7-Hour Roast Leg of Lamb

7-Hour Roast Leg of Lamb

The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 7 hrs
Marinate: 2 hrs
Total: 9 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings

This delicious and tender roast leg of lamb recipe is perfect when you want to spend a drizzly day inside cooking. It takes seven hours to cook, but it's mainly unattended—pop the lamb in the oven and check on it occasionally as the savory aromas fill your kitchen. This elegant, yet homey dish is as pleasant to cook as it is to serve.

Packed full of vegetables, and seasoned with herbs and wine, this leg of lamb is roasted until it's falling-apart tender. Braised slowly in the oven, it's a meal all on its own but is even more substantial when served with mashed potatoes. Use the extra pan sauce for drizzling over.

Ingredients

  • 1 (6-pound) bone-in leg of lamb

  • 10 cloves garlic

For the Marinade:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon fine sea salt

  • 1 tablespoon crushed fresh rosemary

  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme

  • 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 4 1/2 cups dry white wine

  • 1 cup water

For the Vegetables:

  • 4 medium leeks, coarsely chopped

  • 1 small celery root, peeled and cut into large chunks

  • 5 large carrots, cut into large chunks

  • 4 medium turnips, quartered

  • 4 medium onions, quartered

  • 6 cloves garlic

  • 2 teaspoons fine sea salt

  • 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    7-Hour Roast Leg of Lamb ingredients

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  2. With a sharp knife, poke 1/2-inch-deep holes scattered evenly over the surface of the leg of lamb. Insert the garlic clove sticks into the holes.

    Insert the garlic clove sticks into the leg of lamb

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  3. Mix the olive oil, sea salt, rosemary, thyme, sage, and black pepper together for the marinade.

    Mix the olive oil, sea salt, rosemary, thyme, sage, and black pepper together for the marinade

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  4. Rub the surface of the meat with the herb paste and place the leg of lamb into a large Dutch oven. Carefully pour the white wine into the side of the pan, avoiding pouring it over the meat itself, to keep the herb marinade in place. Cover and refrigerate the leg of lamb for 2 hours, turning once every 30 minutes.

    Rub the surface of the meat with the herb paste and place the leg of lamb into a large Dutch oven with wine

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  5. Preheat the oven to 275 F. Add the water to the lamb and marinade. Place the Dutch oven into the oven and cook the lamb, covered, for 3 hours, occasionally basting with pan juices.

    lamb leg in a Dutch oven

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  6. Sprinkle the leeks, celery root, carrots, turnips, onions, and garlic with salt and pepper. Uncover the pan and place the vegetables around the sides of the lamb.

    leg of lamb and vegetables in a Dutch oven

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  7. Continue roasting the leg of lamb and vegetables, uncovered, for 4 hours, basting occasionally, until the meat easily falls off the bone.

    lamb and vegetables cooking in a Dutch oven

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  8. Remove the roast leg of lamb and vegetables to a serving platter and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.

    roast leg of lamb and vegetables on a serving platter

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  9. While the roast lamb is resting, reduce the pan juices by simmering for a few minutes on the stovetop if they need thickening. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

    reduce the pan juices in the Dutch oven

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  10. Serve the lamb meat, sliced or shredded, with the vegetables and warm pan juices.

    7-Hour Roast Leg of Lamb, Serve the lamb leg and vegetables, with the warm pan juices

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  11. Enjoy.

Tips

  • Although the meat should just fall off of the bone, if you prefer to slice it, start from the thick end of the leg and move down toward the shank.
  • This recipe cooks the lamb to medium-well (140 F to 145 F), but if you prefer your lamb less cooked, remove from the oven at 120 F to 125 F for medium-rare and 130 F to 135 F for medium. Keep in mind that the temperature will continue to rise as the meat rests.
  • Keep the lamb bone to flavor soups; wrap well and place in the freezer for the next time you are making a soup that will benefit from the rich taste.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1098 Calories
60g Fat
23g Carbs
89g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 1098
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 60g 77%
Saturated Fat 24g 120%
Cholesterol 316mg 105%
Sodium 1602mg 70%
Total Carbohydrate 23g 8%
Dietary Fiber 4g 14%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 89g
Vitamin C 16mg 82%
Calcium 132mg 10%
Iron 9mg 48%
Potassium 1541mg 33%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags: