This Mediterranean Style Boneless Leg of Lamb is a staple at our home. Juicy, delicious and fool proof to make if you’re new to lamb! This boneless leg of lamb recipe this year for Easter and you’ll forever be making it! Video included below!
Today’s mouthwatering recipe is in partnership with my friends at the American Lamb Board and Orchard Choice Valley Figs from California. All opinions are my own.
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you’ll know how much I love and share about American Lamb. You’ll find me sharing more about it below as well!
Easter for me always calls for lamb, we change it up every year to feel special. Between a leg of lamb or this ever so popular Roast lamb Shoulder recipe , or even Lamb chops Platter (if the weather is warmer), Lamb With Moroccan Spice, American lamb will forever be a staple at our Easter table.
This year it’s even extra special because I’ve used Orchard Choice Valley Figs in my stuffed boneless leg of lamb.
Figs have a special place in my heart because they take me back to the Mediterranean. Out of all the figs I’ve tried, Orchard Valley figs are the only ones that taste so rich!
I’ve used them to make my Grilled Salmon Salad salad a few summers ago and have been hooked on them ever since! I even made my no knead bread recipe duirng quarantine with some Orchard Choice Valley Figs last year and it was such a hit on Instagram!
Now lets get to today’s delicious recipe!
WHY USE BONELESS LEG OF LAMB
Boneless leg of lamb is such a good choice if you’re new to cooking lamb.
- It takes a fraction of the time to cook compared to a whole leg of lamb.
- It’s also just as tasty and delicious!
- The butcher will do all the work for you to butterfly the leg of lamb.
- You have full control on the weight of lamb you use. For example today I’m making a smaller size meal so I’m not using the full leg of lamb.
- Boneless lamb is extremely versatile and can go on the grill if you live in a warmer state.
- You don’t need long hours of marinade since it’s boneless and easier for the flavors to reach the meat.
- The butcher will remove or keep as much or title fat as you ask for, so you can decide how lean you prefer the cut to be.
As you can tell, you’ll need to ask the butcher for exactly what you want. Today I asked him for a 4 pound boneless leg of lamb that’s well trimmed.
Now for the recipe!
MAKE BONELESS LEG OF LAMB RECIPE
I’m stuffing and roasting the boneless leg of lamb today because it feels extra festive and special for Easter.
However you can very much use your grill for this recipe. When I used to live in Miami, Easter lamb was always on the grill for us! You’ll find more info on grilling the lamb below in the TIPS section.
Here’s what you need for Boneless leg of lamb recipe:
- American Leg of Lamb, deboned and trimmed to your desired taste.
- Orchard Valley Choice Figs ( I used Mission figs for today)
- Fresh herbs (parsley, mint and thyme)
- Feta Cheese (Greek and crumbled are best)
- Pistachios
- Lemon Juice
- Garlic , lots of it!
- Olive oil
- Seasoning : Salt and pepper
- Food Processor to use for the marinade and filling.
- Kitchen twine to tie up the lamb after rolling! You’ll need it even if you’re grilling.
- Parchment Paper to help you roll the lamb.
- Roasting pan (since we’re roasting today!)
- A meat thermometer ( I LOVE my Thermoworks)
I can’t stress the value of using American Lamb for this recipe enough!
American Lamb is:
- LOCAL!
- Fresh!
- Grown sustainably
- Grown with so much LOVE
- Available near you! Check where to buy here.
- Delicious! Like really delicious!
- Overseen and grown to the industry’s highest standards and you taste that with every bite!
- Buttery and Sweet tasting which compliments so many recipes!
BEST WAY TO ROAST BONELESS LEG OF LAMB
Here’s how to roast boneless leg of lamb, the fool proof way!
You’ll start as always by buying American Lamb ( I can’t stress this enough!), and ask your butcher for the weight you need. A 4 pound piece is good for 6 servings. Also ask the butcher to trim the fat to your taste.
Make the Marinade:
In a food processor you’ll add the garlic, lemon juice, herbs, olive oil, seasoning and a dash of nutmeg (optional).
Remove the marinade and leave about two tablespoons of it in your food processor, to which you will add the filing ingredients.
Add the feta cheese, pistachios and the sweet rich Orchard Valley Mission Figs.
Process the filling in the food processor until it’s chunky. Do not over mix that, because you need some texture in the filling!
Now take your boneless legs lamb and place it on a piece of parchment paper. Decide which part will be the inside (for the filling) and which part will be the outer part.
Spread the marinade all over the outer part of the lamb, and then flip the lamb to the other side.
Spread the filling evenly all over the other side ( the inside).
Use the parchment paper as a guide to help you roll the leg of lamb into a roll.
Cut out about 6 inch pieces of your kitchen twine and start tying up the lamb roast spacing the ties about half an inch or so apart.
Transfer the parchment paper with the tied up leg of lamb to a roasting pan and roast the lamb for anywhere between 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on the size of your leg of lamb.
Once it’s ready, check with your meat thermometer the internal temperature of the lamb for 145 degrees F. Then let the meat rest for 3 minutes.
Before slicing the lamb, don’t forget to use a scissor to cut off the kitchen twines!
Slice and serve the lamb and enjoy!
Q&A : ROASTING LAMB
How long to Cook a Leg of Lamb?
Always, always use a meat thermometer of you’re looking for rare or medium rare.
If you’re roasting the whole leg of lamb, please go back to this post (whole leg of lamb with mashed potatoes post).
How to long to cook Boneless leg of lamb?
If you’re roasting boneless leg of lamb as we did today, then go for about 12-14 minutes per pound at a 350 degreesF oven.
How to Butterfly Leg of Lamb?
I always ask my butcher for that! And that’s because he has the best knives and tools to get this done for me in minutes, while I could take a while longer!
How to Grill Leg of Lamb?
This recipe can be made exactly as is but cooked on the grill rather than roasted in the oven. To do so, you’ll need to start by preheating the grill.
Add the ready and tied up stuffed boneless leg of lamb and give it a sear on all sides over medium heat. Then drop your flames to very low and seal the lid of your grill.
Allow the lamb to cook for about 10 minutes per pound. Then check the internal temperature using a meat thermometer and it should be ready or close enough. You may need an extra 2-5 minutes depending on how strong your grill is.
At that point allow the lamb to rest before slicing.
What to serve with Leg of Lamb?
Oh My! I would probably ask what not to serve with leg of lamb?! Pretty much everything is delicious as a side to lamb!
Mashed potatoes ( Like I did with the whole leg of lamb), roast potatoes (Lamb chops recipe), Couscous (Moroccan lamb), flavoured rice (roast lamb shoulder), Bread and Tahini (lamb kebabs) or simply Plain rice like today!
LEG OF LAMB TIPS
- Buy American Lamb to make this recipe.
- Your butchers are very knowledgeable! Ask them to butterfly the lamb and trim off the fat to your taste. Also double check with them you’re in fact using American lamb.
- A food processor makes this recipe a breeze, however you can chop and mine all the ingredients by hand as well.
- Make sure to decide which part of the lamb will be the outer and which one will be the inner part. This depends on how easy it is to be rolled out either way. So double check before you start! Generally, however, the part of the meat which was closest to the bone is best used as the inside.
- Spread the marinade on the outer part and season for extra flavor.
- The filling goes on the inside.
- Use quality Figs for the stuffing—I used Orchard valley Choice.
- Parchment paper is so important to make the rolling super easy for you!
- The kitchen twine can be cut out into smaller pieces 6 inch ropes and tied up separately if you don’t know how to bundle up and tie the entire lamb as a whole.
- Use the same parchment paper to transfer the lamb to the baking dish.
- A meat thermometer is the best tool to determine how well done your leg of lamb is. The USDA suggests cooking to 145 degrees F for a medium rare, paired with a 3-minute rest.
- Serve the lamb and enjoy!
- Leftovers are great the next day! Even great for sandwiches or over a salad!
- Make in advance: Season and roll the leg of lamb and tie it up. Keep in the roasting pan overnight and roast it the day you’re serving.
- You can easily double and triple the recipe depending on the weight of your boneless leg of lamb!
- For grilling the lamb: Add the ready and tied up stuffed boneless leg of lamb and give it a sear on all sides over medium heat. Then drop your flames to very low and seal the lid of your grill. Allow the lamb to cook for about 10 minutes per pound. Then check the internal temperature using a meat thermometer and it should be ready or close enough. You may need an extra 2-5 minutes depending on how strong your grill is.
- ENJOY
LAMB RECIPES
Air Fryer Lamb Chops with Poblano Sauce
Cheesy Pull Apart Bread with Lamb Crumbles
Cheese Fondue with Lamb Dippers
American Lamb Meatball Subs On The Grill
EASTER RECIPES
Crispy Coconut Chocolate Fudge Brownies
Boneless Leg of Lamb
Ingredients
- 4 pounds boneless leg of lamb —American Lamb
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg optional
- 1 cup mixed herbs combined parsley, mint, thyme
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 5 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
- 7 Orchard Valley Choice Mission Figs
- 3 tablespoons pistachios
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
-
Start by making the marinade. In a food processor add the salt, pepper, lemon juice, nutmeg, mixed herbs and olive oil.
