserts
Home / Ingredient / Lamb
2 hours 10 minutes
4.75 from 12 votes
14 Comments

Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Leg of Lamb

Jump to RecipePrint Recipe
  • 35
  • 12
by: Joanna Cismaru
03.29.15
Updated: 06.11.20

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Leg of Lamb – a classic yet simple recipe for a perfectly roasted leg of lamb with an aromatic garlic, rosemary and mustard rub.

Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Leg of Lamb

Easter is less than a week away so here I am with my favorite lamb recipe for you. This is a classic roasted leg of lamb with loads of rosemary and garlic.

Growing up, my mom would pretty much always make lamb for Easter, mostly for my dad because he’s the lamb fan, none of the rest of us were. Sometimes she’d make a leg of lamb and I remember the house smelling of herbs and all those delicious flavors as the lamb would roast in the oven. It’s true I’m not a fan of lamb but it is one of those things that I can eat once or twice a year. Easter being one of them.

Now it’s my turn, married to a man who also likes lamb for Easter, being that it’s tradition and all. So this here is my goto recipe for roasting a leg of lamb. You can’t go wrong here, lots of garlic, I don’t think I could eat lamb without all the garlic. I remember my mom would also pour lots of red wine over the lamb as it would roast and she would roast it for hours, until the meat literally falls off the bone and it would be super tender.

Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Leg of Lamb marinating

I think cooking lamb is a tricky one, because some people prefer the lamb medium rare. Truthfully, we’ve tried it medium rare, we’ve tried it medium and we’ve come to the conclusion that a little well more done is how we like our lamb. So it really is up to you how you cook your lamb, it’s a personal preference. Yes I can eat a beef steak medium rare and love every bit of it, but I cannot eat a lamb chop medium rare. Can you? I’d love to hear how other people like their lamb.

Now I found my leg of lamb here at my local grocery store, but I don’t think they have it all the time. They will carry it now because of Easter and I had to go on two separate days. The first day they had a huge leg of lamb and it was not cheap, way over $100. The next day I went to pick up something else and they had 2 smaller legs for $25. So I’m not quite sure what to tell you about price of lamb, though I do know it’s not cheap. The two legs were fairly small, about 2 lbs each but just perfect for us.

Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Leg of Lamb

It doesn’t matter how big your leg of lamb is, though it will change the cooking time. Again my favorite way to cook lamb is with lots of garlic and rosemary is the perfect herb for lamb, so I made a rub with grainy mustard, loads of garlic, olive oil, rosemary and of course salt and pepper. You also want to trim any excess fat from your leg if necessary, then make some incisions, about 1 inch long and about 1/2 inch deep so when you apply that yummy aromatic rub it penetrates the meat easier, and of course giving you way more flavor.

Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Leg of Lamb with a sprig of rosemary

To roast it you want to start at a high heat, 425 F degrees and roast it at that temperature for about 20 or 30 minutes, then turn the heat down to 325 F degrees and roast it until done to your liking. If you want a medium rare lamb then the temperature inside needs to be about 135 F degrees, mine here was more like 160 F degrees, and I would consider this more well done. Also if you want it crispier on the outside, I usually turn on the broiler for the last 5 minutes and you get a nice golden brown crispy and flavorful crust.

I served this with a yummy green beans and chanterelle mushroom side dish, recipe will follow later this week, but you can serve it with mashed potatoes and you could easily make a gravy from the drippings left in the pan with some red wine, some broth and a bit of flour. However, I found this lamb together with the chanterelle mushrooms and green beans to be rich enough and didn’t feel the gravy was needed it at all. Up to you though.

So there you have it, a perfectly roasted leg of lamb with a garlic and rosemary rub. A perfect Easter dish.

Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Leg of Lamb with a side of green beans

Looking for more recipes? Follow on... My Newsletter Pinterest Facebook Instagram

rosemary and garlic roasted leg of lamb

Rosemary Garlic Roasted Leg of Lamb

4.75 from 12 votes
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 2 hrs
Total: 2 hrs 10 mins
Author: Joanna Cismaru
Serves: 4 to 6
Print Pin Rate
Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Leg of Lamb - a classic yet simple recipe for a perfectly roasted leg of lamb with an aromatic garlic, rosemary and mustard rub.

Ingredients

  • 3 lb bone-in leg of lamb
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp dried rosemary
  • 2 tbsp Dijon grainy mustard
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup chicken broth or water

Gravy (Optional)

  • 1/2 cup dry red wine
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tbsp all-purpose flour

Instructions

  • In a small bowl whisk together the mustard, garlic, rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper.
  • Trim off any excess fat that may lie beneath the fell, but not all, you might want to leave some to enrich the flavor of the meat and/or gravy. Make incisions with a knife that are about 1 inch long and 1/2 inch deep.
  • Apply the rub to the leg of lamb evenly, making sure to fill the incisions with some of the rub. Let the leg of lamb sit at room temperature for about half hour.
  • Preheat oven to 425 F degrees. You'll need a large roasting pan fitted with a rack, pour the broth in the bottom of the pan and transfer leg to the pan. Roast it for about 30 minutes, then reduce temperature to 325 F degrees and continue roasting until cooked to your liking. For medium rare, you want the temperature to be 135 F degrees, for more well done, you need it to be 160 F degrees, this will take a couple hours.
  • Let the lamb rest for 20 minutes before carving it.
  • While the lamb is resting, you can make the gravy by removing the rack from the roasting pan and placing the pan across 2 burners over medium-high heat. Add wine to the drippings and bring to a simmer while whisking a bit. In a small bowl whisk together the flour with the broth then pour it into the roasting pan and whisk until gravy thickens, should take about a minute. Pour into a gravy bowl and serve with lamb.

Recipe Notes

My leg of lamb was quite small, I would serve about 1/2 lb per person.
 
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 395kcal (20%)Carbohydrates: 6g (2%)Protein: 46g (92%)Fat: 18g (28%)Saturated Fat: 5g (31%)Cholesterol: 137mg (46%)Sodium: 452mg (20%)Potassium: 746mg (21%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 1g (1%)Vitamin A: 26IU (1%)Vitamin C: 6mg (7%)Calcium: 39mg (4%)Iron: 5mg (28%)
Course:Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine:American
Keyword:leg of lamb, slow roast leg of lamb
Tried this recipe? Rate it belowtag @jocooks on instagram and hashtag it #jocooks!
Nutrition Facts
Rosemary Garlic Roasted Leg of Lamb
Amount Per Serving
Calories 395 Calories from Fat 162
% Daily Value*
Fat 18g28%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Cholesterol 137mg46%
Sodium 452mg20%
Potassium 746mg21%
Carbohydrates 6g2%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 46g92%
Vitamin A 26IU1%
Vitamin C 6mg7%
Calcium 39mg4%
Iron 5mg28%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

What you’ll need:

More delicious recipes from my kitchen

Lamb Souvlaki

Rosemary Lamb Chops with Garlic Mint Sauce

Turkish Gozleme with Lamb

Meet Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

30 recipes from around the world cover.

Never miss a recipe!

Subscribe and get a FREE dinner recipes ebook!

balsamic parmesan roasted asparagus and tomatoes
Previous Post
Balsamic Parmesan Roasted Asparagus and Tomatoes
a bowl of green beans and chanterelle mushrooms
Next Post
Green Beans and Chanterelle Mushrooms

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment & Rate Recipe Cancel reply

Did you make this recipe? Rate it:




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Nancy J. says

    April 24, 2017 at 6:13 pm

    Can this recipe be adapted to use with an 8.5 lb. pork loin roast? My family will not eat lamb. By the way, I love your email blog and your recipes are amazingly good and easy to make.

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      April 24, 2017 at 7:18 pm

      Yes, absolutely! You will have to change the quantities but it should be wonderful.

