Roasted boneless leg of lamb is full of flavor and perfect for special occasions and holidays. The boneless lamb is stuffed with rosemary, parsley, and garlic then rolled up and roasted until it’s pink, tender, and juicy. Perfect served with a salsa verde and roasted potatoes.
As Spring approaches, I find myself pondering the age-old question, “which meat should I roast for Easter?”.
While I love the fennel and orange flavor in porchetta and a tender, juicy prime rib, I almost always lean toward lamb and more specifically, this roasted boneless leg of lamb.
And since we’re on the topic of Easter, do make sure to make pizzagaina or Italian Easter bread for breakfast and Pastiera Napoletana for dessert. There. Now your whole meal is set! 🙂
Boneless leg of lamb is mild in flavor and tender enough to appeal to those who don’t always enjoy lamb which is perfect for Easter when you’re feeding a crowd.
And the garlicky herby filling seals the deal.
I usually serve with a salsa verde as well as it pairs perfectly with the roasted lamb.
My salsa verde recipe doesn’t include mint, however, when I’m making it to serve with lamb, I always add mint in addition to the parsley.
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Preheat the oven to 450f and set the rack to the middle level. Begin by mincing 5 cloves of garlic into a paste. Also, cut another 10 cloves of garlic into pointed slices for stuffing later on. Mince 5 tablespoons of fresh rosemary and a 1/4 cup of parsley.
- Dry off the leg of lamb with paper towels (this will help with better roasting). In pic 2, I am demonstrating how the lamb should look after being rolled. You want a cylinder formation for even cooking.
- Open the lamb up (inside facing up) and drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil on the lamb’s interior. Season with half of the kosher salt and pepper and all of the garlic paste. Note: Use 3/4 to 1 teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of meat for the whole roast.
- Sprinkle all of the parsley and half of the rosemary into the inside of the lamb. Lay pieces of butcher’s twine out and tie the lamb tightly into a cylinder. In the accompanying YouTube video, I demonstrated how to tie a butcher’s knot. You don’t need to do this, but it does help to get a tighter cylinder. In the pic above I simply tied regular knots about 2 inches apart.
- Once the boneless leg of lamb is securely tied, begin cutting slits into all of the exterior areas of the lamb. Make each slit about 2 inches apart and the depth of the garlic clove pieces.
- Push the garlic pieces into the slits. Don’t worry about using all of the garlic, but try to get a good amount in there. If you love garlic, take your time and get it in there!
- Coat the lamb with the remaining olive oil. Use your hands tospread it all over. Season the lamb’s exterior with the remaining salt, pepper, and rosemary.
- Place the seasoned lamb on a wire rack in a roasting pan. Pour 1 1/2 cups of water into the roasting pan making sure to not pour too high and hit the lamb’s underside.
- Roast the lamb for 15 minutes then turn the heat down to 350f. Continue roasting until the internal temp reaches 130f. Once the temp hits that level, remove the lamb from the oven and tent with foil for 10-15 minutes before carving. During the resting stage, the interior of the lamb will climb to 135-140f making it a perfect medium-rare to medium. If you want it more on the rare side remove the lamb at 120-125f internal temp. Note: It is so much easier to use an oven-safe digital thermometer for accurate cooking. Simply place the probe exactly into the center of the lamb and set the temp timer to your liking. Regardless, the lamb should take about 15-20 minutes per pound to cook so make sure you keep an eye on the time as a small roast can cook quickly.
- After 10 to 15 minutes of resting, slice the lamb. The outside parts will be the most well cooked and the center will be the rarest. Enjoy!
Top tips for perfect roasted boneless leg of lamb
- The lamb. Boneless leg of lamb can run the gamut when it comes to pricing. When we were buying ours for the dish, we priced it anywhere from $6.99 to $14.99 per pound. We decided to try the $6.99/pound from Costco and were not disappointed, although we did find that the lamb we used for our video last year was a bit more tender. The lamb in the video was pricier as it was purchased at our local butcher.
- The temperature. We cooked the lamb until it was 130f to achieve a medium-rare center. We prefer our lamb to be on the medium-rare to medium side as opposed to beef which can be a bit rarer. Use an oven-safe digital thermometer to ensure the temperature is exactly where you want it.
- The seasoning. We love the combination of rosemary and garlic with lamb and included parsley in this as well. Another great option would be to use mint and/or oregano. Feel free to use whichever herbs you prefer.
- Resting. As with any roasted (or grilled) meat, it’s best to just let it rest for 10-15 minutes before carving. This allows the moisture to reabsorb back into the meat and ensures a juicy roast!
- Making ahead. You can definitely prepare the uncooked lamb a day ahead of time with the herbs and garlic. It will achieve similar results to a dry brine if stored uncovered in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours. Remove the lamb from the fridge about 2 hours prior to roasting.
What to serve with rosemary and garlic roasted boneless leg of lamb
- Crispy roasted potatoes – With Lemon and garlic, these are our favorite side to serve with lamb!
- Roasted garlic mashed potatoes – Airy mashed potatoes filled with buttery garlic flavor.
- Green beans with tomato sauce – Similar to the Greek version that’s often served with lamb in Greek restaurants.
- Baked cauliflower – With Pecorino cheese, Sicilian oregano, and breadcrumbs.
- Baked artichoke hearts – Canned artichoke hearts in a white wine, lemon, garlic mixture topped with seasoned breadcrumbs.
- Roasted broccoli – with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Italian American Lasagna – More of a first course than a side, we almost always make lasagna for Easter in addition to lamb.
