Roast a Leg of Lamb

You can have the turkey. Leave the ham. Prime rib — what's that? In my house, leg of lamb is the celebratory roast; I love its tenderness and flavor. And, of course, it's the high season for lamb right now, as lamb figures prominently on both the Passover and Easter tables.

Have you ever roasted a leg of lamb? It may sound intimidating, but the sweet little secret is that leg of lamb is actually one of the easiest, most foolproof cuts of meat to cook. Here's our remarkably simple, fuss-free approach to cooking a leg of lamb. It will turn out perfectly every time.

Expert Tips for Buying & Cooking a Leg of Lamb

While I've cooked lamb on many occasions, cooking a whole leg can still feel intimidating. It's a large, expensive cut of meat, and I always wonder whether I am going to dry it out or make it tough. Should I marinate it? Should I do something special to make sure it's cooked properly?

I spoke to my favorite local butcher, Bluescreek Farm Meats, in Columbus, Ohio, to learn a little more about leg of lamb and how to cook it.

Here are some expert tips from Jamie Smith at Bluescreek on what to look for in lamb, and how to cook it. A sneak peek: Cooking a leg of lamb is actually really, really simple.

What Is a Leg of Lamb?

When we talk about lamb leg, we mean one of the back haunches of the animal, and the most common cut includes the upper part of the leg only. (Think of the thigh, without the lower part of the leg.)

Shank On or Off?

Usually leg of lamb is sold without the shank attached; you are just buying the upper part of the leg, as seen here, without the lower part. You can order a leg of lamb with the shank left on, however; this is sometimes called an "American leg," but usually it's simply referred to as "shank-on leg."

Some people prefer this, as it looks more traditional and dramatic on a serving platter, but there's no major advantage to having the shank (other than getting an extra soup bone!).

Boneless or Bone-In?

Jamie prefers bone-in, for the flavor. Think of how we make stock from bones, she said. The bones hold so much of the flavor. When you roast a piece of meat with the bone still in, you are getting all that flavor in the meat itself. A bone-in lamb leg can be a little trickier to carve, but we opted for bone-in in this cooking lesson (we'll show you how to carve it).

If you are really nervous about carving meat, boneless is fine; it's easier to slice. If you buy a boneless leg of lamb, it will probably come in a net. When the bone is removed from the lamb, the meat needs to be held together in the shape of the leg for cooking, so heatproof, oven-safe netting is usually used. If your netting isn't oven-safe, you can tie it up with kitchen twine instead (or ask your butcher to do it for you!).

Should I Marinate a Leg of Lamb?

Now, how to cook your leg of lamb? Here's where things get really interesting.

"Lamb leg is a really tender cut," said Jamie at Bluescreek. "You don't need to marinate it." In fact, she said, marinating lamb can actually make it tougher. A marinade is designed to break down the tough fibers in meat, but since lamb is naturally so tender, marinating can destroy the integrity of the meat — the texture and flavor — and make it tough to chew. "I would not marinate a lamb leg for more than two or three hours," said Jamie. "It's fine to follow a recipe, but be cautious."

To add flavor to the roast, we decided to skip marinating altogether and season it simply with herbs and garlic.