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You are here: Home / Recipes / Slow Roast Leg of Lamb

Slow Roast Leg of Lamb

September 23, 2018 by Joanna Cismaru 15 Comments

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Last updated on November 4th, 2018 at 06:52 pm

This delicious Slow Roast Leg of Lamb is marinated overnight and slowly roasted to perfection. You’ll be rewarded with the most tender, succulent lamb that is totally worth the wait!

Slow Roast Leg of Lamb over a bed of mashed potatoes with gravy

If you’ve never been a fan of lamb before, this recipe is sure to make you love it. This is my favorite way to cook lamb and you always end up with the most tender, delicious and succulent lamb. This recipe is fool proof.

Growing up, my mom only used to make lamb for Easter or sometimes for Christmas, but that’s about it. She never liked lamb, still doesn’t, but she’d always cook it for my dad. I decided then that I didn’t like lamb. But then I got married, and hubs is a big fan of lamb which is why I started cooking it more often.

This leg of lamb recipe made a believer out of me. I am now a huge fan of lamb.

Slow Roast Leg of Lamb in a pan

First of all, this leg of lamb is marinated overnight in a simple marinade made with onion, garlic, herbs, oil and vinegar. The vinegar will remove much of the gamy flavor, which is why I love this lamb, and also tenderizes the meat. To greatly benefit from this marinade, I recommend marinating the lamb for at least 12 hours to 2 or days.

Secondly, the gravy is to die for, and it really is one of the simplest gravies to make, right in the roasting pan and it only takes a couple minutes. I wanted a tomatoey flavor to my gravy, so I added a bit of tomato paste to it, plus it adds a bit of acidity. If you’re wondering if all the vinegar that is in the marinade already makes the lamb acidic, it does not, not at all.

Lamb can be quite costly, which is why if you’re going to spend the money, you might as well do it right. If you do it right, you’ll have one unforgettable dinner, plus you’ll be a rockstar.

Slow Roast Leg of Lamb - making gravy from pan drippings.

HOW TO MAKE SLOW ROAST LEG OF LAMB

  • Make a simple marinate with half oil and half vinegar or wine, onion, garlic and herbs. Marinate the lamb for at least 12 hours to remove some of the gamy flavor and tenderize the meat.
  • The marinating time depends on the size and weight of the lamb. Larger cuts of meat will require a longer time for the marinade to penetrate the meat.
  • Add onions to the pan, and place the lamb on the onions so that it’s elevated and doesn’t touch the bottom of the pan. This will ensure even cooking.
  • Roast the lamb at 350 F degrees covered for 4 hours and uncovered for another hour until the lamb is nicely browned and has a nice crispy crust. The meat will be super tender and easily shredded with two forks or tongs.
  • Make gravy right in the roasting pan by adding cornstarch to it, a bit of tomato paste if preferred and then straining it out. This gravy will be full of flavor from all the pan drippings, but taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.

Slow Roast Leg of Lamb shredded on a platter

CRAVING MORE LAMB? TRY THESE RECIPES:

  • Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb
  • Greek Lamb Burgers
  • Rosemary and Garlic Leg of Lamb
  • Turkish Gozleme with Lamb
  • Rosemary Lamb Chops with Garlic Mint Sauce
  • Lamb Souvlaki

Slow Roast Leg of Lamb on a bed of mashed potatoes

If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #jocooks on Instagram so we can see it. I always love to see what you guys come up with!

Slow Roast Leg of Lamb

This delicious Slow Roast Leg of Lamb is marinated overnight and slowly roasted to perfection. You'll be rewarded with the most tender, succulent lamb that is totally worth the wait!
5 from 9 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: holiday recipe, lamb, leg of lamb, slow roast leg of lamb
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 hours
Marinate time: 12 hours
Total Time: 5 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 451kcal
Author: Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

Marinade

  • 2 medium onions white, diced
  • 2 tbsp rosemary fresh, chopped
  • 1/4 cup parsley fresh, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tsp salt or to taste
  • 1/2 tsp pepper or to taste
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup white vinegar

Lamb

  • 5 lb leg of lamb boneless
  • 4 cloves garlic cut in long strips
  • 2 medium onions quartered
  • 3 cloves garlic smashed
  • 1 cup chicken broth low sodium or no sodium added
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 cup water

Gravy

  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp water
US Customary - Metric
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Instructions

Lamb

  • Prepare the marinade by combining all of the marinade ingredients in a large ziploc bag.
  • Poke holes in the leg of lamb and insert a piece of the garlic that's cut into long strips, in each hole. This step is optional, but it gives the lamb a more garlicky flavor.
  • Place the leg of lamb in the ziploc bag, close it and toss it around so that the marinade goes all around the leg. Place the ziploc bag in the fridge and let it marinade overnight. I would recommend at least 12 hours to 2 or 3 days.
  • The next day, preheat your oven to 350 F degrees.
  • Place the quartered onions and smashed garlic in a large metal roasting pan then place the leg of lamb on top of the onions, fat side up. Discard the rest of the marinade. Add the chicken broth to the pan, the olive oil, drizzling some over the lamb, and the water. 
  • Cover the pan with aluminum foil and place the roasting pan in the oven. Roast the leg of lamb covered for 4 hours. Remove the aluminum foil from the pan and using a ladle, spoon some of the pan juices over the lamb. Place the pan (uncovered) back in the oven and roast for an additional hour or until well browned.
  • Remove the lamb from the pan onto a platter. 

