Melt-in-the-mouth leg of lamb

The roast leg of lamb is a classic and much-loved dish for festive occasions such as Easter Sunday, Christmas dinner, or any other family gathering. Its ultra-tender, melt-in-the-mouth meat is a true delight for any guest. It’s a simple dish to prepare, just as easy as cooking poultry in the oven, perfect for entertaining without spending hours in the kitchen.

In less than 15 minutes, you’ve prepared your leg of lamb, which can then cook at your leisure while you take care of the side dishes. Simply ask your butcher to bone the leg if you wish, then coat it with an aromatic preparation before putting it in the oven.

Meanwhile, you can prepare a delicious side dish, such as oven-roasted pan-fried baby potatoes and mushrooms with balsamic vinegar. Simple, but so tasty

juicy, melting oven-baked leg of lamb

Table of Contents

Video recipe

Ingredients for Roast Leg of Lamb

NB: You’ll find the printable recipe card at the end of this article, as well as a FAQ with tips.

1 boneless leg of lamb (2.5 kg / 5.5 lb), or ask your butcher to bone it.
Count on 300 to 350 g of raw lamb (before boning) per person
4 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons of butter
1 teaspoon of sweet paprika
3 sprigs of fresh thyme (If you don’t have any, you can use only rosemary, or vice versa. Dried thyme also works.)
2 sprigs of rosemary
Salt and pepper

For the sides

500 g (1.1 lb) baby potatoes
300 g white button mushrooms
3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons of herbes de Provence
Salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Fresh rosemary and thyme

Preparing the leg

Preparation steps

Before getting started, please read the FAQ below.

Start by preparing the side dish for the leg of lamb.

Wash the baby potatoes thoroughly and place them in a saucepan. Cover with water and cook for about 20 minutes.

A skewer inserted into the potato should slide in easily.

Drain in a colander.

Wash and drain the mushrooms.

In an ovenproof dish, combine all the ingredients and add the potatoes and mushrooms. Cut a few potatoes in half.

Toss everything well so the vegetables are fully coated with the marinade. Top with sprigs of thyme and rosemary.

Bake about 15 minutes before the end of the lamb’s cooking time.

Cooking the leg of lamb

The leg of lamb should be at room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 150°C / 302 °F (fan-assisted). You can also place it in a cold oven.

Mix the softened butter with the sweet paprika, the leaves from one sprig of rosemary and one sprig of thyme.

Trim the leg of lamb, remove any stamps (ink markings) that may be on the meat, and cut away any excess fat around it.

Lightly salt the inside and season with pepper.

how to prepare a leg of lamb in the oven

preparation of oven-roasted leg of lamb

Insert the 4 garlic cloves if your leg of lamb is boneless. If it’s not boneless, make a small incision in the shank (the meatiest part) and two more in the leaner part of the leg, then insert the garlic cloves.

Rub the entire leg with the softened butter, massaging it well.

Reform the leg by securing it with wooden skewers, as shown in the photo below.

You can tie it with kitchen twine or sew it, but this method is easier.

Place the leg of lamb, meaty side up, in an ovenproof dish, and lay the bones next to it.

leg of lamb baked to perfection

Place the leg of lamb in a preheated oven at 150°C (300°F) using a fan (convection) setting.
If you don’t have a convection oven, don’t worry, conventional heat works just fine.

Every 20 minutes, baste the leg with its juices. You’ll need about 2 hours and 30 minutes of cooking time for tender, juicy meat.

Turn the leg 2 to 4 times during cooking, basting it each time. This will help it brown evenly.

If it browns too quickly before the end of the cooking time, cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil and continue roasting.

If the juices begin to reduce too much or start to burn, add a small glass of water.

Ten minutes before the end of the cooking time, place the dish with the baby potatoes and mushrooms in the oven.

After 2 hours and 30 minutes, remove the leg of lamb from the oven and cover it with aluminum foil for 15 to 30 minutes. This will make the meat even more tender.

Transfer to a serving platter and surround it with the roasted potatoes and mushrooms.

Collect the pan juices. If they’ve reduced too much, add half a glass of water and boil for a minute in a saucepan.

Drizzle a little of the juice over the lamb, top with a sprig of rosemary, and serve.
melt-in-the-mouth leg of lamb meat

FAQ – Roast Leg of Lamb

How do you determine the weight of the leg of lamb per person?

Allow 300 g to 350 g of raw leg (bone-in) per person. Plan on a 2 kg leg of lamb for about 6 people. If you want leftovers, it’s a good idea to choose a larger leg.

How do you get tender, juicy meat?

Note: See our detailed cooking tips in this post: Successfully Cooking Leg of Lamb

Always use a leg at room temperature. If frozen, place it in the fridge the day before and take it out one hour before cooking to come to room temperature.

Low-temperature slow cooking is your best ally. The leg of lamb cooks slowly and develops a beautiful golden color. Slow cooking keeps all the juices in the meat, making it tender and juicy. The lower the temperature, the longer the cooking time.

I therefore recommend a happy medium: cooking at 150°C (302°F) is perfect, and the baking time should not exceed 3 hours. If you have more time, you can lower the temperature to 120°C (248°F) and cook it longer. At the end of cooking, if the leg hasn’t browned enough, you can use the oven’s grill function to brown it for about ten minutes.

Never pierce the leg to speed up cooking. I’ve seen some people do this, but it only dries out the meat as the juices escape.

For cooking time, allow about 30 minutes per 500 g of meat for well-cooked doneness.

You can use a meat thermometer to check the doneness. Insert the probe into the center of the fleshiest part of the meat. The temperature should be around 66°C (151°F) for medium, and if you prefer well-done, go up to 75°C (167°F).
the perfect way to cook roast lamb in the oven

How to know if the leg of lamb is cooked?

You can check the doneness by piercing the leg in the center. If the juice that comes out is red, the meat is undercooked, what is called “rare” or “bleu” cooking. The meat is medium when the juice is light pink. If the juice is clear, the meat is well cooked.

What side dishes?

A nice sauté of baby potatoes and button mushrooms is a crowd-pleaser and pairs wonderfully with the tender, juicy leg of lamb.

You can also serve other sides such as gratin dauphinois, green beans, asparagus, sweet potatoes, or buttered carrots with parsley.
oven-roasted lamb, ultra-melting