roast lamb

Roast lamb brings juicy, flavorful meat with crisp edges. Uses just 7 ingredients and cooks in about 2 hours for an easy hands-off dinner.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Total Time 2 1

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Calories: 525

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

Roast lamb

2 kg bone-in leg of lamb
5 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil

Method

Take the lamb out of the fridge about 30–45 minutes before roasting, so it cooks evenly.
Heat your oven to 220°C (428°F). That's hotter than most recipes say, but it'll give you a nice crust before turning it down for a tender center.
Chop the garlic and herbs finely. Mix them with the olive oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. I use a mortar and pestle for the herbs if I want an extra punch of flavor.
Pat the lamb dry with paper towels. Rub the herby oil mixture all over the lamb — don’t forget the underside and any nooks near the bone.
Set the lamb in a roasting pan, fat side up. Roast at 220°C for 20 minutes.
Lower the oven temperature to 160°C (320°F) and keep roasting for about 100 more minutes (so just over 2 hours for a 2kg leg). I start checking the internal temp at 90 minutes — you're aiming for about 60°C (140°F) in the thickest part for medium-rare.
Rest the lamb on a board (covered loosely with foil) for at least 15–20 minutes before slicing. This keeps juices in the meat, not on your cutting board.

Notes

Roast lamb was Sunday dinner at my house growing up. I keep coming back to it because you get maximum flavor for minimum hands-on work—nothing fussy, just solid, good food.

Tips for juicy, flavorful lamb

Letting the meat come to room temperature makes a bigger difference than you'd think. Cold lamb straight from the fridge won't cook evenly.

I always rub half the salt on first, let it sit 10 minutes, then add the herb mix—it sets up a better crust. Score the fat lightly if you want deeper flavor from the rub, but skip this if there's barely any fat cap.

Your oven runs hot or cool? If the lamb browns too fast, loosely cover with foil. But only after the first 20 minutes, or you'll miss out on those crispy edges.

Don't skip the rest after roasting. If you carve it too soon, you'll watch all those juices leak out.

Substitutions and variations

Lamb shoulder works instead of leg, though it needs 20–30 minutes longer. Don't swap in boneless lamb here—the bone is key for that deep, slow-roasted flavor (and boneless dries out easier). Dried herbs are fine in a pinch, but halve the amount, as they're stronger than fresh.

Storage and leftovers

Leftovers keep four days in the fridge. Sliced cold, they’re great in grain bowls or tucked into pita with greens. The meat freezes well too—just wrap tightly and use within one month for best flavor.