This Slow Roast Leg of Lamb is going to take your next Sunday roast to a whole new level! It’s ULTRA EASY and very forgiving. It does take patience, but you’ll be rewarded with tender lamb leg that can be pulled off the bone, served with a wickedly delicious rosemary garlic infused gravy.
After more ideas? Browse all my roast lamb recipes!
Slow Roast Leg of Lamb
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – lamb leg should either be roasted exactly such that it’s blushing pink inside – either whole or butterflied – or long and slow so it’s ultra tender.
Blushing pink = meat thermometer or holding-your-breath-cross-your-fingers for that moment when you carve, hoping for juicy lamb rather than grey and dry. If that’s what you’re after, use this classic Whole Roast Lamb Leg recipe or my Greek Butterflied Leg of Lamb for a quicker boneless version – and yes, you really need a meat thermometer.
The easier way to roast Lamb Leg
If you’re after a much easier, less stressful way to roast lamb leg, cook it long and slow. You won’t need a knife to carve this. Just pull the meat off the bone with tongs.
And it’s Amazing. With a capital A!
Choose the best roast lamb recipe for you!
Ahhh, lamb, how I love thee! Some people love learning how to do fancy cake decorations. I admire from afar – I highly doubt you’ll ever see a towering 3 tier cake on here.
But big hunks golden brown roasted hunks of meat? THAT you will find here! 🙂 And I’ve shared quite a few roast lamb recipes over the years, so here’s a quick run down on each just in case this slow roasted version isn’t what you’re after:
Roast Lamb Recipes
Slow roasted lamb leg – THIS recipe, a leg of lamb slow cooked until the meat is fall apart tender!
Classic Roast Lamb Leg with Gravy – the classic, perfectly blushing pink inside
Slow Cooker Roast Lamb – fall apart goodness in the convenience of your slow cooker
Slow Roasted GREEK Leg of Lamb – garlicky lemony lamb that is slow roasted until meltingly tender
Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder – the juiciest, most succulent roast lamb you will ever have!
Slow Cooked Lamb Shawarma – flavour bomb! Your favourite Lamb Shawarma, slow roasted and piled over couscous or stuffed in pita bread
See all Roast Lamb recipes
How to make slow roast Leg of Lamb
The leg of lamb is roasted on a bed of onion, garlic and rosemary which serves three purposes:
to keep the lamb elevated out of the pan juices for even cooking;
flavour the flesh that’s in contact with it; and
flavours the pan juices which is used to make the gravy.
All the lamb needs is a sprinkle of salt and pepper, drizzle of olive oil. Add beef broth/stock and water into the pan (keeps everything all nice and moist + makes pan juices for gravy), cover then slow roast for 5 hours until tender and fall apart.
For an incredible hands-off version of this slow roast leg of lamb, try the Slow Cooker Roast Lamb!
How to make gravy for Roast Lamb
Just set the pan on the stove, mix in flour, then the pan juices and water Cook until it becomes a gravy consistency, then strain. I doubt you’ll need extra salt but add a good grind of pepper if you’re so inclined.
A great gravy comes down to the flavour in the pan juices and this one knocks it out of the park!
Sides to serve with roast lamb
Complete your meal! Here are a few suggestions for sides that go really well with roast lamb:
I promised this was easy, and I meant it. It’s forgiving because if the meat’s not tender enough, you can just stick it back in the oven until it is – and you can cook for even an hour beyond necessary and it’s still going to be juicy.
If the gravy gets too thick, no dramas, just add a splash of water. If the gravy is lumpy, no worries, because in this recipe, it’s strained.
In short – it’s pretty hard to stuff up. If you’re a roast lamb first-timer, just give yourself a couple of extra hours because this lamb reheats great in the microwave or oven, as does the gravy.
Sunday night roast is never going to be the same again! – Nagi x
Just before you go!
Saturday 11 April 2020 – That you are here, looking at this roast lamb recipe for Easter 2020 fills my heart with happiness because it says that you are in some way able to hold onto Easter traditions, despite being stuck at home and unable to celebrate with extended family.
But for many healthcare workers around the world, including my hometown of Sydney, they will be working too hard to celebrate Easter. These brave men and women who are literally risking their lives to save ours.
I feel morally obliged to do something, so I am running a program where you can buy a meal from a local business for our overworked Frontliners. Too exhausted to cook, many are turning to fast food and those who try to cook are faced with empty supermarket shelves.
If you would like to Shout A Meal for a Sydney Frontliner to express your thanks, please click here for my fundraiser and here is more information about my program “Shout A Meal”.
