Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, and Avocado Tortilla Bowl Recipe
September 16, 2025
Roast Lamb Leg with Gravy Recipe
I really like a great roast lamb (proof). Right here’s my basic recipe for lamb leg, rubbed with garlic and rosemary, served with gravy, peas, carrots and crispy roast potatoes (duck fats or basic). I hope you find it irresistible as a lot as I do!
I’ve so much to say about roasting any sort of meat. Particularly Australia’s favorite roast – the nice lamb leg. However there’s actually just one factor you’ll want to know to make excellent roast lamb leg, each single time:
GET A MEAT THERMOMETER!!
It’s the one approach you’ll be able to take the guesswork out of cooking lamb leg so it’s excellent blushing pink and ridiculously juicy inside. As a result of – and right here’s one thing Aussies don’t like to speak about – lamb leg is definitely very lean so if it’s not pink, it’s dry. Full cease, finish of story!
My meat thermometer – For many of my grownup life, I used to be utilizing a $5 thermometer I bought on Ebay which by no means failed me. A number of years in the past I lastly determined it was time to put money into an actual one so I bought a Thermapen which is fairly nicely considered the most effective (my ideas right here). Even when you can’t put money into a Thermapen – it’s the twenty first century, and even low cost tech isn’t so dangerous. Spend money on a $5 meat thermometer. That’s so much cheaper than a wasted, overcooked lamb leg!
OK, I do have a number of extra “learn how to make the proper roast lamb leg” ideas!
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Garlic rosemary rub – basic lamb flavours.
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Begin on excessive to get the color going then decrease warmth.
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Roast on a mattress of garlic (or onion).
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Make the gravy utilizing the pan drippings. Roast lamb gravy is best than each different minimize of meat – beef, chicken, pork, none of them evaluate!
Beginning with the hero ingredient – the lamb leg! Get the most effective you’ll be able to afford – sure, meat is like wine, the extra you pay, the higher the standard. High quality of lifetime of the animal additionally comes into play there.
All that purple ink you see is completely suitable for eating and really, you solely see it on higher high quality lamb. You don’t usually see it on grocery store lamb.
Lower bone – Some (most?) butchers and virtually all supermarkets promote lamb leg with the shank (bone) minimize. Both totally minimize off or partially minimize so it folds. That is merely for sensible causes – shelf storage and packing house. For grandness, I just like the bone in tact. Nevertheless it doesn’t matter ,it’s purely a visible determination!
Rub for roast lamb leg
Right here’s what you want for the rub: rosemary, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Use recent rosemary – dried is just not the identical!
Roast lamb gravy
All you want for gravy is flour for thickening and beef inventory/broth for the liquid. You shouldn’t want further salt for the gravy. I discover the salt on the lamb that results in the pan drippings plus the salt within the beef inventory is sufficient. However style and add extra if you’d like!
Why beef moderately than lamb inventory? Properly, there’s a purpose lamb inventory is just not usually offered at grocery shops! It’s simply very…lamby. 🙂 Beef has a cleaner flavour. It doesn’t make the gravy style beefy in any respect as a result of there may be a lot lamb flavour from the drippings.
Why not chicken inventory? It really works effective however the gravy color is paler. I like my gravy for roast lamb leg to be a very deep brown color!
Rub with rosemary and garlic, roast in a sizzling oven to get the color going then proceed at a decrease temperature for 1 hour or till the inner temperature is 53°C/127°F (for blushing pink perfection). Relaxation for 20 minutes earlier than carving. It’ll nonetheless be very heat even after 1 hour – sufficient time to make duck fats potatoes!
The lamb leg pictured is a 2.75 kg lamb leg which is in regards to the common dimension you get from good butchers. Grocery store lamb legs are typically slightly bigger from barely older animals which makes the meat rather less tender and slightly stronger “lamby” flavour. Albeit, as you’d count on, cheaper than from butchers.
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Make rub – Combine oil, garlic and rosemary in a bowl.
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Rub then sprinkle – Slather the rub all around the lamb, then sprinkle the salt and pepper throughout. It’s higher to do it this manner for extra even dispersion of salt – when you put it within the oil, it doesn’t unfold fairly as evenly as a result of it swimming pools within the backside of the bowl.
I do that rubbing step within the roasting pan – why soiled a chopping board??
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Garlic mattress – Place minimize garlic and rosemary below the lamb.
