If you're hosting a family roast dinner, our slow-roasted leg of lamb is a good choice. Once you try it, you'll be hooked on this delicious dish, and it is super easy too!
Simply slow roast leg of lamb at a low oven temperature for 4 to 5 hours until it's tender and falls off the bone. For the last 30-45 minutes, add a delicious chutney marinade to create a sticky glaze.
Remember to use the stock, veggies, and lamb juices for a tasty gravy. It's a perfect Sunday Roast to share with loved ones.
Each bite of our slow-roasted leg of lamb is bursting with flavour, from the glazed outer layer to the succulent inner meat.
Make our leg of lamb recipe today, we promise you won't be let down. We also have a recipe for slow roast lamb shoulder or how to cook a leg of lamb in the slow cooker
Jump to:
Ingredients
- 1.8-2.2 Kg Leg of Lamb if using frozen defrost overnight.
- 2 Carrots
- 2 Onions
- 1 Garlic Bulb
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- 1000 ml Lamb Stock
- 3 sprigs Rosemary
- Salt and Pepper
- 3 tablespoon Chutney Or something similar
Gravy
- 3 tablespoon Plain Flour (add more or less for desired consistency)
Vegetables
We have chosen to use carrots, onions, and garlic as a trivet for slow-roasting lamb leg. These vegetables form a base during the slow roast process.
Not only does this help elevate the lamb off the bottom of the pan, promoting more even cooking, but it also adds flavour to the stock that is created during the roasting process.
The stock created from these root vegetables can then be used to make a delicious gravy to accompany the lamb.
However, it's important to note that other types of root vegetables can be used instead depending on personal preference or availability.
Beets, turnips, parsnips, and celery root are all great alternatives, that can also add depth of flavour to the stock and enhance the overall taste of the dish.
Leg of Lamb
Go to a butcher for the finest quality lamb, although a leg of lamb from a supermarket will work perfectly too.
If using a frozen leg of lamb, it must be fully defrosted before cooking.
This whole leg of lamb recipe will work for any size leg. I will give more advice for cooking times of a larger leg or half a leg of lamb below. In this example, we have used a 1.8kg full leg of lamb.
Glaze
When you uncover the leg of lamb for the last 45 minutes of cooking, applying a chutney, marinade, or meat rub helps create a glazed, flavourful, and textured exterior. Choose something that contains sugar or honey to achieve the glaze effect.
We used this delicious Real Ale Chutney, by The Cherry Tree for the final 30-45 minutes of cooking time to give a fantastic sticky glaze. You could use a mint jelly for a minted lamb flavour, like we did in our slow cooker leg of lamb recipe.
Why Slow Roast Lamb?
This slow-cooking technique allows the lamb to cook gently with steam created in the roasting pan, allowing the flavours to mature fully without drying out.
The trick is to add liquid (stock) to the tray and keep the lamb covered with foil throughout most of the cooking.
The final cooking time without foil is when you roast the leg of lamb with a glaze to give the best presentation.
This results in tender and juicy lamb meat falling off the bone and melting in your mouth.
This way of cooking a leg of lamb is my favourite. You just can't go wrong! There is no checking the meat's temperature and no worrying about over- or undercooking.
It will be so soft and tender that you will not need a knife to carve. Just a couple of forks to pull the tender meat off the bone.
Cooking Time
We used a 1.8 kg leg of lamb for this recipe, however, the same time will apply up until 2.2kg. I will include different weights and times apply
| Leg of Lamb (bone-in) weight kg and (lb) | Oven cooking time 170C / fan 150C Gas mark 3 (325F) | Final cooking time with chutney added | Total cooking time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.8 kg -1.4 kg (1.7 lb - 3 lb) | 3 hours | 30 minutes | 3 hours 30 minutes |
| 1.5 -1.7 kg (3.3 lb - 3.7 lb) | 3 hours 30 minutes | 30 minutes | 4 hours |
| 1.8 kg - 2.2 kg (3.9 lb - 4.8 lb) | 4 hours 15 minutes | 30 minutes | 4 hours 45 minutes |
| 2.3 kg - 2.9 kg (5 lb - 6.4 lb) | 4 hour 45 minutes | 30 minutes | 5 hours 15 minutes |
| 3 kg - 3.5kg (6.6 lb - 7.7 lb) | 5 hour 15 minutes | 30 minutes | 5 hours 45 minutes |
Instructions
Here is the printable recipe card for our slow roast leg of lamb. If needed, read on below for more advice.
📖 Step by Step Recipe
Slow Cooked Leg of Lamb
Ingredients
- 1.8-2.2 Kg Leg of Lamb - if using frozen defrost overnight.
