Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb

Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb is easy to make, tender and flavorful. Stuffed with garlic and fresh rosemary, served with roasted vegetables. A popular Sunday Roast, Easter Lunch or dinner that you can enjoy any day of the week!

Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb is Australian as Apple Pie is to Americans. Many people consider Roast Lamb as the Australian National Dish, and for good reason. The Aussie lamb is absolutely delicious, a family favorite Sunday Roast dinner.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Flavorful - stuffed with garlic and rosemary to maximum taste
• Feeds a crowd - a whole leg roast feeds a family and more
• Forgiving - you can't screw this up, if not tender enough, just put back into oven for another 45 minutes - fool proof and tender!
• Traditional - perfect Easter Lamb recipe, Sunday Roast dinner tradition

Ingredients You'll Need

• large lamb leg - at room temperature
• garlic heads - you'll need 4 heads for this recipe!
• fresh rosemary
• onions
• salt and pepper
• beef broth
• red wine

Bone-In vs Boneless Lamb Roast

Bone-In Lamb Roast - lamb leg on the joint is the tastiest cut of lamb for roasting. Lamb tastes better as the flavors of the bone get transferred to the meat. However this method takes longer to cook.

Boneless Lamb Roast - faster method to cook lamb leg as the lamb roast weighs less and cooks quicker without the bone. It's rolled and tied into an oval shape, an easy carve roast.

How to Cook Leg of Lamb

Slow Roasting Leg of Lamb takes times, up to 5 hours if necessary. Don't rush this recipe, plan ahead as it's meant to be fully cooked, and fall apart tender. This lamb recipe is for a 5½ lbs (2.5kg) bone-in lamb leg.

1. Room Temperature - remove lamb from fridge and bring to room temperature
2. Season - rub salt and pepper all over the lamb leg
3. Stuff - make small but deep incisions with a knife all over the lamb leg and stuff each hole with small pieces of garlic and fresh rosemary
4. Arrange Pan - place whole garlic heads, rosemary and quartered onions into roasting pan, sit lamb on top of the onions and garlic heads
5. Liquids - pour the broth and wine into pan
6. Roast - cover with foil and roast at 150°C/300°F for about 4 hours until it starts to come off the bone. Remove foil and roast to crisp up for another 30 minutes
7. Rest - loosely cover with foil and rest for 15 minutes

Covering the roasting pan with foil makes for juicy cooking environment. Take off the foil for the last 30 minutes of cooking, to brown the lamb. Otherwise it looks a bit steamed and not golden brown.

Lamb Gravy From Pan Juices

Slow cooked leg of lamb in red wine makes a delicious lamb gravy. It's the sauce that finishes off the meal!

1. Strain - separate the pan juices and solids, and skim any extra fat away, add extra beef stock or water if needed
2. Heat - pour into saucepan on medium-high heat
3. Thicken - make a slurry of ½ teaspoon of cornstarch and 1 teaspoon of water. Whisk in the slurry and cook for a few minutes until it thickens
4. Adjust - add extra broth (or a splash of boiling water) to thin the gravy or extra cornstarch slurry to thicken if necessary, and season

Recipe Tips and FAQs

• Plan ahead - this recipe can take 6 hours to slow roast, start early enough to ensure you eat dinner on time!
• Room Temp - take the lamb leg out of the fridge an hour before roasting to bring up to room temperature
• Herbs - substitute rosemary with oregano or thyme, or use dried herbs
• Lamb Shoulder - this recipe works great with lamb shoulder as well
• Roasted Garlic - don't waste the roasted garlic heads, squeeze out the garlic and serve alongside your lamb

Slow Lamb Roast Guidelines

• 4 lb (2kg) lamb roast - cook for 4.5 hours plus browning for 30 minutes
• 5 lb (2½ kg) lamb roast - cook for 5 hours plus browning for 30 minutes
• 6 lb (3kg) lamb roast- cook for 5½ hours plus browning for 30 minutes

What to make with Roast Lamb Leftovers?

If you happen to have leftover Slow Cooked Lamb, you probably want to change up how you enjoy your leftovers.

• Lamb Sandwiches - slice the lamb to make sandwiches for lunch the next day
• Shepherd's Pie - finely chop up the lamb to make a Shepherds Pie
• Australian Meat Pie - nothing beats roast lamb in a pie
• Pita Kebab - shred the lamb and place it inside a pita bread to make a kebab, drizzling it with a Yogurt Garlic Sauce
• Easy Pizza - use as a meat topping with grated cheese, lamb, red onion, olives and feta

Reheating Lamb Roast

Reheating lamb can be tricky as it often dries out! I always pour the leftover gravy over the lamb to keep it moist. You can heat in microwave as well.

1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.
2. Sprinkle beef stock or leftover gravy over the leftover lamb. Cover with foil and place into oven.
3. Heat for about 20 minutes until heated through. Serve immediately.

Serving Vegetables with Lamb

Cooking vegetables and lamb in the same pan will save time. However, it can make the greener vegetables mushy and they will lose color and crispness (root veggies will be ok). Cook vegetables separately, and serve on a platter when serving. Here are some great vegetable side dish suggestions.

• Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
• Honey Roasted Carrots
• Garlic Butter Green Beans
• Crispy Moroccan Roasted Potatoes
• Garlic Roasted Asparagus
• Roasted Broccoli Parmesan
• Truffle Mashed Potatoes
• Grilled Zucchini

You will love this Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb recipe, fork tender and tasty. For a faster lamb roast recipe, check out my Instant Pot Greek Lamb Roast, which can be even made after work for a weeknight dinner. You can't go wrong with lamb! Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!

©PetersFoodAdventures.com *originally posted April 2019, updated March 2023