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Dinner Lamb
4.7 from 32 votes

Slow Roast Leg of Lamb

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By: Joanna Cismaru 20 Comments

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

This delicious Slow Roast Leg of Lamb recipe is boneless, 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

Slow Roast Leg of Lamb

If you’ve never been a fan of lamb before, this recipe is sure to make you love it. This is the best way to cook lamb! The vinegar based marinade tones down the gaminess of the lamb and, paired with the slow roast, creates the most incredibly flavored and tender meat.

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 recipe made a believer out of me! I am now a huge fan of lamb. Lamb can be quite costly, which is why if you’re going to spend the money, you might as well do it right. You’ll have one unforgettable dinner, plus you’ll be a rockstar!

Slow Roast Leg of Lamb in a pan

Ingredients

Keep scrolling to the recipe card for a list of FULL ingredient amounts and instructions or click the “Jump to Recipe” button at the top of the page!

  • Onions
  • Fresh rosemary
  • Fresh parsley
  • Garlic
  • Salt & pepper
  • Olive oil
  • White vinegar

I used white onion for this recipe, but any type will work. If you wanted to change the flavor a bit, using red or white wine vinegar would be amazing as well. For marinades, I prefer to use fresh herbs. You don’t need any heat to really pull out all that awesome flavor!

For the lamb you will need:

  • Leg of lamb, boneless or bone-in
  • Garlic
  • Chicken broth
  • Olive oil
  • Water

For the gravy you will need:

  • Tomato paste
  • Cornstarch
  • Water
Slow Roast Leg of Lamb - making gravy from pan drippings.

How to Make Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb

  1. Marinate the lamb: Combine all the marinade ingredients in a large ziploc bag. Poke holes in the lamb with a small, sharp knife and insert sliced pieces of fresh garlic into the holes (optional). Add the lamb to the bag, zip it closed, and toss the bag to distribute the marinade evenly. Let it marinate in the fridge for at least 12 hours, and up to 2 days.
  2. Roast the lamb: Preheat your oven to 350 F. Quarter the onions, smash the garlic cloves, and add them to your roasting pan. Place the lamb on top of the onions, with the fat side up. Discard any excess marinade. Add the chicken broth and water to the pan, then drizzle the olive oil over the lamb. Cover well with foil and bake for 4 hours. Remove the foil, ladle some juices over the lamb, and return it to the oven for a final hour uncovered.
  3. Make the gravy: Pour the pan drippings through a sieve into a saucepan. Skim any excess fat. Bring the drippings to a simmer and whisk in the tomato paste. Create a slurry by mixing the corn starch and water together. Pour the slurry into the gravy as it simmers while whisking. You can add more or less of the slurry to create your desired consistency.

How to Make Leg of Lamb in a Pressure Cooker or Slow Cooker

After your lamb has marinated, sear it on all sides. Add the onion and garlic, then place the lamb on top. Add the water, chicken broth, and oil to the pot. Let everything cook on high pressure for 90 minutes, or in the slow cooker on LOW for 10 hours. Put the lamb under the broiler of your oven if you’d like the exterior to be more crisp after it’s done cooking.

Slow Roast Leg of Lamb shredded on a platter

Leftovers

Got leftovers? No problem! Store leftover cooked lam in airtight containers in the fridge for 3 to 4 days!

What to Serve With Leg of Lamb

  • Italian Parmesan Roasted Potatoes
  • Mashed Potatoes
  • Old Fashioned Green Beans
  • Garlic Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts
  • Balsamic Parmesan Roasted Asparagus and Tomatoes
Slow Roast Leg of Lamb on a bed of mashed potatoes

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

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

overhead shot of slow roasted leg of lamb on a plate with mashed potatoes brussel sprouts and asparagus
Print
4.69 from 32 votes

Slow Roast Leg of Lamb

Prep 15 minutes
Marinate time 12 hours
Cook 5 hours
Total 5 hours 15 minutes
Rate Recipe
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!
8