- 2 Carrots
- 2 Onions
- 1 Garlic Bulb
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- 1000 ml Lamb Stock
- 3 sprigs Rosemary
- Salt and Pepper
- 3 tablespoon Chutney - Or something similar
Gravy
- 3 tablespoon Plain Flour - (add more or less for desired consistency)
Instructions
- For best results keep 1.8-2.2 Kg Leg of Lamb out of the fridge for about an hour before cooking. Preheat oven to 150°C fan / 170°C / 325°F / Gas Mark 3. In a roasting tin place2 Onions, chopped into rings2 Carrots roughly chopped3 sprigs Rosemary1 Garlic Bulb split into cloves2 Carrots, 2 Onions, 1 Garlic Bulb, 4 tablespoon olive oil, 3 sprigs Rosemary
- Place lamb on top of veg rub both sides with 4 tablespoon olive oil. Generously season with Salt and Pepper. Leave the leg of lamb fat side up.1.8-2.2 Kg Leg of Lamb
- Pour 1000 ml Lamb Stock in around, but not over the top of the lamb leg.1000 ml Lamb Stock
- Cover the roasting tin well with foil to keep the moisture in during cooking. Place in the oven at 150°C fan / 170°C / 325°F / Gas Mark 3 for 3 hr 00 min for 0.8-1.4kg half leg of lamb3 hr 30 min for 1.5-1.7kg leg of lamb4 hr 15 min for 1.8-2.2kg leg of lamb4 hr 45 min for 2.25-2.90kg leg of lamb5hr 15 min for 3-3.5kg leg of lamb
- Remove from oven and take the foil off (keep aside to reuse later).Add your choice of 3 tablespoon Chutney to glaze the leg of lamb or leave it as it is.3 tablespoon Chutney
- Place back in the oven for another 30-45 minutes, to brown,
- Remove from oven and transfer the leg of lamb to the saved foil, wrap and leave to rest whilst you prepare the gravyEven if not making a gravy, it is really important to allow the lamb to rest for at least 30 minutes, before pulling it apart, this allows the juices to settle for tender soft meat.
Gravy
- Mash the garlic, onion, carrots, and stock together. Use a spoon to try and remove any excess fat sitting at the top of the stock.
- Strain the remaining vegetable lumps out with a sieve into a saucepan. Bring the liquid to a boil.
- Mix 3 tablespoon Plain Flour with equal amount of cold water to form a smooth lump-free paste. Add bit by bit to saucepan whilst boiling until at desired consistency.3 tablespoon Plain Flour
- Ready to serve!
Video
Nutrition
This slow roast leg of lamb recipe was originally posted 23rd April 2020 and was updated on the 9th May 2024. To include a user friendly layout, updated recipe card and a roast lamb cooking time table.
How to make lamb gravy from scratch?
This recipe not only makes a tender slow-cooked leg of lamb. But also gives you the base sauce for your lamb gravy!
All you need is a sieve, flour and pepper!
If you don't want gravy with your lamb, why not try out Red Wine Jus Sauce Recipe which goes perfectly with our leg of lamb recipe.
Roast Lamb Serving Suggestions
While the lamb is resting, you can prepare the side dishes for the roast lamb, starting with the oven-roasted potatoes.
We also have an air fryer roast potato recipe, which frees up space in the oven and allows you to roast some honey parsnips.
Traditionally served with beef roast dinners, we like to serve yorkshire puddings with our roast lamb.
The kids love pigs in blankets, and finally a selection of vegetables like carrots and peas.
We hope you enjoyed cooking this slow roast lamb. We have plenty more roast dinner recipes if you want something for next week?
More Roast Dinner Recipes
If you love this leg of lamb cooked low and slow. You will also love our slow cooked rolled lamb breast. Want something different, check out our popular glazed gammon joint.
If you are looking for roast beef, we have a few to choose from. roast topside beef, slow-roasted silverside, or Rolled Rib of Beef. For something different on a Sunday why not try our showstopping Salmon En Croute.
Our slow roast lamb is a dish that is sure to tantalize your taste buds and leave you wanting more.
M. says
Wasn't quite 'fall off the bone.' Followed instructions correctly. I Don't understand the need for 1 litre or stock, (half that would still be too much,my lamb size was 2.2kg), as the lamb ended up sitting in the stock. Still tasty though, changed real ale chutney to a tomato chutney.
Luke and Kay says
Thank you, M, for trying our Slow Cooked Leg of Lamb dish! We appreciate that you took the time to follow our instructions correctly and provide feedback.
The stock is added to help gently cook the lamb in the steam as it slowly cooks over several hours and makes an intense flavour boost to the lamb gravy to serve with your dinner.
