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!
Just cooking your recipe now and it is certainly smelling great – I have a practice I have followed for many years, when separating the fat from the sauce stock in any receipe. If you strain all the cooking liquid into a Pyrex glass jug the fat will rise to the top, as you suggest – I then use a baster to draw the stock from underneath the fat, so as to isolate the fat completely enabling one to have a totally fat free sauce which can be reduced or thickened or others flavours added.
Woah! That’s so clever Mark!!!
Hi Nagi,
I made this for a late lunch yesterday with the Truly Crunchy Potatoes and everything was simply divine! If I don’t say thanks anymore for any of your recipes, know that it goes without saying! We love whatever of your recipes we’ve tried thus far.
NawaalS (“,)
That’s so great to hear Nawaal! Thanks for sharing your feedback – N x
This was SENSATIONAL! Made it last night and had my sister over and we were in food heaven! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.
That’s terrific to hear Sarah!! So pleased you enjoyed this – N x
Hi Nagi,
first of all – thank you very much for your wonderful recipes! I am a big fan of slow cooker, so convenient.
I have noticed though in your slow cooker recipes that you are not covering lamb with broth completely – I was always under impression that it’s no-no 🙂 Please tell me that I can do it!
Hi Anna! Nope you don’t need to cover meat completely with broth to slow cook 🙂 It kind of ends up working like an OVEN! You just need a bit of liquid in the slow cooker – or even the meat juices itself 🙂
Can I make it with boneless leg of lamb? It’s 4.3lbs. Thanks!
You sure can Mar!
Thanks! I’ll give it a go this weekend!!!
Would cooking time stay the same?
There is a cooking chart in the recipe that adjusts the time depending on the size(weight) of your roast.
Can I add canned tomatoes to this recipe or will that conflict / be too much acid with the lemons?
You sure can Malcolm! N x
Is the chicken stock or lemon juice/wine used as the “hot water”?
No. the hot water is used to get the total liquid up to a “braising” level, 1/4 to 1/3 up the lamb.
How can I do this with a boneless leg? The kind with the net on it. Thanks!
I have a small, 3.5 leg of lamb from a local farm. Would I just reduce cooking time by about half for each step?
Hi Jennifer! 3.5 kg or pounds?? The recipe is for 3.5 kg 🙂
Hi there.
I have made this recipe with a leg of lamb and I loved it! But we now have Lamb shoulder, can I follow the recipe exactly the same?
Hi Christy – definitely yes! It’s amazing with shoulder 🙂
Thanks so much for your reply.
Can’t wait to make it this morning for our guests this evening.
Hey Nagi,
Hope you get to read this. In Step #7 you say turn the roast upside down. What is upside down?
Hi Brett! Just flip the roast so it is upside down. Ie the top of the roast is in contact with the pan, and the underside of the meat is facing up!
Thanks Nagi. I meant is the fatside the upside or the downside?
Fat side DOWN! 🙂 N x
If I have a 3 lb boneless leg, how long should I cook and most importantly. ..how many will it serve with roast potatoes and salad.? Thank you….
Hi! Just reduce the cook time of the 2kg / 4 lb leg by about 45 minutes 🙂 With potatoes and salad, I’d say a boneless leg will serve 5 – 6 🙂
Hi Ngai,
Is there any way this recipe could be adapted for a pressure cooker?
Regards,
Steve
Hi Steve! Yes, just assemble per recipe but put it all in a pressure cooker. I think it will be 2 hours on high, and will need to be finished in the oven – like in this one: https://fast-enhancement.today/slow-cooker-roast-lamb-leg/#wprm-recipe-container-20828%3C/a%3E Also the juices will need to be reduced in a saucepan 🙂 N x
Greek slow roasted leg of lamb. Never doubt Nagi’s instructions. If she says cook for six plus hours……do so. This lamb was SENSATIONAL
Great to hear Colleen! Thank you very much for leaving a review – N x ❤️
Planning on making this tomorrow, but I have someone who doesn’t like paprika to cook for…can I omit the paprika with no problems?
Hi Samina – no problems, fine it omit!
This recipe was adapted as noted above. What is interesting is your cook time at the same temperature of the original recipe is twice as long. The reviews are equally positive so can you explain why so long.
Hi Halinka! The reason is because the Greeks like their lamb well done which means (I’m sorry if I offend any Greeks!) the meat is quite tough. Not so much of a problem if you slice thinly. Lamb leg is a lean cut of meat, and lean meat is at it’s most tender when you either cook it so it’s blushing pink inside (which requires a meat thermometer) or for a very long time so the meat goes beyond the point of dry and well done, and starts breaking down like what you see in the photos so it is “fall apart”. 🙂
Ok so I am not understanding your response. My point of looking at the original recipe is that all the reviews at 3 hours said it was a tender piece of meat. Your 6 hours and the original 3 hours is a huge difference in cooking time. I have never ever roasted a piece of lamb for 6 hours. So if the reviews on the original recipe are all positive, I fail to see why this needs to roast for longer at the same specified temperature. Now I can understand if your temp was at 275 as that is low and slow. That said I am doing a leg of lamb tomorrow and I will start with the original recipe and see how it goes. Thank you for responding. I really am impressed as many bloggers fail to answer posts. So for that I thank you.
Hi there! Quick question, when you say “pour the hot water in” (step 7) do you mean the wine/chicken stock? Thanks!!
Hi Ashley! It’s in addition to the wine etc. So pour the wine etc in then add hot water until it comes up about 1/4 of the way up the lamb 🙂 N x
Absolutely delicious. My family love lamb but I’m not a fan, having said that, this recipe has converted me! I can’t wait to make this dish for a big family get together with parents, grandparents and siblings.
Thank you for sharing your recipe with us all.
That’s great to hear Gem! Thanks for leaving a review! N x
Great recipe, thank you. Made today with a lamb shoulder and spent the afternoon watching the clock as the cooking smells slowly made us hungrier and hungrier! Probably the nicest slow cooked lamb I’ve ever made.
I’m so happy to hear that Di! Thanks for sharing your feedback – N x ❤️
perfect every time, and I have made it soooo many times!!!!!!
love it as does the rest of the family and friends I have made it for 🙂
Thank you for the review Krystyna, it’s so terrific to hear you enjoyed this! N xx
Hello Nagi,
I’d like to make the slow roasted lamb but am surprised at the high oven temperatures. I can understand starting high to brown the meat, but even turning down to 180 is pretty high if you’re going to roast it for hours. I guess it works or you wouldn’t have posted the recipe, but……. I suppose I need some reassurance! In fact, I remember that I cooked lamb shoulder some time ago, and the temperature was about 160 (for five to six hours) and we decided that was too hot. Thanks for your advice, Anne
Hi Anne! I know it sounds a bit high but it was either that or a lower temp for many more hours, and I just couldn’t notice the difference between 8 hours or overnight at a lower temp and shorter time at the higher temp. So this is how I make it. 🙂
Thank you for your incredibly quick reply Nagi! I appreciate it. Cheers, Anne
I cooked a 5# boneless leg and threw in two shanks to have some bone in the broth. I used the temperature in the recipe and it was cooking too fast (I had it timed for a dinner party) so I turned it down to 200*F. If I had cooked it for the full time allotted for a 5# roast at the recipes temperatures it would have been way over done. In hindsight, I would cook at 180-190*F for the full time. Still a good recipe but temperature is a bit high for the stated size roasts and cooking times. Just my opinion.
Hi Peter, thanks so much for sharing your feedback! Always appreciated 🙂