Thank you for reading, and Happy Easter! – Nagi x
Slow Roast Leg of Lamb
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Slow Roast Leg of Lamb
Ingredients
- 2.25 kg / 4.5 lb leg of lamb , bone in (or shoulder) (Note 1)
- Salt and pepper
- 1.5 tbsp olive oil
- 1 whole garlic head , unpeeled, cut in half horizontally
- 1 onion , quartered (unpeeled is fine)
- 2 rosemary sprigs (2 = whisper of rosemary flavour, 4 sprigs = stronger flavour)
- 3 cups beef stock/broth , low sodium (or homemade)
- 2 cups water
Gravy:
- 4 tbsp flour (white)
- 1 cup water
- Salt and pepper , to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170°C/335°F (standard) or 150°C (fan).
- Place garlic, onion and rosemary in a metal roasting pan.
- Season lamb: Place lamb leg right side up in the pan. (Note 2) Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and rub it in.
- Turn lamb over and place it so it mostly sits on the garlic and onion. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper, rub it in. (Video helpful here)
- Add liquids and cover: Drizzle lamb with olive oil. Pour broth and water around the lamb – it won't cover it, that's ok, the lamb sinks into it. Cover with foil (don't use a lid, you want a bit of liquid to steam out).
- Slow roast: Place in the oven and roast for 4.5 hours. (See Notes for roasting time table)
- Check meat: Remove from the oven, remove foil. Turn lamb over. Check it to ensure the meat is tender enough to pry a bit off easily with a fork. If not, return, covered, to oven.
- Brown lamb: Return uncovered lamb to oven for a further 45 minutes or until well browned.
- Rest: Remove lamb, spoon over pan juices generously. Transfer to serving platter, cover loosely with foil while you make the gravy (stays warm for 1 – 1.5 hours).
Gravy:
- Skim fat: Use a large spoon to skim off and discard some of the fat from the surface of the liquid.
- Add flour: Place pan on the stove on medium high. When the liquid bubbles, add flour. Use a whisk to mix it in – this may take a few minutes as the liquid reduces.
- Add water: Once it looks like sludge (see video), whisk in 1/2 – 1 cup of water until it becomes a gravy consistency to your taste. Adjust salt and pepper to taste – I rarely add extra salt.
- Strain gravy into a bowl, pressing juices out of the onion etc. Pour gravy into jug.
Serving:
- The meat is tender so you will only need tongs to tear the meat off. Serve with gravy!
Recipe Notes:
6. Calories in the nutrition are higher than actual because I do not know how to adjust for the fat that is skimmed off the liquid before making the gravy. I usually throw out about 1/3 cup which means the calories is probably closer to 500 calories per serving, and that’s assuming all the gravy is consumed.Nutrition Information:
Originally published Mary 2017. Updated for housekeeping matters April 2020 – no change to recipe!
More Roast Lamb Recipes
I love a good roast lamb – so I’ve shared a few over the years! Here are some of my favourites – or browse the whole recipe collection.
Best of Sunday Supper Roasts
Life of Dozer
The time I had ambitions for him to be the next Kleenex puppy…
I’ve got an 8 lb leg in the oven now. I used my homemade bone broth, smells divine. My question is, what is the best way to store leftovers. I’ll have a lot since I didn’t expect to cook such a large piece of meat. I can freeze pieces in glass jars with broth. I also have a pressure canner
Freezing with broth is a terrific idea Julie! N xx
If I were to cook two legs of lamb… would the time change? Should I place in same pan or two separate pans? What would you do?
If I could do them on one shelf in a big oven, I would allow 1 extra hour for the covered time 🙂 N x
Made this yesterday and it was delicious! I tweaked it a little bit as I had over 3kg lamb to cook. I did about a liter of beef broth and no water as my roasting tin wasn’t deep enough. I was scared it would over flow and it was the biggest tray I had. I did everything else the same and just didn’t add water to the gravy either or salt or pepper as it was infused with flavour already. It was delicious, the meat didn’t fall off the bone as I’d had hoped, probably because of my dodgy oven but it was soft enough and not chewy at all. On top of that, the gravy was amazing and really was the icing on the cake! Definitely will cook this again. Thank you for the recipe 🙂
I LOVE hearing that Kim! Thanks so much for letting me know! N xx
Do this have to be a bone on or off lamb? I have a boneless leg of lamb to cook for the in-laws tomorrow and I would love to be able to do this recipe. Any help much appreciated. Thanks
Boneless is fine! You can probably cut the cook time by about 1 hour if it’s a butterflied leg 🙂 N x
Sensational recipe! Got a round of applause for this one. Just delicious and so easy to make. The gravy should be bottled. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I’m so pleased you enjoyed this Heather! Thanks for letting me know! N x
It was very good, but I didn’t get the moistness that you described, and the meat was not quite falling apart as pictured. I didn’t stray from your recipe and your timings, but I wonder if my lamb leg rode too high upon the quartered onion, and so spent too much time mostly out of the liquid. Or maybe my foil cover was too loose such that there wasn’t much steaming happening. And I could only get a boneless leg, so maybe missing all that collagen and tendon of the shank kept things dry.
