Succulent Roast Lamb With Root Vegetables

By
Molly Watson
Molly Watson
An award-winning food writer and cookbook author, Molly Watson has created more than 1,000 recipes focused on local, seasonal ingredients.
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Updated on 09/6/22
Succulent roast lamb with root vegetables

The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 75 mins
Marinate: 60 mins
Total: 2 hrs 35 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
576 Calories
31g Fat
26g Carbs
46g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 576
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 31g 40%
Saturated Fat 12g 61%
Cholesterol 158mg 53%
Sodium 395mg 17%
Total Carbohydrate 26g 9%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 46g
Vitamin C 12mg 59%
Calcium 44mg 3%
Iron 5mg 26%
Potassium 1176mg 25%
*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.)

This roast dinner is inspired by lamb stew, but instead of cutting the leg of lamb into chunks and cooking on the stove with broth and vegetables, the lamb is left whole and roasted in the oven along with parsnips and other root vegetables. In this recipe, a well-seasoned leg of lamb is cooked on a bed of vegetables until it is crispy on the outside and tender and succulent on the inside. The lamb also infuses the vegetables with lots of meaty flavor as the dish cooks.

Half of a boneless leg of lamb works for a family dinner, but feel free to roast a full leg, with or without the bone; just adjust the cooking time accordingly. For a full boneless leg of lamb, calculate about 25 minutes per pound; for a bone-in roast, you'll need to cook it for about 15 minutes per pound of its total weight.

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds boneless leg of lamb

  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided

  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, or thyme leaves, minced

  • 4 medium carrots and/or parsnips

  • 2 pounds other mixed​ root vegetables (such as potatoes, turnips, onions, rutabagas, celery root, kohlrabi)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for succulent roast lamb with root vegetables recipe gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

  2. Pat the lamb dry and set aside.

    Pat the lamb dry and set aside

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

  3. In a small bowl, combine the salt and pepper.

    In a small bowl, combine the salt and pepper

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

  4. Peel and mince the garlic.

    Peel and mince the garlic

    The Spruce Eats/ Kristina Vanni

  5. Add it to the salt and pepper along with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.

    Add garlic to the bowl along with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

  6. Combine this into a paste.

    Combine the ingredients in the bowl into a paste

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

  7. Add the minced herbs and stir them into the paste.

    Add the minced herbs to the garlic mixture

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

  8. Rub the paste all over the lamb, working it into any creases or areas of the lamb that separate from one another.

    Rub the herb paste all over the lamb

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

  9. Roll the lamb into a roast.

    Roll the lamb into a roast

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

  10. Tie it with kitchen string if necessary to help it keep its shape.

    Tie the lamb with kitchen string

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

  11. Let the lamb marinate in the paste for at least 1 hour and up to overnight, covered and chilled.

    Let the lamb marinate in the paste, in a bowl covered with plastic wrap

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

  12. Preheat the oven to 375 F. While the oven heats, bring the lamb to room temperature.

    Bring the lamb to room temperature

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

  13. Trim and peel the carrots and/or parsnips.

    Trim and peel the carrots

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

  14. Cut them into quarters lengthwise, cutting out the tough core in the parsnips, if using.

    Cut carrots into quarters lengthwise

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

  15. Use about 1 teaspoon of the olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of a roasting pan.

    Baking dish with oil

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

  16. Arrange the carrots and/or parsnips in a row in the center of the pan and place the lamb on top of them.

    Arrange the carrots in a row in the center of the pan and place the lamb on top of them

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

  17. Trim and peel the other root vegetables and cut them into chunks.

    Trim and peel the other root vegetables and cut them into chunks

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

  18. Arrange them around the lamb.

    Arrange the root vegetables around the lamb

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

  19. Drizzle the vegetables with the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil.

    Drizzle the vegetables with the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

  20. Sprinkle lightly with salt.

    Sprinkle the root vegetables with salt

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

  21. Put the pan in the oven and roast for 40 minutes.

    Put the pan in the oven

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

  22. Remove from the oven and toss the vegetables in the pan juices a bit.

    Remove the pan from the oven and toss the vegetables in the pan juices

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

  23. Return to the oven and cook until the lamb reaches 145 F with a meat thermometer for medium-rare or up to 160 F for medium. This should take about another 35 minutes.

    Cook the lamb in the oven longer

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

  24. Let the roast sit, covered in aluminum foil to keep it warm, for at least 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes before carving or cutting it. This resting time allows the roast to finish cooking, and lets the juices redistribute throughout the meat for a more tender, juicier roast.

    Cover the lamb with aluminum foil

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

  25. Cut the lamb into slices.

    Cut the lamb into slices

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

  26. Serve with the root vegetables alongside and enjoy.

    Succulent roast lamb with root vegetables

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

Tips

  • If you are going to use dried herb instead of fresh, add only a teaspoon since the flavor of dried is much more concentrated than fresh.
  • It is not recommended to cook lamb past medium, but if you like your lamb well-done, cook to 170 F.

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