A perfectly roasted, herb-crusted leg of lamb with a fresh homemade mint sauce is a real crowd-pleaser. It’s a great main dish to serve for holidays like Easter, Christmas and New Years. With this easy recipe, you’ll be able to make deliciously tender and mouth-watering lamb at home that your whole family will love!
For special occasions and large family gatherings, we tend to go all out. I aim for simple and approachable dishes that are full of flavor, which won’t require a lot of fuss and monitoring. If you’ve made a ton of turkey and prime rib roasts and are looking for something new, lamb is a great alternative. It’s already full of flavor, and adding a coating of fresh herbs, garlic and dijon mustard before baking – then serving with a refreshing and tangy mint sauce – brings the dish to another level!
This recipe is one of the easiest holiday meals you’ll make – and trust me, you don’t need any special skills or experience to create a delicious and memorable meal. Check out the simple instructions below on how to cook this boneless leg of lamb.
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Lamb Ingredients & Notes
Leg of lamb – A boneless cut (usually wrapped with a netting to keep it together) will cook quicker and more evenly. It’s also easier to carve once cooked. I use a 5 to 6 pound roast.
Herbs – Use fresh thyme and rosemary if possible, they add a wonderful fragrance to the roast.
Dijon mustard – I’ve made this recipe with and without, and the mustard is a must. Dijon mustard not only helps the herbs stick on the roast, but adds an extra layer of flavor.
Olive oil – Used in creating a paste for the herb coating.
Mint Sauce Ingredients
Instructions
- Mix the mustard, olive oil, garlic, fresh herbs, salt and pepper together to make a paste.
- Pat the lamb dry, then rub the paste evenly over the lamb (keeping the netting on the meat).
- Place the lamb, fat side up on a roasting pan with a rack. Roast uncovered at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes to sear the outside, then lower the heat to 350 and roast until the internal temperature is about 135 degrees Fahrenheit in the thickest part of the lamb, about 1 hour 15 minutes more.
- Let the lamb rest for at least 20 mins. Then slice and serve with a side of mint sauce!
Pro Tips
- Remove lamb from the fridge at least 1-2 hours before roasting, which will help it cook more evenly.
- Most boneless legs of lamb are sold in stores with a netting which helps it stay together. Do not remove this netting, it’s oven safe and won’t affect the herb paste from sticking to the lamb.
- If you like your lamb cooked more, increase the cooking time accordingly – though lamb tends to get tough when it’s cooked more than medium.
- Once the meat has rested, cut off the netting with scissors and then carve the lamb into ¼ inch or so slices.
What to serve lamb with
Green bean casserole with cream of chicken
Instant pot Yukon mashed potatoes
Crispy oven roasted smashed mini potatoes
Frequently Asked Questions
It usually takes about 20 minutes per pound at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, so a 5 pound lamb roast will take approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes. But just to be safe, check the roast 20-30 minutes before it’s estimated cooking time, in case your oven runs hot.
Though we like our roast beef cooked medium rare, we prefer our lamb cooked medium-rare to medium, which is about 135 degrees Fahrenheit. When lamb is cooked medium rare, it tends to be a bit chewy, especially around any fatty areas. When in doubt, cook it less, as you can always cook it a bit more later.
There’s really no difference flavor-wise, but boneless lamb is easier to carve, and cooks a bit faster. You can also get a more accurate temperature check while cooking with boneless lamb so you don’t overcook it!
The bright tangy flavor from the fresh mint sauce perfectly complements the rich, savory taste of the lamb.
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Easy Roasted Lamb with Mint Sauce
Equipment
- 1 roasting tray with rack
Ingredients
Lamb
- 5 to 6 pounds Leg of lamb, boneless and trimmed
- 5 cloves garlic about 4 teaspoons
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 1 ½ tablespoons dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, coarsely ground
Mint Sauce
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves lightly packed
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons water
Instructions
For the lamb
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Mix the mustard, olive oil, garlic, fresh herbs, salt and pepper together to make a paste.
- Pat the lamb dry, then rub the paste evenly over the lamb (keeping the netting on the meat).
- Place the lamb, fat side up on a roasting pan with a rack. Roast uncovered at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes to sear the outside, then lower the heat to 350. Roast for an additional 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the internal temperature is about 135 degrees Fahrenheit in the thickest part of the lamb.
- Let the lamb rest for at least 20 minutes. The internal temperature will rise about 5 degrees to 140 (medium).
Mint Sauce
- Finely chop the fresh mint and put in a small bowl.
- Add the white wine vinegar and mix well.
- Add the sugar and salt and stir until dissolved.
- Slowly add in the water and stir well, the “sauce” will be watery with clumps of mint.
Notes
- Remove lamb from the fridge at least 1-2 hours before roasting, which will help it cook more evenly.
- Most boneless legs of lamb are sold in stores with a netting which helps it stay together. Do not remove this netting, it helps to keep the shape of the meat.
- If you like your lamb cooked more, increase the cooking time accordingly – though lamb tends to get tough when it’s cooked more than medium.
- Once the meat has rested, cut off the netting with scissors and then carve the lamb into ¼ inch or so slices.
- Cooking times will vary per oven.
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