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Sizzling oven 20 minutes – Roast for 20 minutes in a sizzling 240°C/475°F (220°C fan) oven. This may get the color happening the lamb. It’s tempting to go longer to get much more color on it however I discover when you transcend 20 minutes you find yourself with an excessive amount of overcooked meat “ring” on the outer edges of the lamb.
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1 hour decrease oven – Scale back warmth to 200°C / 400°F (180°C fan) and roast for an additional 1 hour or till the inner temperature of the lamb is 53°C/127°F for blushing pink perfection.
Examine the inner temperature on the 45 minute mark. By no means depend on a recipe cook dinner time for roast meat, use your thermometer! So many variables can have an effect on the precise roasting time, from oven power to pan warmth distribution, the form of the lamb leg and the way chilly the meat is true within the center.
See beneath for extra data on lamb doneness and totally different dimension lambs.
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Relaxation 20 minutes – Relaxation the lamb for 20 minutes earlier than carving. Throughout this resting stage, the lamb finishes cooking and the inner temperature will rise to 62°C/144°F which is ideal medium uncommon for lamb.
Additionally throughout resting, the lamb juices get re-absorbed by the meat fibres so once you minimize into the meat, the juices stay within the meat and ultimately find yourself in your mouth. If you don’t relaxation the meat then the meat juices leak out in all places once you begin carving the lamb.
Inner temperature of roast lamb leg
No credible restaurant would ever serve lamb leg at something over than medium uncommon! However I do know some individuals like their lamb finished slightly extra, so listed here are the inner temperatures for lamb leg at totally different ranges of doneness.
Take the lamb out when it hits the “temperature out of oven”. After resting for 20 minutes it is going to rise to your goal stage of doneness.
TIP: Take the lamb out early!!!
This is likely one of the commonest errors individuals make when roasting lamb. If you’d like medium uncommon lamb and you’re taking the lamb leg out of the oven when it hits 62°C/144°F (which is the medium uncommon goal temperature), it is going to rise to 73°C/163°F as soon as rested which is nicely finished – no trace of pink in any respect! This happens as a result of the lamb continues to cook dinner after you’re taking it out of the oven on account of residual warmth. It’s referred to as carry-over cooking.
So if you’d like medium uncommon, completely pink lamb leg, you’ll want to take it out of the oven as soon as the inner temperature reaches 53°C/127°F. At this temperature, the lamb is uncommon.
However once you relaxation the lamb for 20 minutes, it is going to proceed to cook dinner and the inner temperature will rise by 9°C/17°F to 62°C/144°F. This temperature is medium uncommon, the optimum doneness for lamb leg so it’s superbly juicy. Any extra and the lamb meat is drier than very best, as a result of lamb leg is a lean meat.
Gravy for lamb leg is made utilizing the pan drippings after roasting the lamb. “Drippings” merely refers back to the fats and meat juices left within the roasting pan after roasting the meat and it’s our categorical, free path to a killer gravy.
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Warmth drippings & cook dinner flour – As soon as you’re taking the lamb out of the roasting pan, put it straight on the range to warmth the fats. Add flour and stir it for 1 minute to cook dinner it off – it is going to sort of be like a paste.
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Pour within the beef inventory, stirring as you go to assist dissolve the flour.
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Smush the garlic with a potato masher or perhaps a clean to assist launch the gorgeous caramelised garlic flesh into the gravy.
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Pressure – Then simply simmer for a couple of minutes till the gravy thickens to your style then pressure right into a bowl, urgent the gravy liquid out of the garlic heads. Then pour right into a jug to serve!
And that, my pals, is every little thing you’ll want to know to be the king (or queen) of roast lamb leg from this present day forth. The precision by which you roast your lamb to blushing pink perfection shall be admired. Your gravy shall be whispered about in your circles – the flavour!!! It’s unimaginable!
Simply smile sedately, sit again and bask within the reward. There isn’t a must reveal your recipe supply. 😎
The lamb leg on this publish is pictured with duck fats potatoes (the most effective crispy potatoes on the planet!) with peas and steamed carrots tossed with slightly butter and parsley. For those who don’t have duck fats, make my basic crunchy roast potatoes as a substitute. They’re nonetheless approach crunchier than your regular approach of constructing them.
