This roast leg of lamb with garlic and rosemary makes a complete oven dinner, with potatoes and onions cooked in the pan juices and a honey-vinegar glaze brushed over the meat near the end. The bone-in lamb is roasted uncovered for a browned exterior and a well-done center that can be carved into slices.
Why You'll Love This Roast Leg of Lamb
- One roasting pan: The potatoes, onions and lamb cook together, keeping the main dish and its accompaniment in the same pan.
- A practical cooking sequence: The vegetables go in later, giving them time to cook without spending the full roasting time in the oven.
- A simple finishing glaze: Honey and white wine vinegar add a sweet-tart finish to the browned lamb.
When I want to serve a proper roast without making the meal feel complicated, this is the kind of recipe I turn to. Most of the cooking happens in the oven, leaving me time to prepare anything else for the table. My one-pan roasted chicken thighs and potatoes follow a similar approach, while baked pork steaks are useful when I want a smaller roast dinner.
What I enjoy here is the way the potatoes and onions absorb the wine and lamb juices beneath the meat. I add the garlic and rosemary with the vegetables, then brush on the glaze for the final stage of roasting. This gives a different meal from my grilled butterflied leg of lamb, which uses a boneless cut and a shorter grilling method.
Key Ingredients for Roast Leg of Lamb
These are the ingredients that shape the flavor and cooking method of the dish.
- Leg of lamb: Gives the dish its rich, savory flavor, while its roasting juices provide the base for cooking the vegetables.
- Potatoes and onions: The potatoes absorb the flavorful pan juices, while the onions soften and add sweetness.
- White wine, garlic and rosemary: White wine adds acidity to balance the lamb's richness. Garlic brings a mellow, savory flavor as it roasts, and rosemary adds its distinctive woodsy aroma.
- Honey and white wine vinegar: Honey adds sweetness and a glossy finish to the browned surface, while white wine vinegar gives the glaze a tangy balance.
How to Make Roast Leg of Lamb
The lamb roasts first, the vegetables join it later, and the glaze goes on for the final stage. The printable recipe card below has the full measurements and oven settings.
1. Prepare and season the lamb: Take the lamb out of the refrigerator an hour before roasting, completing the preparation during that time. Place it in a roasting pan with the white wine, olive oil and water, then season with salt and black pepper.
2. Start roasting: Roast the lamb uncovered on the middle rack, basting occasionally with the pan juices. Once the first roasting stage is complete, lift the lamb onto a plate while you prepare the pan for the vegetables.
3. Add the vegetables: Spread the potatoes, onions, whole garlic cloves and rosemary in the pan juices. Return the lamb to the pan, placing it over the vegetables, and continue roasting at the lower oven temperature.
4. Glaze, rest and carve: Brush the lamb with the honey and white wine vinegar mixture, then finish roasting uncovered. Check the internal temperature away from the bone, let the meat rest, and carve across the grain to serve with the vegetables and juices.
For this 3 kg bone-in leg, allow 2 hours 20 minutes of roasting, followed by 20 minutes of resting. Including the hour before roasting, during which the preparation is completed, the total elapsed time is 3 hours 40 minutes. This recipe produces well-done, sliceable lamb; use the thermometer reading in the card alongside the timing, since the shape of the joint and oven performance can affect cooking.
Tips for Roast Leg of Lamb
- Slice the potatoes evenly: Keep the slices 1 cm thick so they cook at a similar rate beneath the lamb.
- Watch the pan juices: Baste occasionally, and add a small splash of water if the roasting pan begins to dry out.
- Check away from the bone: Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat without touching the bone. The measured endpoint for this recipe is at least 160°F (71°C).
- Rest before carving: Leave the lamb for 20 minutes, then slice across the visible muscle fibers, working around the bone.
How to Store and Reheat Roast Lamb
Refrigerate leftover lamb and vegetables in airtight containers within two hours and use within three to four days. To reheat, place the lamb in a baking dish with a little reserved pan juice, cover and warm in the oven until it reaches 165°F (74°C). Keep the meat covered while reheating to help limit moisture loss.
What to Serve with Roast Leg of Lamb
The potatoes and onions already provide an accompaniment. Serve it with honey roasted carrots with almonds for a sweet and savory vegetable side, or add Spanish garlic mushrooms for another vegetable option. Serve ciabatta bread alongside for dipping into the pan juices.
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Recipe
Roast Leg of Lamb with Garlic and Rosemary
Ingredients
- 3 kg bone-in leg of lamb
- 100 ml white wine
- 50 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 100 ml water
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 medium potatoes - cut into 1 cm slices
- 2 onions - sliced
- 10 garlic cloves - peeled and left whole
- 4 rosemary sprigs
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Instructions
- Remove the 3 kg bone-in leg of lamb from the refrigerator one hour before roasting. Complete the preparation during this hour.
- Toward the end of the hour, preheat the convection/fan oven to 220 °C and position a rack in the middle.
- Place the lamb in a roasting pan. Pour 100 ml white wine over the meat, drizzle with 50 ml extra virgin olive oil, and add 100 ml water to the pan. Season with 1½ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
- Roast uncovered for 1 hour 30 minutes, spooning the pan juices over the lamb occasionally. Transfer the lamb to a plate.
- Add 4 medium potatoes, cut into 1 cm slices, 2 onions, sliced, 10 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole, and 4 rosemary sprigs to the roasting pan. Spread them evenly in the pan juices, then place the lamb on top.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 200 °C. Return the pan to the oven and roast uncovered for 25 minutes.
- Mix 2 tablespoons honey with 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar. Brush over the lamb and roast uncovered for another 25 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat without touching the bone registers at least 71 °C for the well-done result.
- Remove the lamb from the oven and let it rest for 15-20 minutes before carving. Slice across the grain, working around the bone, and serve with the potatoes, onions, and pan juices.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Sandra says
I made this roast leg of lamb last night, and it was exactly what I hoped for. The meat turned out tender, the potatoes soaked up all the flavor, and the honey–vinegar finish added such a beautiful touch.