The tomato chutney sounds superb; I bet that tasted amazing 🙂
Sonja Truesdale says
Without a doubt that is the best explained and thorough recipe that I have seen outside Australia. Your recipe stands alongside my favourite food blogger Nagi Maehashi owner of 'RecipeTineats.com'
I cooked the lamb as instructed and it was perfect. I loved and appreciated your gravy recipe and I told my father that this is the way that I'll be cooking the lamb from now on. I use 'Dorper' lamb.
The only sad thing I couldn't do was purchase the 'Real Ale Chutney' as we don't get it over hear, and upon enquiry the company does not post outside England due to possible breakage.
Thank you Kay and Luke for sharing your recipe xxx
Luke and Kay says
Thanks for trying out our Slow Cooked Leg of Lamb recipe, Sonja! I'm glad you found it both easy to follow and delicious.
I'm sorry that you couldn't find our Real Ale Chutney locally, but thank you for sharing that our recipe is comparable to one of your favourite food bloggers. We're honoured to be mentioned in the same sentence as Nagi from Recipe Tin Eats!
Thanks again for trying out our recipe, and please let us know how you like it if you make it again. 🙂
Sally says
Can this be done day before nearly alway through then next day finish off with the glaze please
Luke and Kay says
Preparing and reheating this slow-cooked glazed leg of lamb can be tricky as it can dry the meat out.
We find it best to cook the leg of lamb all the way through for it to reach the point needed to be able to shred it.
When cooking the leg of lamb ahead of time, it is best to cook the leg of lamb all the way through with the chutney.
Once rested, remove the meat from the bone whilst still warm and make the gravy. Refrigerate both overnight.
To reheat, pour the thick cold gravy into a pan and heat, adding hot water to thin it out a little.
Place the shredded roast lamb into a roasting tin and pour over some of the thinned-out gravy. Cover with foil to create a steam bath to reheat the lamb meat. Place in a preheated oven at 150°C /fan 170°C/ 325°F for about 30 minutes or until heated through for tender, flavorful results.
Hope this helps?
Tony Marsden says
I Love Lamb and always cook it this way. I hate waste so at the end tip the stock and veg into a blender and give it a good whiz. The veg thickens the gravy and it is absolutely delicious. sometimes it's that thick a little more water is required. one more thing I usually replace a little of the water with Red Wine!
Kay says
Tony, thank you so much We're so glad to hear that you enjoy cooking your slow-cooked leg of lamb using our recipe and that you've found a way to make the leftovers even more delicious. 🙂
If you like lamb recipes you might like our Lamb Kleftiko - Traditional Greek Dish it is amazing 😉
Guy says
Prepared my 1.5kg leg of lamb using this exact recipe. I made my own glazing of rosemary, honey, onion and balsamic vinegar and that was an excellent substitution for the chutney as I did not have that readily available at home.
This was probably the nicest lamb meal I have had in my life. I combined it with sweet potato that I mashed with the roasted carrots and onions (from the lamb) and then the gravy over that. Absolutely delicious!
Kay says
Guy, thanks for trying our Slow Cooked Leg of Lamb recipe! We're glad you enjoyed it and found a substitution for the chutney that worked well for you.
If you like Lamb recipes, you will like our Slow Roast Lamb Shoulder or our Lamb Kleftiko - Traditional Greek Dish they are superb 🙂
Emma says
Hi, i cooked a 1.4kg of lamb last night (half leg with bone in)..i did it for 4 hours @ 150 degrees, and could not seem to pull it apart, so put it in for another 30 mins. Then i took the foil off and cooked for another 45mins. It was really touch and chewy - could hardly pull it apart... Obviously i overcooked it, but at what point do you think it would have been done? does the 45 mins with no foil not dry the meat out?
Kay says
Hi Emma,
Yes I agree; the meat would have been overcooked as this recipe is based on a whole leg of lamb, not a half leg of lamb.
We have a slow cooked lamb shoulder recipe you can follow for cooking times; shoulder of lamb has smaller sizes, and the same timing can be used for a half leg of lamb.
Based on 1.4kg half a leg of lamb, I would have cooked for 3hrs at 150°C fan / 170°C / 325°F / Gas Mark 3, then an additional 30 minutes with the glaze and uncovered. On the shoulder, we used a mint glaze, but you can use a chutney as in this lamb leg recipe if preferred.
The uncovered time helps to brown off the glaze nicely.
Also, I just noticed I didn't state in the recipe card, how important it is to let the lamb rest after cooking (I have added it now). Make sure you cover loosely with foil for at least 30 minutes (longer is fine), this lets the juices settle throughout the lamb, making softer tender meat ready for pulling apart. This gives you time to increase your oven temperature to cook your side dishes, roast potatoes, vegetables, and Yorkshire Puddings and make a nice gravy.
