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!
First time to ever comment on a recipe: Fantastic antidote to lockdown on Easter Sunday and a great great meal. Checking out your other stuff. Need to do this again. All 6 of us loved it and the dog loved the bones.
Thanks so much Joe, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! N x
Sorry, forgot to rate it
Cooked the lamb as stated and without doubt it was the best tasting lamb we have ever had in 60 years
Woah, that’s great to hear Mick! Thanks so much! N x
I so love your website. It is my first source for recipes, apologies for not commenting as often as I cook your recipes.
I love roast lamb, thoroughly loved the grrek lamb and lemony potatoes, but this recipe was perfect, the whole family raved about the lamb.
Please keep the brilliant work.
Dear Nagi, thanks for this beautiful and delicious recipe! Do you think I could do it with lamb shanks as well?
PS: I love your recipes!!! They all work out perfectly! Especially the gyoza!!! The kids (5 and 8) had a lot of fun closing them with me!
Hi Nagi – I’ve been eyeing this recipe for months and look forward to executing it wiht my toddlers this weekend. Does it really call for 3.5 hours of roasting at 350 degrees F? That just seems high to me for that long. Please advise, and thanks again!
Hi Nagi. I don’t have an actual roasting pan. Should I cook this in a regular large baking pan or in a dutch oven? Would I need to make any adjustments to the cooking time with either of those? Thank you.
Either will work the same Alicia! Enjoy! N x
Excited to try this… if you use a dutch oven, can you place the lamb on the bottom directly or do you need to prop it up on something if you don’t have a rack? Thanks! If yes to propping it up… with what? 🙂
Hey! I have a really small shoulder of lamb (1,3kg), how would that affect the cooking time?
Hi Rosa, it’s a forgiving recipe, just follow the instructions for the 2kg lamb in the notes but reduce the time number 2, to two hours. N x
Hey Nagi can I cook this with a boned leg – I just defrosted one and went, oh, no bone and wanted a Nagi recipe for it – please help!
Sure can Monique, it’s a really forgiving recipe – you’ll love it!! N x
Hi Nagi, one of the ways I’m amusing myself during this time of “social distancing” is to slow cook. So, yesterday I made this for Sunday dinner accompanied by your Greek Salad & Truly Crunchy Roast Potatoes. All of it was amazing (though smelling the lamb cooking for 7 hours was torture) & one of the joys of “social distancing” is that I was only cooking for 3 so there is plenty of leftovers!!! Thank you again for an amazing recipe
One of the positives Colleen! I’m so happy you enjoyed it (and the fact that there is leftovers is an added bonus!) N x
An ABSOLUTELY delicious recipe! The meat is succulent and tender , bursting with yummy flavour. The best I have tried by far! Thank you .This recipe is going as a definite favourite- 5 gold stars!
No rating as I have not made it yet. But, I have a question hoping someone can help me with.
I would like to do this in the slow cooker. When comparing to the Slow Cooker Roast Lamb Leg recipe, it would seem that I would want to adjust the amount of liquid in this recipe. Does anyone have a suggestion on this?
Hi Cherish, just skip adding the extra water for this recipe if doing it in a slow cooker – N x
Thank you!
Best roast lamb I have ever made. On high rotation in my house!
Wahoo, that’s great Tamarah!
I love this recipe!
I have made it about 5 times now and every time it is perfect and everyone loves it. Thank you for sharing your skills.
And it’s so easy!!! I’m so glad it’s a hit Tanya!
I need a slow cook lamb that is roughly less than 1.5 kg, easy, simple and yummy for kids. PLS suggest? And not so salty.
Hello, should the lamb be prepped with the spices, oil (except salt) the evening before to enhance flavour?..or no need?..thank you
Hi there, how do I adjust for a boneless leg of lamb roast (Costco)? I made this once before with bone in and it was great!
I would like to know as well!
This seems like a super long time to cook a 3.5 on leg. I’m doing a 5 lb leg and I think it would come out way over done with this time period in the oven. Last year we had a 3 lb that I roasted for 2 hrs. It came out med to med well. We prefer medium, so I’ll adjust this year.
Hi Nicole, this is a slow roasted recipe – so the meat is cooked low and slow and starts to get to fall apart stage (almost like a pulled pork). It goes beyond the rare/med-rare cooking stages. Cooking any less wont give you that tender fall apart meat – N x
Hi Nagi
Does the same recipe apply to lamb shoulder ?
Cheers
Hi Sam, yes you could use a shoulder here too – N x
Hi Nagi, I’m currently cooking this in a slow cooker. First time using a slow cooker. I have a half leg of lamb weighing at 1.2kg. I’ve used the high setting as my son doesn’t like waiting so many hours. Will this be ok? I kind of followed this recipe and your slow cooker recipe, hoping it will work. How long should I cook it for on the high setting of if it won’t be the same, what can I do to change it? Thank you so much. Always love your recipes and kindness.
Hi Hulya, sorry for the late reply – how did it turn out? – N x