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Roasted Boneless Leg of Lamb with Rosemary and Garlic
Ingredients
- 1 boneless leg of lamb about 5 pounds
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 10 cloves garlic roughly sliced
- 1/4 cup parsley minced
- 5 tablespoons rosemary chopped
- 5 teaspoons kosher salt or 1 teaspoon per pound of meat
- 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450f and set the rack to on the middle level.
- Trim the leg of lamb interior of any large excess fat pieces. Dry off the lamb with paper towels then spread it out, interior facing up, onto a large cutting board. Drizzle with half of the olive oil. Season the lamb's interior with half of the kosher salt, pepper, and rosemary. Also, add all of the parsley and minced garlic to the interior.
- Roll the leg of lamb into a cylinder (to ensure even cooking) and tie it tightly. If you know how to tie a butcher's knot, now is the time to do it. Otherwise, tie it every 1-2 inches to secure.
- Cut small slits into the lamb's exterior and insert the garlic slices. Coat the lamb with the remaining olive oil and season the exterior with the remaining salt, pepper, and rosemary.
- Place the lamb in a roasting pan elevated with a wire rack. Pour 1 1/2 cups of water into the pan making sure the water doesn’t rise to the bottom of the lamb.
- Roast the lamb for 15 minutes, then turn the heat down to 350f. Cook the lamb until the center of the lamb achieves 130f for medium-rare after resting. Use an oven-safe digital thermometer or check with an instant-read thermometer during cooking to get the temp just right. The lamb should take about 15-20 minutes per pound to cook.
- When the lamb is finished roasting, remove it to a cutting board, and let it sit lightly tented with foil for 10-15 minutes. Remove the twine and cut it into slices. Enjoy!
Notes
- 3/4 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt per pound of lamb is recommended. If you are on a low sodium diet, cut back to your personal preference.
- Use an oven-safe digital thermometer for accurate stress-free roasting.
- Make sure to let the lamb rest for 10-15 minutes before carving. This will allow the juices to reabsorb into the roast.
- Tying a cylinder ensures even cooking. A butcher’s knot is the best way to tie a tight cylinder. The accompanying video on YouTube shows how to tie the knot.
- Leftovers can be saved in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delicious!!! Made it exactly as suggested. Served with Mint jelly. We had delicious lamb sandwiches today!!! Thanks for the great recipe!!!
So happy you enjoyed, Dee!
Thank you
would you recommend using the convection fan for this roast?
Hi Allison, our recipe is written for a conventional oven. For convection ovens, you may need to reduce the temp by 25 degrees and reduce the time as well (it will likely need 75% of the time).
The lamb turned out beautifully. My family said it was the best that I had made. Thank you for helping me to become a chef for a moment.
We’re so happy to hear this, Debra! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for the easy wonderful recipe. I made this and the kemon potatoes for a dinner at my in-laws. Itwas a hit!
Make ita great day,
Shauna
Best lamb roast ever. Roosted right on the oven rack with a pan under it. I took it out at 135F internal temp. Put in tinfoil and covered it with a thick kitchen towel folded in half let it rest for 1 hr.
Sliced like a dream. Full of flavor.
We’re so happy you enjoyed it, Pirike!
Turned out great. Simple to prepare.
We’re so happy you enjoyed it, Pamela!
Awesome recipe so simple and delicious!
We’re so happy you enjoyed, Gloria!
Great recipe! Thank you! Even a friend who does not eat a lot of meat loved it and a professional chef. I used mint instead of the parsley.
We’re so happy you enjoyed this one, Klyea-Rose!
A really great recipe. I’ve cooked many legs of lamb over the years and this was the best. Everyone loved it!
Excellent and delious.
Twelve discerning guests were very complimentary are your recipe and my execution of it for boneless leg of lamb with garlic and herbs. Thank you so very much
I did salt and add the garlic and herbs 28 hours before cooking. Acted like a dry brine
Tender and taste
We’re so happy you and your guests enjoyed! Thanks for the comment!
Every one of your recipes are the perfect wonderful easy to follow and delicious
Good straight forward recipe. Thanks!!
You do an incredible job with this video, making old timers think we can get back and do it ourselves. Thank you. We will be back. Haven’t had a really good leg of lamb since we moved from our old farmhouse into a condo. West out for Easter, and just got hungry for the real thing. Thank you for humoring us. This will be Friday night! nf
I made the boneless leg of lamb for Easter 2024, which was my first time cooking lamb. I like the seasoning ingredients especially the garlic but I did not insert them on the outside since I didnโt want it to overwhelm. I spread OO on it and seasoned the meat inside/out and let the rolled up lamb sit with the herbs for about 7 hours in the refrigerator and room temp for 1 before roasting. I roasted it until 130f but I would have preferred it medium-cooked. Next time with my oven I will roast it to 135f degrees. Good recipe and Iโll use it again next time I roast a boneless leg of lamb.
Iโm updating my earlier post. I made the boneless leg of lamb today for Easter and it was amazing. Tasted just like my father used to make. Mine was 4.50 lbs and I followed your instructions exactly and it was amazing. Even my daughter, who doesnโt like lamb, ate 3 slices. Hope you and your family had a wonderful Easter.
Thank you so much for teaching me how to cook Lamb. The video so helpful especially for the tying the roast properly. I love rosemary and garlic and will definitely make this for my family! Happy Easter!
My leg of lamb was only 1.4lbs so it was only in the oven for 40 minutes to reach 130 so it wasn’t getting brown. I turned the broiler on for a few minutes after 30 minutes cooking to get some browning and then turned back down to 350 until it reached 130.
Made a small one…2lbs for the wife and myself Easter 2024. FANTASTIC! Thank you sir!