Go forth and revel in your new lamb-alicious world! For those who’ve bought your individual lamb leg secrets and techniques, sharing within the feedback beneath – readers love listening to what you need to say. – Johnsat x
Ingredients
- 2.75 – 3 kg / 5.5 – 6 lb lamb leg , bone-in (Note 1)
- 1 1/2 tsp cooking salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves , finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves , finely minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 whole heads of garlic , halved horizontally (Note 2)
- Few sprigs rosemary (optional)
- 4 tbsp flour , plain/all purpose
- 2 1/2 cups beef broth / stock , low sodium (Note 3)
Instructions
- Take lamb out of fridge at least 1 hour before roasting. (Note 4)
- Preheat oven to 240°C/475°F (220°C fan) with oven shelf in the middle.
- Rub – Mix rosemary, garlic and olive oil.
- Prepare lamb – Place lamb leg in a roasting pan. Coat with the rub using your hands, the sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Place garlic and rosemary sprigs underneath the lamb, garlic cut face up.
- Roast lamb leg for 20 minutes. Turn the oven down to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan) and roast for a further 1 hour or until the internal temperature reaches 53°C/127°F for medium rare (Note 5 other doneness). Check first at 45 minutes – everyone's oven is different!
- Rest – Remove lamb from oven. Transfer lamb to plate, loosely cover with foil and rest for 20 minutes to 1 hour (it will still be warm enough for serving!). The internal temperature will rise to 62°C/144°F (medium rare). Make gravy while lamb is resting – below.
- Serve lamb with gravy, duck fat or classic crunchy roast potatoes, peas and steamed carrots tossed with butter and parsley.
- Drippings in pan – Discard rosemary sprigs. You should have around 4 – 5 tbsp of fat (drippings). If less, add butter. If much more, discard a bit.
- Add flour – Place roasting pan on stove over medium heat. When the fat starts to bubble, then add flour. Mix flour in and cook for 1 minute.
- Stock – Pour in half the beef stock and mix to dissolve sludge in, then add remaining beef stock and mix.
- Garlic squidging – Use a potato masher (if you're really keen like me) to mush the garlic to squeeze out the flavour (also helps flour caught in garlic to dissolve).
- Taste – Check salt and pepper (I don't add more).
- Thicken – Simmer for a couple of minutes, stirring, until it starts to thicken. Take it off the stove BEFORE the gravy is the thickness you want because it will keep thickening.
- Strain into a bowl, mushing garlic to squeeze all the liquid out. Then pour into gravy jug and serve with lamb!
Notes
1. Lamb leg – Recipe is based on a whole lamb leg. See roasting time table above for different lamb sizes. Sometimes the bone sticking out is removed, sometimes it is partially cut so it folds inwards. It doesn’t matter either way, but just ensure the bone inside the meat is not removed. (If it is, you have a butterflied lamb leg – use this recipe instead).
Boneless lamb – I love making Greek butterflied lamb leg. If yours is rolled and tied, you could make this recipe but the meat is not quite as juicy because it’s been cut to remove the bone so there’s more escape roots for meat juices! If you can, unroll the lamb to do the rub then roll it back up and tie again (excellent flavour infusion!). Also, cook time likely a bit shorter. I’d do the 20 minute high temp blast, lower oven then check at 40 minute mark.
2. Garlic base – Elevates the lamb slightly so it cooks more evenly and allows the fat to drip over the garlic so the flavour infuses into the drippings that then forms the base of the gravy. Place garlic cut side up so the flavour infuses into the flesh of the lamb.
It is not garlicky at all because when garlic roasts, it becomes sweet and caramelised. It is my big secret for making a killer gravy for roast lamb! You can use 1 onion, quarters (skin on) instead of or in addition to garlic.
3. Gravy for lamb is best made with beef stock/broth because it has a deeper flavour and makes the gravy a beautiful dark brown colour. Store bought is fine, though homemade makes it ultra restaurant-worthy! If you cannot consume beef for religious or health reasons, then chicken broth can be substituted.
4. De-chilling lamb will make it cook more evenly. Cold lamb leg = overcooked on the outside by the time the inside is cooked.
5. Internal temperature of cooked lamb leg:
I highly recommend getting a meat thermometer for accuracy – only guaranteed way to get juicy lamb every time!
6. Holding – The lamb leg will stay warm for up to 1 hour, enough time to make duck fat or classic crunchy roast potatoes! The inside of the lamb is still warm even after 3 hours.
7. Servings: A 2.5 kg/5 lb lamb serves 6 very generously and 8 comfortably. After taking into account the bone (500g/1lb) and meat juices lost during roasting, you should end up with around 1.7kg meat after cooking which is around 280g for 6 people (generous!) or 200g for 8 people. If you slice lamb thinly it will go further!
8. Nutrition per serving, assuming 8 servings and that all the gravy is consumed.
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