-
Take the marinade in a separate bowl leaving 2 tablespoons of it in the bowl of the food processor.
-
To the marinade in the food processor, add the remaining ingredients to make the filling. So you’l add in the figs, feta and pistachios.
-
Process that until the filing is chunky and blended in.
-
Place the boneless leg of lamb on a piece of parchment paper.
-
Decide which side of the lamb will be used ad the inside for the filling and which side will be used as the outside. This depends on how easy you feel the lamb could roll up. As a general rule, I use the part that was closest to the bone as the inside.
-
Place the lamb on the parchment paper with the outside part facing up.
-
Spread the marinade all over the piece of lamb.
-
Now flip the lamb so that the inside of the meat is facing up. Spread the filling over the inside of the meat.
-
Use the parchment paper as a guide and roll the lamb like a cylinder, tucking it well as you roll using the parchment paper.
-
Use kitchen twines cut into 6 inch ropes to tie the lamb very well about half an inch apart.
-
Place the lamb in the oven and right away drop the temperature to 350 degrees F.
-
Roast the lamb uncovered for about 50-60 minutes. Use a meat thermometer and make sure the internal temperature is 145 degrees F for medium rare, then let the lamb rest for at least 3 minutes before slicing.
-
Serve the lamb with an extra side of rice, some dried figs and a sprinkle of pistachios.
-
Enjoy
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Leg of Lamb Tips:
- Buy American Lamb to make this recipe.
- Your butchers are very knowledgeable! Ask them to butterfly the lamb and trim off the fat to your taste. Also double check with them you’re in fact using American lamb.
- A food processor makes this recipe a breeze, however you can chop and mine all the ingredients by hand as well.
- Make sure to decide which part of the lamb will be the outer and which one will be the inner part. This depends on how easy it is to be rolled out either way. So double check before you start!
- Generally, the part of the meat which was closest to the bone is best used as the inside.
- Spread the marinade on the outer part and season for extra flavor.
- The filling goes on the inside.
- Use quality Figs for the stuffing—I used Orchard valley Choice.
- Parchment paper is so important to make the rolling super easy for you!
- The kitchen twine can be cut out into smaller pieces 6 inch ropes and tied up separately if you don’t know how to bundle up and tie the entire lamb as a whole.
- Use the same parchment paper to transfer the lamb to the baking dish.
- A meat thermometer is the best tool to determine how well done your leg of lamb is.
- The USDA suggests cooking to 145 degrees F for a medium rare, paired with a 3-minute rest.
- Serve the lamb and enjoy!
- Leftovers are great the next day! Even great for sandwiches or over a salad!
- Make in advance: Season and roll the leg of lamb and tie it up. Keep in the roasting pan overnight and roast it the day you’re serving.
- You can easily double and triple the recipe depending on the weight of your boneless leg of lamb!
- For grilling the lamb: Add the ready and tied up stuffed boneless leg of lamb and give it a sear on all sides over medium heat. Then drop your flames to very low and seal the lid of your grill. Allow the lamb to cook for about 10 minutes per pound. Then check the internal temperature using a meat thermometer and it should be ready or close enough. You may need an extra 2-5 minutes depending on how strong your grill is.
- ENJOY
Kathryn
We love lamb and this boneless leg of lamb looks amazing! I will be trying out your recipe! Thank you!
Michelle
This recipe is perfect with all the spring weather we’ve been having. Can’t wait to try this!
Tara
What a wonderful recipe for Easter and springtime! This lamb looks absolutely amazing and I love the styling with the flowers too.
Dionne
Now this is how a juicy lamb is supposed to be made. The perfect dinner and a great recipe to keep handy for that special dinner!
Megan Lehr
My boyfriend butchers our meat at a local farm and I often need new lamb recipes! This was heavenly and the figs really made it.
Michelle
So pretty! I love the marinade!
Lima Ekram
Thank you so much for the make ahead tips – I never have time to make a dish like this at one go and now I can! Looks delicious!
Biana
Yum! I love cooking lamb and your additions will take it to the next level.
Lisa | Garlic & Zest
We always make lamb for Easter – it’s my favorite and this stuffed boneless leg of lamb looks stellar. I love the flavor combo with figs, feta and pistachios. Serious flavor in this recipe and the lamb is perfectly cooked!
Ana F.
The marinade for this lamb recipe is amazing! The combination of flavors give such a fresh flavor to the lamb. Thanks for the recipe!
Michelle
Such a beautiful dish — thanks for breaking down how to cook lamb. I’ll be referring to it for Easter!