This is how the Greeks make roast lamb – cooked until tender, half braised in a garlic lemon flavoured liquid that transforms into a luscious sauce – no mucking around with gravy! This Greek Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb takes hours and hours to roast, but it is EASY, virtually foolproof and very hands off. A perfect centrepiece for Easter, Sunday Roast or any other occasion for feasting!!
After more ideas? Browse all my roast lamb recipes!
Fork-tender, authentic Greek Slow Roast Leg of Lamb
All around the world this weekend, there will be gatherings of family and friends to celebrate Easter. I was quite interested to learn that ham is very popular in America. Here in Australia, it’s all about roast lamb and seafood.
I love a good roast lamb! I’ve shared quite a few of them – from a classic Roast Lamb Leg, to a Slow Roast Leg of Lamb (fall apart tender!), Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder and even a Slow Cooker Roast Lamb.
But this one I’m sharing today is not just another lamb roast. It’s a Greek one. Rubbed with a simple spice mix, slow cooked until tender, half braised so it sucks up all the yummy lemony garlicky herby flavours.
No carving knife required. See?
Aussies love their lamb. In my family, Sunday Night Roast Dinners are an occasion that triggers fiery correspondence between us kids as we debate the menu. You can read one such dialogue in this Slow Roasted Rosemary Garlic Lamb Shoulder, along with my self proclaimed family title as Roast Queen.
The thing with roasting a leg of lamb is that unless (and even if) you have a meat thermometer, it is actually quite hard to cook the roast perfectly so it is blushing pink on the inside, moist and juicy. It can take just 20 minutes for a leg of lamb to go from perfect to dry.
It can even overcook while resting. Truly. Been there, done that – cutting into the lamb straight out of the oven to take a peek, grinning smugly when I spied pink, set it aside to rest for 30 minutes, then when I carved it, there was not a hint of pink left.
I was temporarily dethroned as Roast Queen when that happened. I’d like to say I stepped down like a good sport, but no, I was overthrown 😤. I’m taking back the title for this Greek lamb though!!
Flavour, flavour, flavour, juicy, juicy, juicy, easy, easy, easy. That’s what this Greek Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb is all about. As long as you allow for sufficient cooking time, it is really hard to go wrong with this.
In true Greek form, this lamb is packed with extra flavour by stuffing bits of garlic into incisions made all over the lamb, then it’s rubbed with paprika and garlic powder. Add a simple braising liquid to keep it beautifully moist and to infuse it with even more flavour, then cook it long and slow.
Oh! The other advantage of this Greek Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb? NO MUCKING AROUND TO MAKE GRAVY! The braising liquid reduces down to an intensely flavoured sauce that needs to be generously poured all over the lamb. This is how it is supposed to be. And I’m not complaining!!!
This lamb does take hours to roast. Hours upon hours. 7 hours for a 3.5kg/7lb leg of lamb, to be precise. But it’s hands off, low maintenance time.
And at the end of it, look at what you get!! Now THIS is a step up from the usual Sunday night roast! – Nagi x
PS Greek Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb is pictured here with my. They really are….well, crunchy!! 😉
Try these on the side
Truly Crunchy Roast Potatoes – outrageously crunchy!
Greek Lemon Roast Potatoes – loaded with Greek flavours
Lemon Potato Salad – skip the mayo, go for fresh lemon flavours
Greek Salad – big, fresh and juicy
More Roast Lamb Recipes
I love a good roast lamb – so I’ve shared a few over the years!
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 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
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Greek Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb
Ingredients
- 12 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 7 lb / 3.5 kg leg of lamb , bone-in (Note 1 & Note 3 for roasting times for larger/smaller)
- 1 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (double for flakes or flaky salt)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3 tsp paprika powder (regular / sweet, not spicy or smoked)
- 3 tsp garlic powder (or sub with onion powder)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large onions , quartered (white, brown, yellow, red)
- 10 sprigs of thyme
- 3 sprigs rosemary
- 3 tsp dried oregano
- 3 dried bayleaves (or 5 fresh)
- 1/2 cup lemon juice (2 – 3 lemons), plus more to taste
- 1 1/2 cups white wine (or sub with chicken broth/stock, low salt)
- 2 cups chicken broth/stock , low sodium
Instructions
ABBREVIATED RECIPE
- Stuff incisions with garlic, season, roast leg uncovered 30 min at 240°C/465°F (220°C fan). Lower to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan). Put everything else in pan, flip leg upside down, fill with hot water 1/4 way up, roast covered 3 1/2 hours. Flip lamb, roast covered another 2 1/2 hours, then brown uncovered 30 minutes. Strain pan juices, serve!
FULL RECIPE
- Preheat oven to 240°C/465°F (220°C fan-forced). (Note 2)
- Garlic incisions – Use a small knife to make around 25 incisions all over the lamb, with most on the top. Cut around 6 cloves into slivers and stuff them into the incisions.
