Leg of Lamb Recipe with Vegetables
A bone-in leg of lamb, roasted low and slow with rosemary, garlic, and root vegetables, then finished with a red wine pan sauce built right in the roasting pan. A genuine centerpiece, and more forgiving than it looks.
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What You'll Need
- 1 bone-in leg of lamb
- 3 tbsp dried rosemary
- 6+ cloves garlic
- 1 lb baby potatoes (russet or golden)
- ½ lb carrots, cut into 2–3" chunks
- ¼ lb baby zucchini, cut into 2–3" chunks
- 6 small leeks (if larger, cut into 4" pieces and halve lengthwise)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1½ tbsp flour
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
How to Roast a Leg of Lamb
- Let the leg of lamb temper to room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Season the entire leg generously with salt and pepper, cover with rosemary, and scatter the garlic cloves around the pan.
- Place into a roasting pan and roast for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, add the olive oil-tossed potatoes, and roast for another 15 minutes.
- Add the carrots, leeks, and zucchini, stirring them into the pan liquid and around the potatoes. Roast another 15 minutes. If the pan looks dry, drizzle a little more olive oil over the vegetables.
- Stir the vegetables and roast for another 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and check the internal temperature with an instant thermometer, it should read 115–125°F.
- For a medium finish, roast another 5–10 minutes.
- Remove the roast and vegetables, and let the meat rest at least 15 minutes.
- Spoon off some of the surface fat, then place the roasting pan over medium heat on the stovetop. Sprinkle in the flour and stir to form a roux, cook for 2 minutes, then slowly whisk in the red wine and stock. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring gently.
- Strain the liquid into a serving dish. Plate the lamb separately, surrounded by the roasted vegetables.
- Serve in ¼-inch slices with a ladle of the pan sauce and vegetables.
About Our Lamb
This leg comes from Hopkins Southdown, raised right here in Rhode Island. Southdown lamb has a meatier, more luscious character than what most people expect from lamb, less gamey, more approachable, and it holds up beautifully to a long, slow roast like this one.
Leg of Lamb Cooking Time Guide
This recipe's roast time is built around a standard 5–7 lb bone-in leg, but cooking leg of lamb always comes down to weight more than the clock. Use this as a general reference, then confirm with a thermometer.
| Weight | Approx. Roast Time | Target Pull Temp |
|---|---|---|
| 4–5 lbs | 50–60 min | 115–125°F |
| 5–7 lbs | 65–75 min | 115–125°F |
| 7–9 lbs | 80–95 min | 115–125°F |
For a slow-roast approach instead (lower heat, longer time), 325°F for roughly 20–25 minutes per pound gets you to the same target temperature with a more hands-off process, useful if you'd rather not manage a hot oven for an hour and a half.
More Cuts Worth Knowing
This roast calls for bone-in leg, but Hopkins Southdown's range goes well beyond it.
How to Tell When It's Done
This recipe pulls the lamb at 115–125°F, landing between rare and medium-rare on our full temperature guide, with the option to roast 5–10 minutes longer for medium.
Because this is a large roast, it carries over more heat while resting than a steak or fillet would, so pulling on the earlier side of that range is the safer call. See our full meat and seafood temperature guide → for how this compares across everything else we carry.
Tips for the Perfect Roast
A leg of lamb this size rewards patience more than technique. A few things worth getting right:
- Let it fully temper first. A cold roast straight from the fridge cooks unevenly, budget real time for this step, don't rush it.
- Build the vegetables in stages. Adding potatoes, then heartier vegetables, then the most delicate ones in sequence keeps everything from turning to mush by the time the lamb is done.
- Rest it longer than feels necessary. Fifteen minutes is a minimum, not a suggestion, a roast this size needs it to redistribute juice evenly.
What to Serve With It
The pan sauce and vegetables genuinely round out the plate on their own. If you're building a bigger menu, this pairs well as the main event after something lighter, our trout gravlax → or pan-seared scallops → both make sense as a starter ahead of a roast this substantial.
Recipe FAQ
How long does it take to cook a leg of lamb?
For a standard 5–7 lb bone-in leg at 400°F, budget 65–75 minutes to reach 115–125°F internally, plus at least 15 minutes of resting time.
Should I use bone-in or boneless leg of lamb?
Bone-in roasts more evenly and builds more flavor into the pan sauce. Boneless is easier to carve and cooks slightly faster, a fine trade if convenience matters more than the sauce.
What temperature should I pull a leg of lamb at?
115–125°F for rare to medium-rare, the range this recipe is built around. Roast an additional 5–10 minutes if you prefer medium.
Can I slow roast this instead?
Yes. Roasting at 325°F for roughly 20–25 minutes per pound reaches the same target temperature with a longer, more hands-off process.
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