Bone-In Leg Of Lamb Recipe

This Bone-In Leg Of Lamb Recipe produces the perfect juicy, perfectly cooked fall-off the bone lamb meat, great to serve on its own, with salads, rice, potatoes or to use in bowls, sandwiches or wraps. If you’d like to try more lamb recipes, you may want to check out these Lamb Loin Chops In The Oven, Slow Cooker Boneless Leg Of Lamb or Grilled Lamb Kebabs.

Growing up in Bulgaria, lamb is one of my favorite kinds of meat. Of course, it has to be good quality, not smelly and cooked right. As with other types of meat, you get different cuts. My all-time favorite one is bone-in leg of lamb, because let’s be honest – meat cooked on the bone tastes better than boneless meat.

Boneless leg of lamb can be substituted in the recipe, if you can’t find a lamb leg with the bone.

Bone-In Leg Of Lamb

I usually cook this leg of lamb around the holidays – Christmas and of course Orthodox Easter. You can substitute boneless leg of lamb of lamb shoulder, if necessary.

Here is why I prefer bone-in lamb meat for cooking:

• The bone itself helps enhance the flavors, because it slowly releases marrow and juicef into the meat.
• Meat on the bone generally takes longer time to cook, which if done properly at low temperature produces tender cooked meat.
• Bone-In leg of lamb just looks more festive and appealing once cooked.

An Easy Way To Cook Leg Of Lamb In The Oven

Prepare the lamb

Choose a good quality leg of lamb (4-6 pounds) from a grocery store/butcher.

Wash under running water and pat dry.

If the lamb has excess fat, trim it down with a sharp knife to about a 1/4-inch layer. Leaving a bit of fat adds flavor and helps keep the meat moist during cooking. Too much fat is unnecessary.

Seasoning – seasoning mixture ingredients are listed in the recipe carb below. You can use a seasoning mixture for lamb that you prefer or add/remove spices that you like. This recipe does not require marinating or any special seasonings or preparation methods.

Use a roasting rack, if possible. Roast the lamb – first quickly brown it at high temperature for 15-20 minutes, then finish it by slowly roasting it covered.

Rest the lamb after cooking.

Carve, shred and serve with your favorite sides.

Internal Temperature And Cooking Times

Cooking times may vary depending on the cut of meat, the age of the lamb, baking dish and oven used and also the temperature of the oven.

Here are some approximate times, but please use them as a guideline and use your judgement to tell if the meat is cooked to your taste and desire.

Medium 25 minutes per pound of lamb ( 50-60 minutes per 1 kg), until the internal temperature in the thickest part is 140 F ( 60 C). 

For medium well/ well done 30-35 minutes per pound ( 60-70 minutes per 1 kg), until the internal temperature is 165 F ( 75 C).

To make fall-apart meat/fall of the bone, which is my favorite, when I cook leg of lamb, roast for 40 minutes per pound ( 80 minutes per 1 kg), until the meat could be easily shredded with fork and the internal temperature is 175-180 F (80 C) or even higher.

What to Serve With?

Serve this festive lamb dish with a fresh green salad like this Bulgarian Green Salad, Potato Salad, Scalloped Potatoes With Cheddar, Air Fryer Small Potatoes, rice or quinoa. Grilled or roasted vegetables, sweet potato fries, Brussel sprouts or creamed spinach are also great side dishes.

Can You Make This Leg Of Lamb In Advance?

• You can prepare and season the meat up to 24 hours in advance and keep it in the fridge.
• Cooked bone-in leg of lamb can be prepared up to 3 days in advance and kept in the fridge. Reheat the whole piece of meat in the oven covered with foil or remove the bone and reheat in batches in the microwave or on the stove top.

Serving Size

A 6-pound bone-in leg of lamb typically serves 6 to 8 people.

You can estimate about 3/4 to 1 pound per person for bone-in cuts, as the bone accounts for part of the weight.

If your guests are big meat lovers or you want leftovers, you might plan for about 3/4 pound per person, which would yield 6 servings.

For lighter portions or if you’re serving multiple sides, it could stretch up to 8 servings.

Recipe Tips/FAQs

• Seasoning Tips: What herbs and spices work best with lamb? Any meat seasoning can be used, but there are certain spices that go better with lamb than others. My grandmother will tell you – “Use what you like, but don’t forget the dried mint”. Dried mint is somehow a staple when cooking lamb in Bulgaria. I always use it when roasting leg of lamb. In this recipe I used a combination of salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dried (or fresh) rosemary, dried mint (fresh is not recommended), turmeric (optional), paprika and nutmeg (optional). The combination of these complements the flavors of the lamb. Cumin, coriander and oregano are also great additions.
• Marinating: Should I Marinate The Leg Of Lamb Before Cooking In The oven? There is no need to marinate the lamb meat in this recipe. It is seasoned with a mixture of try herbs and olive oil. If you’d like to season it in advance, you can do it for up to 2 hours and leave the meat with the seasoning at room temperature of refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature, before baking as cooking cold meat may interfere with the cooking times and the final result may take longer time to be achieved.
• Oven Prep: Do I need to sear the lamb before roasting, or can I go straight to the oven? This is optional. Some recipes suggest searing the meat, but leg of lamb i not a very small cut, I prefer “sear-and-roast” method or “high-heat start” method. For this technique, the initial high heat (often around 400-500°F / 230-260°C) quickly browns the exterior, creating a flavorful crust, and then the oven temperature is lowered to cook the meat through more evenly.Don’t worry, the meat will not dry out, since we are going to cook it covered in foil and paste it with beef or vegetable stock from time to time.
• Drying Out: With bone-in cuts of meat, getting the meat on the inside turn too dry is rare, but you should pay extra attention to the outside. The bone acts as a natural insulator, helping to regulate heat and cook the meat more evenly. In order to prevent the outside from getting too dry and crispy, make sure you cook the meat covered until fully cooked and then uncover and cook for a little longer, to get the outside to a nice golden color.
• Substitutions: If I can’t find a bone-in leg, can I use a boneless one, and how would that change the cooking time? Yes, boneless leg of lamb will work perfectly. If is going to cook faster, so keep an eye on the internal temperature of the meat.

Resting Time For The Meat:

How long should I let the lamb rest before carving? Right out of the oven the meat is going to be very hot. It is essential to leave it rest and cool off a little for at least 15 minutes. This will help it retain its juices and not dry out quickly. I usually cut some pieces and then shred the meat. You can serve it shredded or sliced.