This is how the Greeks make roast lamb – cooked until tender, half braised in a garlic lemon flavoured liquid that transforms into a luscious sauce – no mucking around with gravy! This Greek Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb takes hours and hours to roast, but it is EASY, virtually foolproof and very hands off. A perfect centrepiece for Easter, Sunday Roast or any other occasion for feasting!!
After more ideas? Browse all my roast lamb recipes!
Fork-tender, authentic Greek Slow Roast Leg of Lamb
All around the world this weekend, there will be gatherings of family and friends to celebrate Easter. I was quite interested to learn that ham is very popular in America. Here in Australia, it’s all about roast lamb and seafood.
I love a good roast lamb! I’ve shared quite a few of them – from a classic Roast Lamb Leg, to a Slow Roast Leg of Lamb (fall apart tender!), Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder and even a Slow Cooker Roast Lamb.
But this one I’m sharing today is not just another lamb roast. It’s a Greek one. Rubbed with a simple spice mix, slow cooked until tender, half braised so it sucks up all the yummy lemony garlicky herby flavours.
No carving knife required. See?
Aussies love their lamb. In my family, Sunday Night Roast Dinners are an occasion that triggers fiery correspondence between us kids as we debate the menu. You can read one such dialogue in this Slow Roasted Rosemary Garlic Lamb Shoulder, along with my self proclaimed family title as Roast Queen.
The thing with roasting a leg of lamb is that unless (and even if) you have a meat thermometer, it is actually quite hard to cook the roast perfectly so it is blushing pink on the inside, moist and juicy. It can take just 20 minutes for a leg of lamb to go from perfect to dry.
It can even overcook while resting. Truly. Been there, done that – cutting into the lamb straight out of the oven to take a peek, grinning smugly when I spied pink, set it aside to rest for 30 minutes, then when I carved it, there was not a hint of pink left.
I was temporarily dethroned as Roast Queen when that happened. I’d like to say I stepped down like a good sport, but no, I was overthrown 😤. I’m taking back the title for this Greek lamb though!!
Flavour, flavour, flavour, juicy, juicy, juicy, easy, easy, easy. That’s what this Greek Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb is all about. As long as you allow for sufficient cooking time, it is really hard to go wrong with this.
In true Greek form, this lamb is packed with extra flavour by stuffing bits of garlic into incisions made all over the lamb, then it’s rubbed with paprika and garlic powder. Add a simple braising liquid to keep it beautifully moist and to infuse it with even more flavour, then cook it long and slow.
Oh! The other advantage of this Greek Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb? NO MUCKING AROUND TO MAKE GRAVY! The braising liquid reduces down to an intensely flavoured sauce that needs to be generously poured all over the lamb. This is how it is supposed to be. And I’m not complaining!!!
This lamb does take hours to roast. Hours upon hours. 7 hours for a 3.5kg/7lb leg of lamb, to be precise. But it’s hands off, low maintenance time.
And at the end of it, look at what you get!! Now THIS is a step up from the usual Sunday night roast! – Nagi x
PS Greek Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb is pictured here with my. They really are….well, crunchy!! 😉
Try these on the side
Truly Crunchy Roast Potatoes – outrageously crunchy!
Greek Lemon Roast Potatoes – loaded with Greek flavours
Lemon Potato Salad – skip the mayo, go for fresh lemon flavours
Greek Salad – big, fresh and juicy
More Roast Lamb Recipes
I love a good roast lamb – so I’ve shared a few over the years!
Classic Roast Lamb Leg with Gravy – the classic, perfectly blushing pink inside
Slow Cooker Roast Lamb – fall apart goodness in the convenience of your slow cooker
Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder – the juiciest, most succulent roast lamb you will ever have!
Slow Cooked Lamb Shawarma – flavour bomb! Your favourite Lamb Shawarma, slow roasted and piled over couscous or stuffed in pita bread
See all Roast Lamb recipes
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Greek Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb
Ingredients
- 12 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 7 lb / 3.5 kg leg of lamb (Note 1)
- Salt and pepper
- 3 tsp paprika powder
- 3 tsp garlic powder (or sub with onion powder)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large onions, quartered (white, brown, yellow, red)
- 10 sprigs of thyme
- 3 sprigs rosemary
- 3 tsp dried oregano
- 3 dried bayleaves (or 5 fresh)
- 1/2 cup / 125 ml lemon juice (2 – 3 lemons), plus more to taste
- 1 1/2 cups / 375 ml white wine (or sub with chicken broth/stock, low salt)
- 2 cups / 500 ml chicken broth (liquid chicken stock)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 240°C/465°F (220°C fan). (Note 2)
- Use a small knife to make around 25 incisions all over the lamb, with most on the top.
- Cut around 6 cloves into slivers and stuff them into the incisions.
- Sprinkle the lamb generously all over with salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder. Drizzle with olive oil and rub all over the lamb.
- Place the lamb in a roasting pan and roast for 30 minutes or until it has a nice brown crust.
- Remove from the oven. Turn the oven down to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan).
- Turn the lamb upside down. Pour / place all the remaining ingredients in the pan around the lamb (including remaining garlic cloves). Fill the roasting pan with hot water so it comes up about 1/4 – 1/3 of the way up the height of the lamb.
- Cover with lid or with baking/parchment paper then 2 layers of foil. Bake for 3.5 hours. (Note 3) Top up water if it dries out (e.g. Might happen if your lid is loose)
- Remove the roast from the oven and remove the lid/foil. Turn the lamb over so it is the right side up.
- Cover again and roast for a further 2 1/2 hours, or until you can pull meat apart with forks.
- Remove cover and roast for a further 20 – 30 minutes (to brown). (Note 3)
- Remove from the oven and transfer lamb to serving platter. Cover loosely with foil and rest for 30 – 40 minutes.
- Strain liquid into a clear jug. The fat will rise to the top. Scoop/pour most of it off – I get 3/4 – 1 cup. There should be 2 – 3 cups of Sauce left. Adjust salt, pepper and lemon to taste.
- Serve lamb with the Sauce on the side and Truly Crunchy Roast Potatoes (heat oil while lamb is in the oven, then cook potatoes when the lamb is resting).
Recipe Notes:
4. Adapted from this Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb by Kalofagas.MORE ROAST LAMB
Slow Cooker Roast Lamb Leg with Gravy – The most succulent lamb leg you’ll ever have!
Classic Roast Lamb – Perfectly pink and juicy inside, with a killer gravy!
Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder – My favourite cut of lamb for roasting! Super tender, incredible flavour, and so forgiving!
LIFE OF DOZER
Oh, look who made an appearance when I pulled this out of the oven. Sorry Dozer, no lamb for you! Too much garlic – bad for you!
Hi Nagi, can the Slow Roasted Greek Lamb be done in a slow cooker with the same result?
Absolutely brilliant. Just fell apart. So succulent and tender. Rave reviews by everyone. Nagi, you make me look like a chef 👏🏻
Sounds like you nailed it Jennie!! N x
Made this for Easter dinner. I made it yesterday, took it off the bone, and refrigerated it in the juices overnight. It reheated today like a charm and received rave reviews. It was tender and so delicious!
This lamb was absolutely delicious and it going into my make it again file for sure. I removed the herb stems, etc and pureed that sauce into a gravy….oh my goodness it was a hit with everyone! Thank you.
This is absolutely wonderful! Definitely me go to when I do not want to try and play the done or too done leg of lamb. Thank you for sharing it.
Hi Nagi, this looks amazing. Would the time need reducing for a half leg – around 1.2kg? Thanks, Cath
Can I do this in an Instant Pot?
An excellent recipe and easy to do. I’ll definitely use it again! Lamb was super tender – literally felt off the bone and very flavourful. The lemon herb mixture helps counter the fattiness of the lamb. Many of the guests said it was the best lamb they had tasted. many thanks Nagi, you are the roast lamb queen.!
Woah what a great compliment Mike, sounds like you absolutely nailed it! N x
Hi Nagi!!! Looking to try this recipe but I’m unclear if when it calls to add two cups of water to pan at end is that in addition to the 2 cups of chicken stock? Thank you for your time and awesome recipes!!! My family has truly enjoyed all of them I’ve tried🤗🤗🤗
I had the same question. I initially put water but ended up adding the lemon and stock after 2 hours. I hope this is correct!
Once again, Nagi does it!
I held my breath and crossed my fingers as the time ticked slowly….patiently waiting for the final result. Would it be dry? Nope! Perfectly tender with the most succulent sauce. I think i’ll have it for 3-4 days. I reduced my oven temperature to 300 F convection, just in case, and this worked beautifully. The real trick was the suggestion to cover with parchment AND two layers of foil, so don’t miss this step. I’m so pleased with the result of an otherwise hard to cook cut- which is now a top favorite
Hi! This looks delicious! I would like to try this method with Persian flavors. What do you suggest?
Something to add to my recipe request page Sebra! N x
This is an epic recipe. We cooked it in the green egg and have been eating lamb shwarmas with tzatziki for the past 3 days. Delicious. Easy.
You’ve done it again! Cooked this for Christmas lunch and the table was totally silent except for the munching and scraping of plates! Never happened before. Absolutely no left-overs. And, to top it off, we are on the land, so you have touched the hearts and stomachs of farmers.
Thank you so much !!
Can this slow roasted lamb be done in the slow cooker, or better in oven??
Not sure what happened, perhaps my foil was too much and acted like a pressure cooker. The lamb after only 4 hours was totally done. Overcooked to the point where the meat was almost mushy and there was little fat left in it. It must have been the amount of foil used cause I used a lot and sealed it really tight.
Hi, what would be the cook time for a 3 pound boneless leg of lamb using this recipe?
Thank you!!!
I meant rub not tub!
Hi there. Can I marinate the meat with the tub and then keep it in the fridge over night?
Hi Nagy,
I need to cook everything through for health reasons so I can’t have any pink meat.. could I sear it in a pan and then do the remaining time in a slow cooker ?
Hi Rob – this is slow cooked and completely cooked through, it is actually cooked beyond being “done” so the meat starts to break down and become super tender. N x
Hi Nagi. Will this recipe work with a boneless leg? If so, how would I adjust the cooking time?
Hi Melissa, it will, however cook time will need to be adjusted depending on the size of leg you have. N x
This looks amazing… Wanting to make it for Christmas lunch so trying to figure out the timing to cook it without having to stay up all night on Christmas Eve… How would this go if cooked the day before??