Greek Roasted Leg of Lamb

Our Greek roasted leg of lamb has succulent, tender meat infused with rosemary and garlic accompanied by delicious crispy potatoes.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Greek

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 7

Marinating 12

Servings

Calories 728kcal

Author by Jenny Skrapaliori Graves

Ingredients

4½ lb leg of lamb preferably on the bone
2 lemons
5 rosemary sprigs
5 thyme sprigs
1 garlic head
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 lb Yukon gold potatoes
5 tablespoons butter
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground pepper
sea salt

Instructions

Marinate the lamb

In a food processor, add some lemon peel, the juice from one lemon, a couple of garlic cloves, ¼ cup of olive oil, rosemary leaves and sea salt and pepper. Pulse until they are roughly ground.
Rub the marinade all over the lamb. Make deep vertical cuts with the tip of your knife to the flesh and stuff them with a few rosemary leaves and a piece of garlic.
Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 3 to 12 hours.

When you are ready to roast

Important: Take the lamb out of the refrigerator an hour before cooking to allow it to reach room temperature.
In a food processor, add ¼ cup of olive oil, three or four garlic cloves, one tablespoon of Dijon mustard, a tablespoon of rosemary leaves, and a tablespoon of thyme leaves. (Add the whole thing in if the thyme sprigs are soft).
Pulse until the marinade is smooth.
Cut the potatoes into quarters and add them to the roasting pan. Add ¼ cup olive oil, the juice of one lemon, and season with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and a tablespoon of dried oregano. Add four to five tablespoons of butter on top of the potatoes.
Rub the marinade all over the leg of the lamb. It will mix with the previous marinade, that is fine.
Place the leg over the potatoes.

Slow roasting method

Preheat the oven to 120°C / 250°F
Cover with aluminum foil and slow-roast in the oven for 7 hours.
The lamb should have developed a nice crispy skin and the fat will have caramelized. If you want more crispiness uncover and roast under the broiler for a few minutes.

Regular roasting method

This method is for fall-of-the-bone lamb. The meat will be tender and delicious and well done. For alternative doneness levels please see the recipe notes below.
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 360°F
Cover the pan with aluminum foil and roast for 1½ hours.
Uncover and roast for 15 to 30 minutes, until potatoes are golden and crispy outside and lamb has nice crispy edges.
Note for both roasting methods:
If the potatoes need more time to get soft with nice caramelized edges, and the lamb is ready, transfer it to a serving platter, cover it with aluminum foil, and roast the potatoes until they are done.

Notes

How do you like your lamb?

Lamb can be cooked to different doneness levels based on color, juiciness, and internal temperature. I prefer my lamb to be medium well to well done. Using a meat thermometer ensures perfectly cooked lamb every time. Measure the temperature at the center of the cut. Recommended temperatures:

Rare 60°C / 140°F
Medium rare 60–65°C / 140–149°F
Medium 65–70°C / 149°F
Medium well done 70°C / 158°F
Well done 75°C / 167°F

Nutritional Info – Please remember that the nutritional information provided is only estimated and can vary based on the products used.

Nutrition