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!

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.

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.

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.

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

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!

5 from 9 votes

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Slow Roast Leg of Lamb

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

5 hrs

Marinate time

12 hrs

Total Time

5 hrs 15 mins

 

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!

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8

Calories: 451 kcal

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

Instructions

Lamb

1. Prepare the marinade by combining all of the marinade ingredients in a large ziploc bag.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. The next day, preheat your oven to 350 F degrees.

5. 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. 

6. 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.

7. Remove the lamb from the pan onto a platter. 

Gravy

1. Skim some of the fat from the pan drippings using a large spoon. 

2. 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.

3. Strain all the liquid into a bowl, then press all the liquid out of the onion and garlic using a spatula, for additional flavor.

4. 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.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Although I used a boneless leg of lamb, you could use one with bone in. Lamb shoulder would also work in this recipe.

 

Roasting time may differ based on the weight of the lamb. 

 

Store leftover lamb in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

 

Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

 

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