I hope that helps next time you want a Roast lamb dinner.
Thanks,
Kay
Emma says
ok thanks so much!! that makes perfect sense... didn't even enter my head that it would take less being a half than a whole leg!!!
Kay says
It's our pleasure, Emma 🙂
Enjoy your lamb roast dinner, and please let us know how it goes. 😉
Jane Mooney says
I cooked my 11 lbs leg of lamb exactly as you recommended, vegetables and stock under the lamb and all covered tightly in foil for 6 hrs 15 mins @ 150 plus cooked for an additional half hour uncovered. It was totally perfect, falling off the bone, so evenly cooked. Thank you so much for getting back to me with your advice. I will always cook my lamb this way as it keeps it so moist and everyone totally loved it. Just brilliant!
Kay says
That's fantastic, Jane 🙂
So glad your 11lb leg of lamb came out perfect, and all your family enjoyed our recipe; if you like lamb recipes, you might like our Croatian Lamb Peka its delicious 😉
Enjoy!!
Vicky says
I used this receipe today for the family's Easter feast, by far the most impressive Lamb dinner I have ever cooked, thank you so much!!
Kay says
Thank you, Vicky; I'm glad our slow-cooked leg of lamb went down as a treat for your Easter Family feast; always great to hear 🙂
Karen says
Delicious
Kay says
Thank you so much, Karen 🙂
Glad you thought our slow-cooked leg of lamb was delicious 😉
Liz says
The perfect way to cook a half leg of lamb. The chutney really makes it perfect. Thank you for sharing this!
Kay says
Thanks, Liz; glad you liked the leg of lamb recipe, and yes, the chutney gives it that gives it great flavour; our family loved this 🙂
Jane Mooney says
This recipe looks delicious and I look forward to trying it. I have a very large leg of lamb (11 lbs). Any advice to make it as gorgeous as yours. Falling off the bone would be wonderful. Many thanks.
Kay says
Wow, 11 lbs is near enough 5kg leg of lamb; that's a very large lamb! The largest I have personally cooked is 3.5 kg. The good news is that slow cooking lamb in this way is very easy and forgivable as you can check it along the way and know when it's ready by simply checking to see if it is falling off the bone yet?!
So I would recommend cooking as stated in the recipe card covered with foil for 6 hours 15 minutes. Then check to see if the meat has started to fall off the bone? Use forks to give it a little tug and check - if needed cook for longer covered with the foil for 30-minute intervals- if it is pulling off the bone easily continue with the 30 minutes uncovered cooking with the glaze to brown off.
Please do confirm back to us the final time needed so anyone visiting our site looking for how to cook a large leg of lamb can find this advice!
We wish you and your family a very Happy Easter.
Tam says
So delighted!
Cooked on gas bbq to keep smell out of the house and was beautifully tender and made the best gravy to go with jt!
Kay says
Thank you, Tam 🙂
That sounds amazing; really pleased you enjoyed our leg of lamb recipe cooked on your BBQ 😉
Nahid says
Hi there I cannot find lamb stock is beef stock okay?
Kay says
Hi Nahid
Thanks for the question, it's no problem you can use beef stock if you can't find lamb 🙂
Enjoy!!
Stephanie stanton says
Hiya,
How long would I need to cook a half leg of lamb around 1.1kg and if I wanted to do roast potatoes when should I add them in?
Kay says
Hi Stephanie, sorry for the delay to reply, I must have missed the message alert?
A half leg of lamb weighing 1.5kg will need 3 hours at 150°c fan (170 °c non fan) covered with foil. Then add chutney or alternative glaze (mint jelly works well too), and cook uncovered for extra 30 minutes.
Enjoy!
Kay says
Turn the oven up and add the roast potatoes after the lamb has finished cooking.
Or if you have one, airfryer roast potatoes are another option!
Lamb is best when left to rest in foil for at least 30 minutes, which gives your potatoes time to cook and for you to make the gravy.
Betty says
This is the best roast lamb recipe, I’ve used it several times and it’s never failed!
Peter K Roberts says
Followed your recipe adding:
Red wine to deglaze meat pan and increase depth of gravy flavour.
Crushed cloves of garlic in vegetable trivet.
Blackcurrant jam to final heating of gravy.
Really beautiful tender lamb, possibly tastier still tomorrow with mashed potatoes! Many thanks.
Luke says
Thank you, Peter, for that great review 🙂
We will have to try out the blackcurrant jam with the gravy that sounds lush, glad your lamb came out tender, and you can't beat leftovers for the next day, lol
Enjoy!!