Ingredients

Marinade

  • 2 medium onions (white, diced)
  • 2 tablespoon rosemary (fresh, chopped)
  • ¼ cup parsley (fresh, chopped)
  • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • ½ teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ½ cup white vinegar

Lamb

  • 5 pound 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)
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 cup water

Gravy

  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon water

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

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.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 451kcal (23%)Carbohydrates: 8g (3%)Protein: 38g (76%)Fat: 28g (43%)Saturated Fat: 5g (31%)Cholesterol: 114mg (38%)Sodium: 432mg (19%)Potassium: 675mg (19%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 2g (2%)Vitamin A: 215IU (4%)Vitamin C: 8.7mg (11%)Calcium: 43mg (4%)Iron: 4mg (22%)
© Author Joanna Cismaru

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.

overhead shot of slow roasted leg of lamb on a plate with mashed potatoes brussel sprouts and asparagus

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Joanna Cismaru

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.

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20 Comments
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Caralee Jones
Caralee Jones
Posted: 2 years ago

My family has raised lamb for over 100yrs. So, as you might imagine, we were introduced to it at a very young age. Today, after picking my mint to make mint jelly, I pulled out a small leg roast and am going to use your recipe. The house is very much smelling like a good meal in the works! I’ll be using garden grown onions, red and yellow carrots, purple potatoes, and asparagus to accompany this. My mouth is watering in anticipation. How will I ever make to tomorrow night!

0
Reply
Loretta Jasper
Loretta Jasper
Posted: 2 years ago

5 stars
Fabulous recipe Jo, I have made this specifically for making “Gyros”…yum, soooo good!!! I really love all your recipes and look forward to seeing more …..I am a happy camper when you show up in my mail box….Love you….Hugs , Loretta

0
Reply
Jo Cooks Team
Jo Cooks Team
Reply to  Loretta Jasper
Posted: 2 years ago

That’s fabulous, we’re so glad you love the recipe!

0
Reply
HELEN DELANEY
HELEN DELANEY
Posted: 3 years ago

I’ve used a similar marinade for years for lamb. In place of the vinegar I use lemon juice and grill the lamb on a grey coal fire for aprox 30 min. Meat is unbelieveably tender and flavorful. I used a mince sauce since it’s difficult to make a gravy from grilling.

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  HELEN DELANEY
Posted: 3 years ago

I’ll have to try this next time, Helen. 🙂

0
Reply
Diloy
Diloy
Posted: 4 years ago

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!

0
Reply
Nicole Beaulieu
Nicole Beaulieu
Reply to  Diloy
Posted: 4 years ago

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.

0
Reply
Lynda K
Lynda K
Posted: 4 years ago

5 stars
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!

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Lynda K
Posted: 4 years ago

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!

0
Reply
Connie Downing
Connie Downing
Posted: 4 years ago

5 stars
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!

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Connie Downing
Posted: 4 years ago

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

0
Reply
Lori @ RecipeGirl
Lori @ RecipeGirl
Posted: 4 years ago

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

0
Reply
Aysegul Sanford
Aysegul Sanford
Posted: 4 years ago

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

0
Reply
Toni | Boulder Locavore
Toni | Boulder Locavore
Posted: 4 years ago

5 stars
Perfect dinner any night of the week!

0
Reply
Jennifer Farley
Jennifer Farley
Posted: 4 years ago

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

0
Reply
Joanne
Joanne
Posted: 4 years ago

5 stars
Wonderfully tender, and so perfect for holidays!

0
Reply
Carrie
Carrie
Posted: 4 years ago

5 stars
Looks wonderful , thanks for sharing

0
Reply
Melissa Sperka
Melissa Sperka
Posted: 4 years ago

5 stars
So tender and flavorful!

0
Reply
PattiAnn
PattiAnn
Posted: 4 years ago

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.

0
Reply
Nicole Beaulieu
Nicole Beaulieu
Reply to  PattiAnn
Posted: 4 years ago

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

0
Reply

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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
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