- Season – Sprinkle the lamb generously all over with salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder. Drizzle with olive oil and rub all over the lamb.
- 30 minute browning – Place the lamb in a roasting pan and roast for 30 minutes or until it has a nice brown crust.
- Prepare for slow-roasting – Remove from the oven. Turn the oven down to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced). Turn the lamb upside down. Pour / place all the remaining ingredients in the pan around the lamb (including remaining garlic cloves). Fill the roasting pan with hot water so it comes up about 1/4 – 1/3 of the way up the height of the lamb.
- Slow roast part 1 (3 1/2 hours) – Cover with lid or with baking/parchment paper then 2 layers of foil. Roast for 3 1/2 hours. Top up water if it dries out (e.g. Might happen if your foil is loose) ** See Note 3 for larger/smaller leg roasting times **
- Slow roast part 2 (2 1/2 hours) – Remove the roast from the oven and remove the lid/foil. Turn the lamb over so it is the right side up. Cover again and roast for a further 2 1/2 hours, or until you can pull meat apart easily with forks.
- Finish browning – Remove cover and roast for a further 20 – 30 minutes (to brown).
- Rest – Remove from the oven and transfer lamb to serving platter. Cover loosely with foil and rest for 30 – 40 minutes.
- Sauce – Strain liquid into a clear jug. The fat will rise to the top. Scoop/pour most of it off and discard (I get 3/4 – 1 cup). There should be 2 – 3 cups of Sauce left. Adjust salt, pepper and lemon to taste.
- Serve lamb with the Sauce on the side and Truly Crunchy Roast Potatoes* or Greek Lemon Potatoes. The lamb will stay warm enough for 1 hour so you can roast / prep other sides during this time.
Recipe Notes:
Servings – Allow 350 – 400g/12 – 14oz uncooked bone-in meat weight per person, so a 3.5kg/7 pound leg will serve 8.75 to 10 people. I know this sounds like a lot, but you lose more weight with slow cooked meats than roasting leg to blushing pink. plus the bone is sizeable and nobody can carve every scrap of meat off the bone. 🙂
Make-ahead – This is best served freshly made as leg is quite lean so it just isn’t as succulent when reheated. It stays warm for 1 1/2 hours so you needn’t worry about being 100% precise with cook timing. Leftovers will keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge, or freezer for 3 months.
Nutrition per serving assuming 10 servings.Nutrition Information:
MORE ROAST LAMB
Slow Cooker Roast Lamb Leg with Gravy – The most succulent lamb leg you’ll ever have!
Classic Roast Lamb – Perfectly pink and juicy inside, with a killer gravy!
Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder – My favourite cut of lamb for roasting! Super tender, incredible flavour, and so forgiving!
LIFE OF DOZER
Oh, look who made an appearance when I pulled this out of the oven. Sorry Dozer, no lamb for you! Too much garlic – bad for you!
I made this today! Followed the recipe exactly. Was the best thing ever! One of my guests doesn’t like lamb and went back for seconds. I told her afterwards that it was lamb! The potatoes were great as well. The whole dinner was fantastic!
So great to hear Audra!! Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed this – N x
Will this work for a shoulder of lamb if I reduce the cook time?
Hi Alesha! Absolutely 🙂 It probably only needs around 1 hour less based on the weights provided in the table in the recipe N x
Hi Nagi,
I have this in the oven now for dinner and it’s been about an hour but just realised there may be too much liquid because it’s filled about half way up the lamb.. should I pour some out?? I’m not sure if hubby would like the lemon sauce so was going to do a separate gravy so not too worried about the sauce side of things but didn’t want to affect the outcome.. love your blog btw 😊
Delicious and tender.
That’s wonderful to hear Corinne! Thanks for taking the time to let me know you enjoyed this! N xx
i am cooking two BONELESS legs of lamb tomorrow. What alterations to the time would be needed? One weighs 5.87lbs and the other 6.2lbs.
Hi Carolyn! If you can fit them both on the same shelf or in one big pan without overlapping, I think the cook time for a 7lb bone in one should suffice for both of them. Allow an extra 30 minutes buffer just in case 🙂
Slow roasting for 6.5 hours for a 7lb leg of lamb seems way too long. Other recipes call for only 3-31/2 hours. Why so long?
Hi Angie! It needs it because it’s leg, most slow roasted recipes are for shoulder which cook faster. 🙂 It needs a looooong time in order to become super tender!
Nagi, I’m cooking a 6-7 lb. boneless leg of lamb this weekend for “Greek Easter.” How would you adjust the cooking times?
