This rosemary leg of lamb roasts in an hour and a half and comes out juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside. If you’ve never roasted lamb before, you’ve come to the right place: this recipe is simpler than it looks and the result is absolutely spectacular. The secret is the rosemary crust — crispy, fragrant, and impressive without complicating your life.
The secret is the fresh rosemary crust that covers everything. Crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside, and ready in just over an hour of roasting. Impressive without the stress.
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The Perfect Leg of Lamb
The first time I made this recipe was with my compadre Daniel Belaid. He is a French cook of Algerian descent, born and raised in Paris. An engineer Daniel has that rare combination of Mediterranean instinct and French precision that makes everything he cooks taste extraordinary.
That day, we both agreed that nothing more was needed: fresh garlic, coarse sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and plenty of fresh rosemary. No complicated marinades, no exotic spices. In Mediterranean cooking, the better the ingredient, the less you need to do to it.
Ever since, this rosemary-crusted leg of lamb has been my celebration dish of choice. It’s perfecto for Easter and New Year’s Eve, for whenever there’s a table full of people you love. It never fails. It always impresses.
Bon appétit !
Enri
Lamb as a symbol of celebration
Lamb is much more than an ingredient. It is a food with deep symbolic meaning in several of the world’s great spiritual traditions.
In Christianity, the lamb represents sacrifice and redemption, which is why roasted lamb is the centerpiece of the Easter table in Mediterranean countries like Greece, Italy, and Spain, as well as throughout the Middle East and North Africa.
In Judaism, lamb is part of the Séder meal during Passover, commemorating the exodus from Egypt.
And in Islam, lamb is the sacrificial animal of choice during Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice.
Beyond the spiritual, roasted lamb is the heart of celebratory tables at weddings, christenings, and family gatherings across nearly every Mediterranean and Middle Eastern culture. When you serve a leg of lamb, you are serving history.
Tips for Buying Lamb
Buying lamb can be intimidating if you don’t do it often. Here are my tips so you can walk into the butcher shop with confidence:
- Order it in advance from a trustworthy butcher.
- Decide whether you want a shank-on or shank-off leg of lamb. The shank makes for a more dramatic presentation, but the upper part is where the meat is.
- Choose bone-in lamb: the bone adds tremendous flavor during cooking.
- Ask for a market-weight lamb, not too young, not too old. Older lamb has that strong mutton flavor that not everyone enjoys.
- Ask your butcher to trim the excess fat.
Ingredients
To make this roasted leg of lamb with a rosemary crust, you will need:
- Bone-in legs of lamb
- Garlic cloves
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Coarse sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh rosemary sprigs
The exact amounts are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Roast a Leg of Lamb with Rosemary Crust
- Season the lamb. Using a paring knife, make incisions in the meat and insert the garlic cloves. Season generously with coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper on all sides.
- Prepare the rosemary crust. Finely chop the fresh rosemary leaves. Cover the entire surface of the lamb with the chopped rosemary. Place the leg in a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rest at room temperature for one hour.
- Roast in the oven. Preheat the oven and place the lamb on a roasting rack. Cover it with aluminum foil to protect the rosemary crust and roast until the meat reaches the desired internal temperature.
- Brown and rest. Remove the foil and broil for a few minutes until the rosemary crust is golden and crispy. Take the lamb out of the oven, cover it again with aluminum foil, and let it rest before carving. This step is key: it allows the juices to redistribute and keeps the meat incredibly juicy.
Save all the pan juices and serve them alongside the lamb. They are extraordinary.
FAQs
Did you know…?
Rosemary is one of the oldest aromatic herbs in Mediterranean cooking. The ancient Romans used it in their banquets and religious rituals alike, considering it a symbol of fidelity and memory. Today it remains the soul of Provençal cuisine and the cooking of southern Italy.
Source: Larousse Gastronomique, 2009 edition.
The Perfect Sides to Serve with Lamb
- Garlic infused mashed potatoes
- Mashed potatoes with leeks and Swiss chard
- Glazed baby carrots
- Asparagus with shallots vinaigrette
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Roasted Leg of Lamb with a Rosemary Crust Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 bone-in legs of lamb approximately 6 pounds (2.7 kg) each
- 12 garlic cloves peeled
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided 30 ml
- Coarse sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 6 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, finely minced and divided 18 g
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Place the rack in the lower third of the oven.
- Using a paring knife, make 6 incisions in each leg of lamb and insert a garlic clove into each one.
- Season generously with coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper on all sides.
- Cover the outer surface of each leg with the finely minced fresh rosemary.
- Place the meat in a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Transfer the lamb to a roasting rack and cover with aluminum foil.
- Roast for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 135°F (57°C) for medium.
- Remove the foil and broil for 3 to 5 minutes until the rosemary crust is golden and crispy.
- Remove the lamb from the oven, transfer to a serving platter, and cover with aluminum foil. Let rest for 15 minutes before carving.
- Carve with a non-serrated carving knife and serve warm with the pan juices.
Nutrition
Notes
- Nutritional values are approximate and were automatically calculated using WordPress Recipe Maker. They may vary depending on the specific ingredients and brands you use.
- For rare: internal temperature 125°F (52°C).
- For medium rare: 130°F (54°C).
- For medium: 135°F–145°F (57°C–63°C).
- For well done: 155°F–165°F (68°C–74°C).
- Leftovers keep for up to 7 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Perfect for lamb shawarma wraps.
- Freeze for up to 3 months in well-wrapped portions.
- If fresh rosemary is unavailable, use a combination of fresh thyme and fresh parsley.
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