Gravy

  • Skim some of the fat from the pan drippings using a large spoon. 
  • Place the pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Add the tomato paste when the liquid starts to bubble. In a little bowl whisk together the cornstarch with the water, then add it to the pan. Whisk everything together. There should be at least a couple cups of liquid in the pan, but if most of your liquid has evaporated, add more chicken broth or water. I only added 1 tbsp of cornstarch because I wanted a thinner gravy, but feel free to add more until you reach the desired consistency. Cook for a few minutes, until the gravy thickens a bit.
  • Strain all the liquid into a bowl, then press all the liquid out of the onion and garlic using a spatula, for additional flavor.
  • To serve, use two forks or tongs to tear or shred the meat and serve with the gravy over mashed potatoes or with roasted vegetables.

Video

Notes

  1. Although I used a boneless leg of lamb, you could use one with bone in. Lamb shoulder would also work in this recipe.
  2. Roasting time may differ based on the weight of the lamb. 
  3. Store leftover lamb in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
  4. Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 451kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 432mg | Potassium: 675mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 4.3% | Vitamin C: 10.5% | Calcium: 4.3% | Iron: 22.1%
tried this recipe? rate it belowtag @jocooks on instagram and hashtag it #jocooks!
This delicious Slow Roast Leg of Lamb is marinated overnight and slowly roasted to perfection. You'll be rewarded with the most tender, succulent lamb that is totally worth the wait! #legoflamb
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15 Comments

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Comments

  1. Diloy says

    October 8, 2018 at 2:15 pm

    Five hours seems like a long time. What should the internal temperature be when done? Looking forward to trying this in next few days. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Nicole Beaulieu says

      October 9, 2018 at 10:05 am

      We’re not looking for a medium rare roast- we’re looking for fall-apart tender lamb. You can reduce the temperature if you’d like, but 5 hours is really what we’re looking at to achieve that tender meat.

      Reply
  2. Lynda K says

    October 1, 2018 at 9:13 pm

    Wowza this was good. I have to say that lamb is usually not my go to meat, a little too gamy for me but this marinade made the difference. I marinaded for 24 hrs with a 3lb boneless leg of lamb and there was no gamy taste at all.
    I did use an in oven meat thermometer and it reached 165 degrees within 2 hours.
    What was even better was the sauuuuuuce. I will admit that when I saw tomato paste I was thinking it was going to taste like tomato sauce but it’s far from it. Both hubs and I really enjoyed this a lot. Thanks Jo for another great recipe!

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      October 2, 2018 at 9:46 am

      Oh I love hearing this, it seriously makes me so happy. I know I was a bit skeptical on the tomato paste but I wanted to try it and it really did work. 🙂 The vinegar in the marinade is what gets rid of that gamy taste, so so happy you guys enjoyed this!

      Reply
  3. Connie Downing says

    September 30, 2018 at 7:06 am

    I made this for lunch today – marinated overnight, and in the oven by 8 am. Leg of lamb was on offer for £7/kg, so a bargain price. Since I didn’t want to invest a huge amount just in case hubs didn’t like it, I got a small part leg (just over 1 kg weight). I took the bone out, but left in the roasting tin for flavor.

    It was a definite hit. Gravy was nice, and I served with a baked potato (in the oven during the browning time) and peas. Just enough left over for a healthy sandwich – and we ate well. Will post some pictures on Instagram in a bit.

    Best lamb I’ve ever cooked – will definitely be making this again, with a larger leg next time!

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      September 30, 2018 at 9:46 am

      Hi Connie! So happy you enjoyed this recipe, and I’m looking forward to seeing the pictures on Instagram. 🙂

      Reply
  4. Lori @ RecipeGirl says

    September 28, 2018 at 6:14 am

    We grew up eating lamb on my grandparent’s ranch. Delicious recipe!

    Reply
  5. Aysegul Sanford says

    September 28, 2018 at 5:33 am

    Who knew such a gorgeous dish was this easy to make. My husband will be so happy when i make this.

    Reply
  6. Toni | Boulder Locavore says

    September 27, 2018 at 8:01 pm

    Perfect dinner any night of the week!

    Reply
  7. Jennifer Farley says

    September 27, 2018 at 7:39 pm

    We are making this a regular meal at our house now!

    Reply
  8. Joanne says

    September 27, 2018 at 1:11 pm

    Wonderfully tender, and so perfect for holidays!

    Reply
  9. Carrie says

    September 27, 2018 at 12:16 pm

    Looks wonderful , thanks for sharing

    Reply
  10. Melissa Sperka says

    September 27, 2018 at 10:03 am

    So tender and flavorful!

    Reply
  11. PattiAnn says

    September 24, 2018 at 10:57 am

    Question? Do you think you could cut the lamb leg into two or three portions? Prepare one portion and freeze the other portion? Adjusting the marinade and roasting time acordingly?
    A 5 lb piece of lamb is a little too much for two servings, but I would like to try this recipe. I think marinating the lamb is a great idea.
    What do you think? Thanks for your help.

    Reply
    • Nicole Beaulieu says

      September 25, 2018 at 10:27 am

      You can definitely do that. With a piece that small I’d roast it for about 1 hour.

      Reply

Meet Jo

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.

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