I was the only one with a complaint: the lamb and the gravy disappeared rapidly, everybody raved, and regardless of expectations of tenderness, the flavor was very good. I may try again taking more care to replicate all your details.
Hi! Ovens can vary and if yours runs a bit lower, then it would have needed longer to get the fall apart 🙂 I’m surprised after that length of time though that the meat wasn’t falling apart! Do hope you give it another go! N xx
Hi can I ask about the oven temperature. I have a fan oven but I used to have gas, is 300f a very very hot oven to cook for 4-5hours.
Hi again
Please ignore former comment I read it wrong. I’m cooking this Easter Sunday I’m hoping it turns out ok.
It will be terrific! N xx
Hi Nagi, we have a 1.38kg lamb.. any suggestion about cooking time? Thank so much, Joanne X
Hi Joanne! I still think about 4.5 hours because the widest point will still be as thick as larger legs 🙂 N x
This was dinner. It was, without a doubt, the BEST leg of lamb I have ever had. I didn’t change anything except I made a roux for the gravy instead of sprinkling in the flour. Simple and succulent. This one is going into the recipe box! Thank you for sharing the recipe with us!!
LOVE hearing that Rae!!! So glad you enjoyed it! N x
I’m planning to make this for a gourmet group dinner in a few weeks. Do you think it would taste good with saffron rice instead of mashed potatoes ? I just brought some saffron home from Istanbul.
Oooh YES! That sounds incredible Carol! N xx
Hi, this sounds absolutely gorgeous! I am trying it out on the in-laws tomorrow. It is a half leg at just over a kilo. How long would that cook covered, upside down?
Hi Graeme! I think around 3.5 hrs in total 🙂
…I just did a quick’n’dirty on Excel and figured about two and a half hours (then the 45 mins browning), does that seem about right?
I am about to put my lamb on but only have a 1.25kg lamb can you let me know how long I will need to cook for this size? Do I halve the time for a slightly small size roast?
This has to be just the best lamb dish ever! I have cooked this today for Sunday lunch for my family and roast lamb for me can be a difficult dish to please everyone but this is just so delicious and so easy! An absolute hit with everyone at my table today – thank you Nagi!
So glad you enjoyed this Jacqui! Thanks for letting me know! N x
This was amazing !!
I followed this recipe for a 2.6kg leg of lamb and my guests ( ranging from 84yrs to 18 years ) said it was the best lamb they had ever tasted – and I agree. So tender and moist it really did just fall off the bone. The best texture and flavour lamb leg I have ever cooked.
I will be looking out for your other recipes Nagi – Thank you!
That’s wonderful to hear Mary! Thanks for letting me know! N x ❤️
I’m trying to decide between the slow roast and slow cooker recipe for my 6.5 pound leg of lamb.
1. Do you have a recipe preference?
2. Do you think the time should be adjusted for the larger weight of meat?
In all honesty, I go for whichever suits at that time 🙂 Slow cooker is great for hands off. Oven is great if it’s cool weather. Yes please increase cook time – see table in Note 5!
My kids raise lambs for 4-h, this year they raised an extra lamb for us to eat. This recipe was completely fool proof. House favorite! Also the first time I ever made gravy of any value. AWSOME!
That’s terrific to hear Ed!! So pleased you enjoyed this – N x
The best and easy to follow recipe. The lamb came out the exactly how it was described. Happy and delicious weekend meal!
That’s terrific to hear Lana! Thanks for taking the time to let me know – N x
Another reliable and achievable recipe Nagi.
Wife loved it and said it reminded her of how roasts used to be cooked on the farm where she grew up.
Well cooked and tender and not pink in the middle (unheard of in traditional farm cooking)
Any chance of a similar recipe for a chunk of beef?
I love hearing that Ed! I have a slow roast beef on my recipe calendar – coming in autumn! N xx
Hi, just about to make this but not sure what beef broth is? Stock cube? Advise please as plan to make today xxx
Hi Anita! Liquid beef stock 🙂 I have a video so you can see it!
Hi, sounds delicious! Can I use a boned lamb leg for this? Would it change the cooking time? Thank you
I am wondering the same thing. Looks so good. As does the Greek style. I hope it works with my semi boneless 5 lb leg. Thank you in advance.
Nagi this was such a huge success! Fantastic recipe! Thank you so much!
I love hearing that Claire!! Thanks for letting me know – N x ❤️
Just made this, it’s soooo delicious gosh! Thank you 🙂
HIGH FIVE! So glad you enjoyed this Pat, thanks for letting me know! N x
Delicious! Handful of ingredients, set it and forget it, and make gravy. I called it pulled leg of lamb.