This delicious Fresh Herb Boneless Leg of Lamb is smothered in a mixture of fresh herbs and garlic and then roasted to perfection. Perfect for a spring celebration dinner!
We are in full spring mode over here. If you follow me on instagram and snapchat (foxandbriar), you probably saw my saturday escapades. We went to visit the famous cherry blossom trees at the University of Washington. I absolutely LOVE cherry blossoms and I feel like I see less of them around where I live now vs. in Portland. The UW trees are totally gorgeous. They are quite mature – much bigger and older than most of the cherry blossom trees I have seen. I was pretty surprised at how very crowded the area was though! It seems to be a huge tourist attraction. The time of day we went was probably part of it, it might be better to go earlier in the morning. In addition to getting my cherry blossom fix, our visit also gave my husband the opportunity to show me around his alma mater. If you are in the Seattle area, run to the UW campus and check out the cherry blossoms, they are probably not going to be around much longer!
So since I am all about spring these days, I seem to be focused on springy foods as well. On Friday I brought you THESE braised leeks, and today I am bringing you another quintessentially spring dish – Roasted boneless Leg of Lamb. A leg of lamb is such a show stopper and perfect for Easter or any spring celebration dinner. I actually created this recipe for the Fred Meyer Easter E-Book, which you can find HERE. I wanted to compliment the characteristically lamby taste, so I made a paste of fresh herbs, shallots, garlic and lemon. The leg of lamb is butterflied, rubbed with the fresh herb paste, rolled up and then roasted. I find that buying a leg of lamb that is already boneless is the way to go. Although it is possible to remove the bone yourself, it is difficult and time-consuming and I wouldn’t recommend it (take it from someone who has been there). If you can’t find a boneless leg of lamb, ask your butcher to remove the bone for you.
Combine all the ingredients for the herb paste in a food processor and blend until it is totally combined and has the consistency of pesto. Lay the leg of lamb out with the inside facing up. It is already butterflied, but you may need to slice it just a little to open it up completely, like a book. Spread the herb paste all over the inside, then roll it up and tie with kitchen twine. The cooking time is going to vary based on the size and shape of the roast. Mine took about an hour and 20 minutes and I roasted it to 135 degrees, which is medium rare. Please note that the FDA does recommend roasting to 145 degrees, and that is going to be medium well to well done. Also note that the roast will continue to cook a little after you take it out of the oven, so take it out when it is 5 degrees cooler than you want the final temperature to be. I have included a list of cooking temperatures in the notes section of the recipe.
After removing from the oven, allow it to rest for twenty minutes. Remove the twine, slice and serve! I served mine with THESE Rosemary Garlic Potatoes and it was a hit, and THESE Braised Leeks would also be a great side dish. And a simple salad with a fresh, bright lemon vinaigrette would be lovely with this as well!
Is it spring yet where you live? What are your favorite ways to celebrate spring?
Some tools I used for this recipe (affiliate links)…..
Fresh Herb Roasted Leg of Lamb
Ingredients
- boneless leg of lamb 3-4 pounds
For the Fresh Herb Paste
- 1 shallot
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1/4 cup packed fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup packed fresh mint
- 1/4 cup packed fresh oregano
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh minced rosemary
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Combine all ingredients for the fresh herb paste in a food processor or high powered blender. Blend until combined and mixture has the consistency of pesto.
- Since your leg of lamb is already boneless, it has already been butterflied for you.* Lay it on a work surface with the inside facing up. Spread about ⅔ of the paste on the inside of the roast. Roll the leg up into a roast shape and tie with cotton kitchen twine. Rub the remaining herb paste all over the outside of the roast.
- Place on a rack in a roasting pan and roast for 60-90* minutes, until the internal temperature has reached your desired level of doneness (***see chart in notes. I roasted mine to 135°F)
- Remove from oven and allow to rest for twenty minutes before carving.
Notes
Temperature Chart:
Rare: 115 to 120°F
Medium-Rare: 120 to 125°F
Medium: 130 to 135°F
Medium-Well: 140 to 145°F
Well-Done: 150 to 155°F
Nutrition
Looking for some sides? Give these a try…..
Crispy Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Potatoes
Disclosure: Thank you to Fred Meyer for sponsoring this post! You can can also find this recipe, among others, in the Fred Meyer Easter E-Book
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase the items I recommend through the links I provide, I get a small commission. For more info, please see my disclosure policy. Thanks for supporting Fox and Briar!
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Munchkintime says
Oh my I am drooling here! Looks amazing! Pinning!