      Reply
  2. Linda Abbott says

    January 18, 2016 at 11:22 am

    5 stars
    Jo, I think that you probably don’t like the gamey smell and taste of the lamb you are getting there. My family was the same. So I tried some American lamb rather than Australian lamb and found it to be less gamey. (Sorry, Aussies…I love yours, too, but for people who have a problem with the strong Australian lamb taste……) They like American lamb very much. You might try it and see if you like that. In answer to your inquiry, I like mine rare-medium rare. Fortunately, lamb is one of those meats that doesn’t die if it’s cooked past medium! Thank you for your wonderful recipes. I have been using an old Greek recipe for spices for lamb and love it. It’s all about garlic, oregano and mint. The Greeks eat lamb with a squeeze of lemon. Maybe you’ll like it that way, too. I just hate to think of you not enjoying this wonderful meat.

    Reply
    • jo says

      January 18, 2016 at 11:25 am

      Hi Linda! I actually have a rack of lamb in the freezer and was thinking of ways to cook it, I like your version. And you’re right it’s all about the garlic, oregano and mint. Great combination!

      Reply
      • Linda Abbott says

        January 18, 2016 at 12:48 pm

        Here’s what I use: 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (according to taste…I don’t love black pepper so I do a few turns on the pepper grinder and call it good), 3 garlic cloves, minced, 8 (4oz) lamb chops, 1/2 tsp salt, mint to taste. Sprinkle the chops with salt and rub lamb chops with one tablespoon of mixture each. I rarely get chops because of the huge difference in price between them and a rack of lamb, so I get a rack, which has 8 lamb chops, and use it with that. You’d have to adjust the amount for a leg of lamb. The flavor is amazing. If you are using Aussie lamb, you might squeeze a little lemon juice over it before using the rub to take away the gamey flavor if you don’t like it. I hope this works for you.

      • jo says

        January 18, 2016 at 1:45 pm

        Sounds amazing, thanks so much Linda! Will try it with my rack. 🙂

  3. Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says

    March 31, 2015 at 1:14 am

    5 stars
    It took me a while to love lamb. When I lived in the states it was just too darned expensive. It might be cheaper now but it was really expensive 20 years ago. It’s reasonably priced here and my husband loves it so I learned to love it too. He’d be over the moon if this were on the table.

    Reply
    • jo says

      March 31, 2015 at 9:35 am

      I’m sure it’s still expensive in the states, just like it is in Canada, especially the lamb chops, they always cost a small fortune.

      Reply
  4. Nagi@RecipeTinEats says

    March 30, 2015 at 6:09 pm

    5 stars
    Not a huge fan of lamb?? JO!! I’m horrified!! (I’m in Australia….we love our lamb!)

    Well, for someone who doesn’t cook lamb often, you’ve nailed it! This is a classic and looks perfectly cooked and juicy!

    Reply
    • jo says

      March 30, 2015 at 6:14 pm

      LOL Thanks Nagi, but it’s true! Maybe it’s an acquired taste and eating it once a year doesn’t cut it.

      Reply
  5. Justine | Cooking and Beer says

    March 30, 2015 at 1:16 pm

    I am seriously jealous of your photography of meat. Haha. I strive to be as amazing as you. 😉 Love this recipe for lamb!

    Reply
    • jo says

      March 30, 2015 at 3:11 pm

      You’re too kind Justine, thank you. 🙂

      Reply
      • David Neale says

        June 16, 2019 at 6:21 pm

        Thank-you, Jo, for this wonderful Roast Leg of lamb … I am British, and we eat a lot more lamb here than, I suspect, most Americans. I have a large leg of lamb to cook this coming weekend, and I will be using your recipe … the photographs, ( as someone else has said … amazing beautiful ) … have decided me. I am utterly astonished that lamb is so very expensive in the United States … a large leg of lamb here would, typically, cost around £25 to £30, around one-third the price you cite as the price in the USA. I imagine it is simply a function of supply and demand. Here, by contrast, it is virtually impossible to purchase grits … there is no demand, although i love grits … and if Dungeness Crab were available, which it isn’t, it would cost a king’s ransom. Can’t wait to try your recipe!