Hi George! There’s a table in the recipe with cook times for larger legs 🙂 N x
George: I’m cooking the same–boneless 7 lb leg. I’m going to use the longest cooking time on the chart, as she’s suggested. I’ve never slow roasted this way…curious to see how it goes. Keep us posted. Good luck!
I am trying this for Greek Easter this Sunday. I will let you know what the family thinks!
Hope everyone loves it! 🙂 N xx
Your recipe was a hit! The kids especially loved it over the traditional leg of lamb, as it was milder in flavor and ate like roast. The adults enjoyed it too, but missed the garlic pockets that they got in traditional sliced lamb. I loved how hands off it was and really fool proof. I will definitely do it again!
Yesssss! So glad you enjoyed it Didi! N xx
If like me you have a jug of stock left over after this lamb, which was delicious, it makes the best ever French Onion Soup. Waste not Want not!
Pure GENIUS!!!!
Ann:
I have a bunch of stock left…I can’t wait to try french onion soup!
This was the most delicious leg of lamb I have ever cooked and so simple. Even the re-heated leftovers were delicious!
Thank you.
Love hearing that Lesley! So pleased you enjoyed this so much! N xx
I made this today, Easter 2018, for our church’s Easter dinner. We have one for all those people with no family, or in my case, family that lives too far away. I have been the one bringing the lamb for 3 years. In my part of the world, Maine, USA, everyone traditionally has ham. I grew up with the tradition of leg of lamb, so I offered to make it to go along with the ham. Normally I just roast the lamb with garlic and rosemary, being careful to get the right amount of pink. This year my leg was 14.5 lbs and I was worried about roasting such a big piece. I tried this recipe and was AMAZED. It was easy and so good. There were about 45 people there and I think 2/3 of them came up to me to say how much they enjoyed it, for some people it was their first taste of lamb. I didn’t bring any home. I have a convection oven and I adjusted the temperatures as in the recipe but I should have also shortened the cooking time. It didn’t take nearly as long as the chart indicated.
We used to raise sheep and would slaughter the lambs we kept when they were about 6-7 months old, still with their mothers and not eating any grain. They still taste like lamb, not mutton but have a good size. So a leg this weight can be very good.
FANTASTIC to hear Janet!! Thanks so much for letting me know you enjoyed this 🙂 N xx
Hi- Did you trim your leg at all? Do I need to worry about trimming the fell?
Thanks for the great recipe and information!!
Excited to make this for Easter! I’m using the slow cooker and read your comments about finishing it in the oven after 12 hours on low in the slow cooker. What temperature would I set the oven to brown/finish it? And is there a chance I can overcook it while finishing it at the end? Thanks!
Hi Mary, sorry I’m late responding! 200C and nope it won’t overcook, it will only take about 20 minutes tops to brown nicely and the lamb is already so far cooked beyond well done so it’s super tender so it’s very forgiving! This technique of slow cooking in a slow cooker then finishing just to brown in the oven is something I do frequently 🙂 N x
Will this work with a boneless leg of lamb?
What kind of white wine should I use ?
Hi Nagi, do you think I could cook it in my dutch oven?
YES if your lamb will fit…??
Good point… I think I’m making a small one. We’ll see!!!
Made it today for Greek Easter 🙂 it didn’t fit in the dutch oven, haha. But it was DELICIOUS!!! And soooo moist. Thanks!
Yesssss! So glad you enjoyed it so much Asako! N xx
Made this last Christmas and the family loved it. About to make it again for a dinner party, it’s so good! Thanks for the great recipe 🙂
I’m so pleased you enjoyed this Sarika! Thanks for letting me know! N x
Hi. How can this recipe be adapted to my slow cooker please, I will be out all day so won’t be able to turn the lamb over .
Many thanks.
Hi Sue! I would do 10 hours in my slow cooker on LOW, just put all the ingredients in there. But then at the end, you’ll need to reduce the liquid in a saucepan. 🙂
Hi Jennifer,
This recipe was so straightforward and easy to follow. The results were amazing; a new family favorite! My only concern is the times listed for cooking. My 7:00 pm dinner ended up being 8:30 because I looked at the total time which doesn’t take in account the 2 roasting or resting times. This could affect some people if they are like me and just gather and start preparing without double checking times.
Thanks for the great recipe!
Hi Anita! So glad you enjoyed this! Thank you for the constructive feedback, I have added the resting time to the recipe time. 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi,
There’s no mention in the recipe of what to do with the onions, and also what happens to them at the end?
thanks!
Hi Allison! Step 7 – place around lamb. Then it is discarded because the liquid is strained at the end – you can eat it if you want but they are very mushy 🙂
thanks! I somehow missed that! Making the lamb today 🙂
Which side of the lamb is “up” ? I don’t have experience with lamb roasts so have no idea.
thanks1
Hi Allison! The side covered with more fat 🙂 N x