Meghan says
Thank you so much, and for pinning too! 🙂
My Dish is Bomb says
Spring is definitely rearing its messy head over here, the snow has been melting fast and we’re all walking around in puddles. Fun! We actually have quite a few cherry blossom trees here in Winnipeg but I love going to other areas of the province and seeing other types of trees. Sounds like you had a fun day! And this meal looks amazing, I’ve never roasted lamb before!
Meghan says
Spring in Winnipeg sounds similar to spring in Alaska – we call it breakup when the snow starts to melt and it is a huge mess! Thanks Katy!
Dawn at Girl Heart Food says
I’m all over this recipe, Meghan! Love lamb and the fresh herb rub sounds unreal. Perfect for Spring! Those leeks look so delicious, too, by the way. Looking forward to trying this one 🙂
Meghan says
Thank you Dawn!
jane @ littlesugarsnaps says
I love the herbs and that they are there in abundance. Herbs really do create the feeling of spring and work so well with the lamb. Also, thanks for your tip to get the butcher to de-bone the leg of lamb – so much more sensible than me trying to do it.
Meghan says
The first time I made a leg of lamb I deboned it myself! It was such an ordeal, no reason for anyone to have to do it! Thanks Jane!
Anu - My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
Your roasted potatoes look so spring-tastic, Meghan. And loved the idea of pairing them with mint and lamb. YUM!
Meghan says
Thanks Anu! They all go so well together 🙂
Amanda @ Sagely Sweet says
Ugh this sounds so wonderful! I love lamb! Mint and lamb are so perfect together. Im drooling just looking at it?
Meghan says
Thanks so much Amanda! Mint and lamb were “mint” to be. Get it? Did you see what I did there…? 😉
Jessica @ Sweetest Menu says
I would LOVE, just love, to have this for dinner tonight. What a spectacular looking lamb! I would love to one day see cherry blossoms in full swing!
Meghan says
Thanks so much Jessica! The cherry blossoms are one of my favorite things. Just one of the great things about living in the PNW!
Tessa | Salted Plains says
The cherry blossoms are blooming here too! I love it. Thank goodness spring is here, right?
Reading through this recipe has me hungry! Lovely work, Meghan. This is absolutely perfect for Easter!!
Meghan says
Thanks so much Tessa! Yes, I welcome Spring with open arms, it is my favorite!
Tracy | Baking Mischief says
Sounds like a lovely trip. My cherry tree just started blossoming a couple weeks ago, and I’ve been enjoying it every time I step outside, but I’d love to see a huge group of them sometime!
This lamb is absolutely gorgeous. I love that combination of herbs, and this seems really doable. I’ve always been a little intimidated cooking lamb roasts, but I could totally do this!
Meghan says
They were donated to Washington from Japan in 1939! They are pretty spectacular. And I was kind of intimidated by a leg of lamb before I did it, but it really is doable! Thanks Tracy!
Linda | The Baker Who Kerns says
Mmm I love fresh herbs! And I love it when I coat fresh herbs in meat! I’ve never used mint in my usual herb mixes I cook with, I wonder how that flavor works with the more savory and bitter herbs! Sounds like you had a wonderful weekend! Sounds like spring is almost here!
Meghan says
Thanks Linda! The mint goes really well with the other herbs, and it is a perfect match for the lamb!
Nicole @ Young, Broke and Hungry says
I’m gonna need to check out the cherry blossoms at UW. They are so gorgeous this time of year, as is this rack of lamb.
Meghan says
Go ASAP Nicole, they are about at peak, I think! Thanks so much!
E.A. says
Meghan~~~this looks absolutely delicious!!
What a wonderful Easter meal~~❤️
Your directions make it seem do-able to me, even though in the past it has felt a bit daunting?
I’m glad you got out to see cherry blossoms. I agree…nothing compliments Springtime like the Cherry Trees in full bloom!
I love the photos and plan to give this recipe a
try.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Meghan says
I bet you would love it! Thank you!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
I have never been to Seattle, but it’s on my bucket list! So glad you had a wonderful weekend, girlfriend! Speaking of wonderful – THIS LAMB! This is totally perfect for Easter and it looks crazy delish!! Loving that fresh herb paste on here, Meghan! I could eat this entire roast myself, truth be told! Cheers, girlfriend!
Meghan says
Gah, you should come Cheyanne, the PNW is THE BEST. And I’m not going to lie, I did come pretty close to eating the wole thing also 😉 Thanks girl!
Christin@SpicySouthernKitchen says
Happy Spring! Lamb is one of my favorite spring foods. That herb paste looks amazing!
Meghan says
Thanks Christin! I just associate lamb with Spring too!