      • Nicole Beaulieu says

        June 17, 2019 at 10:22 am

        We’re up in Canada and it’s pretty hard to find grits here as well! I think you’ll love this recipe 🙂

Primary Sidebar

Joanna Cismaru

Hey there!

I'm Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

Read More…
cover for the big book of jo's quick and easy meals.

My Cookbook

Pre-Order Now: Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound | Books-A-Million

Never miss a recipe!

Subscribe and get a FREE dinner recipes ebook!

Sign me up

Dinner Recipes

a wooden spoon lifting a salisbury steak out of the skillet

Salisbury Steak

closeup of beef stew in a dutch oven with a ladle inside.

Beef Stew

overhead shot of zucchini lasagna in a baking dish

Zucchini Lasagna

a white bowl full with american goulash and a fork inside stacked on top of an empty bowl

American Goulash (Chop Suey)

two plate with sloppy joes and buns next to a greens salad

Sloppy Joes

beef barley soup in a white bowl with a spoon inside.

Beef Barley Soup

overhead shot of chicken broccoli and rice casserole in a pot

One Pot Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

creamy chicken lazone in a skillet garnished with parsley.

Chicken Lazone

Popular Now

a hand dipping a chicken tender in ranch dressing

Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

a fork stabbing a garlic butter steak bite in a skillet full of them

Garlic Butter Steak Bites

a prime rib roast sliced on a plate

Prime Rib Roast

side view shot of a cinnamon bun with a bite taken out of it on a plate

Cinnabons Cinnamon Rolls

side view shot of a hand dipping a piece of naan bread into the bowl of chicken tikka masala

Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

close up of the layers on the homemade croissant

Homemade Croissants

overhead shot of crusty bread loaf

No Knead Bread

side view shot of two halves of a chicken salad sandwich stacked on a plate exposing the centers

The Best Chicken Salad

Jo Cooks...

Flavors from around the world

No matter what household we have all grown up in, there is something that has brought us all together here and that is a love and appreciation of food. Food that is from cultures and cuisines across the world has always been a staple of the blog. I'm excited to bring you all a taste of each corner of the earth, every last bite seasoned to perfection and served up with love - from my kitchen to yours.
kung pao chicken over a bed of rice with 2 chopsticks.

Asian

closeup of italian mac and cheese in a white bowl with a big serving spoon.

Italian

chimichangas on a serving platter on a bed of lettuce garnished with salsa and sour cream.

Mexican

a bunch of crepes folded on a plate.

Romanian

a bunch of naan on a cutting board garnished with parsley.

Indian

red lentil hummus in a big black bowl garnished with a bit of smoked paprika.

Middle Eastern

Trending Now

overhead shot of oven baked chicken breasts in a baking dish

Baked Chicken Breast

overhead shot of oven baked chicken thighs in a pan

Oven Baked Chicken Thighs

a whole roast chicken surrounded by potatoes

Roast Chicken

a prime rib roast sliced on a plate

Prime Rib Roast

Browse All
  • Easy Dinners
  • Instant Pot
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • Chicken Recipes
  • Desserts
  • Recipe Index

Featured On

today logo.
huffpost logo.
the washington post logo.
jezebel logo.
countryliving logo.
good housekeeping logo.
lifehack logo.
buzzfeed logo.
mashable logo.
woman's day logo.
health logo.
better homes & gardens logo.
delish logo.
healthline logo.
nbc news logo.
blogloving logo.
university of washington logo.
shape logo.
Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube
  • Recipe Index
  • Cookbooks
  • About Jo
  • Contact
  • visit my other site: Craving Home Cooked
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
© 2021 · All Rights Reserved · Back to Top
Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window

Subscribe and get a free dinner recipes ebook!

2008shares
  • 35
  • 12