Roasted Butterflied Leg of Lamb Recipe

Name: Roasted Butterflied Leg of Lamb
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 1515 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (stem removed, minced); 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves (minced); 3 garlic cloves (minced); 1 small onion (chopped); 1/4 cup olive oil; 1/4 cup red wine vinegar; 2 tablespoons orange juice; 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard; 1 4 to 5-pound boneless leg of lamb (butterflied); 1 teaspoon salt; Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Pale pink leg of lamb slices on a serving platter next to small jug with pan juices — The Spruce Eats

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 60 mins

Marinate Time: 24 hrs

Total: 25 hrs 15 mins

Servings: 10 to 12 servings

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
536	Calories
36g	Fat
1g	Carbs
49g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10 to 12
Amount per serving
Calories	536
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 36g	46%
Saturated Fat 14g	68%
Cholesterol 176mg	59%
Sodium 403mg	18%
Total Carbohydrate 1g	1%
Dietary Fiber 0g	1%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 49g
Vitamin C 2mg	10%
Calcium 28mg	2%
Iron 4mg	22%
Potassium 620mg	13%
*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.)

A leg of lamb is always a great cut to serve for a special meal. While it's usually cooked bone-in, a boneless leg of lamb is easier and faster to cook and equally succulent and juicy. By asking your butcher to "butterfly" the leg, the resulting cut is a boneless piece of lamb that can be cooked flat or rolled up. Sweet and gamey, our recipe brings you beautifully cooked, tender lamb with a crusty and delicious outer layer.

Some recipes for a butterflied leg of lamb secure the meat with long skewers or kitchen twine, but we found that cooking the meat as-is also produces a lovely result without the extra work. If you decide to secure the meat, run 2 long metal skewers lengthwise and 2 crosswise, or roll and tie the meat at 1 1/2 inch intervals. This recipe makes spectacular leftovers for sandwiches, salads, shepherd's pie, or stuffed pitas.

A fragrant marinade of mustard, herbs, and garlic flavors the meat. The result is a tender lamb that you can pair with side dishes of your choice. We recommend simple accompaniments like roasted potatoes, grilled asparagus, and mint sauce. It is up to you to add other ingredients to the roasting pan: sliced carrots, potatoes, zucchini, leeks, peppers, and eggplants can add to the flavor of the meat and be your side dish. Simply drizzle olive oil on the vegetables of your choice and season with salt and pepper.

1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, minced
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves, minced
1 (4- to 5-pound) boneless leg of lamb, butterflied
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Gather the ingredients.

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In a heavy-duty zipper storage bag, combine the onion, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, mustard, orange juice, thyme, and rosemary and mix well.

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Place the leg of lamb in the marinade, seal the bag, and turn to coat. Massage the meat through the bag for a bit to help the marinade penetrate and coat all the meat evenly. Put the storage bag into a large roasting pan and marinate for 24 hours in the refrigerator.

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Preheat the oven to 350 F. Remove the lamb from the marinade and place it in a shallow roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper.

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Roast the lamb, uncovered, for 50 to 70 minutes, basting it with the marinade several times during the process. Cook until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 145 F (for medium-rare) or 150 F (for medium) when inserted in the thickest part of the meat. For safety reasons, the lamb needs to be cooked to a minimum of 145 F.

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Remove the lamb from the oven, cover with foil, and let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

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Carve the lamb into slices against the grain. Plate, drizzle with the juices from the pan, and serve.

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How to Store

Keep leftover lamb refrigerated and well covered for up to 3 days.

Recipe Variations

The flavoring that you choose for the marinade is the flavor that your outer crust and meat will have. For a smoother texture in your marinade, simply blend all of the ingredients at high speed until well incorporated. Fresh herbs and even their dried counterparts are great complements to lamb, but other flavors can be used when marinating this butterflied leg of lamb:

Replace the mustard in our marinade with 3 finely chopped anchovies.
Use the zest of one small orange or lemon in addition to the rest of the marinade ingredients.
Make a marinade using 1/3 cup of sesame oil, 2 tablespoons of honey, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 2 to 3 tablespoons of chopped mint, 1/4 white wine vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.
Try using 1/3 cup of olive oil, 1/3 cup of good quality balsamic vinegar, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 shallot finely minced, and 1 tablespoon each of dried thyme, oregano, sage, and rosemary.

Should Leg of Lamb Be Covered When Roasting?

Roasted leg of lamb is typically cooked uncovered to allow the exterior to crisp a bit and prevent soggy meat. Lamb is often rested, covered, after being cooked—covering with foil during the rest helps to retain the meat's juices.

Why Does Lamb Become Chewy?

If lamb is overcooked it can become chewy. Cook lamb just until medium-rare or medium, 145 to 150 F on a meat thermometer, and let rest before slicing.

Grilled Butterflied Leg of Lamb

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