Minted Roast leg of lamb

I can't think of anyone who doesn't love lamb, my favourite way to cook it is this minted roast leg of lamb. And it's easier to cook than you would think. Follow my steps below to find out how to cook lamb that is succulent and delicious, every single time.

Jump to:

• Roast Leg of Lamb
• How to prepare and cook a leg of lamb
• Rest the lamb
• Make the gravy
• Cooking times for leg of lamb
• What to serve with roast lamb
• Save for later
• Related recipes
• 📋The recipe

Roast Leg of Lamb

Lamb is a very easy meat to cook. Even if you've never cooked a leg of lamb before if you follow my easy instructions this is a no-fail recipe.

There's no need to marinate the lamb before cooking it. Just give it a coating of mint sauce and powdered mint rub before putting the lamb in the oven. Then it's just a matter of leaving it alone until it's perfectly cooked and tender.

Once the lamb has cooked for the recommended times (see Cooking times for leg of lamb below) you should let the lamb rest. Resting the lamb allows the juices to settle back into the meat so they don't run out all over your chopping board when you carve it.

Even making the gravy is easy! I use Bisto lamb granules which I mix to a paste with a little boiling water and then add sufficient of the lamb roasting juices to make up a cupful. The minty flavour of the roasting juices makes a delicious gravy.

So there you have it. If you follow my cooking times below you will end up with a perfect roast leg of lamb. Every. Single. Time.

And in the event that you have any leftovers from your roast lamb dinner you might like to try this delicious leftover roast dinner pie, that's packed with leftover lamb and vegetables.

How to prepare and cook a leg of lamb

Equipment

You will need a roasting tin large enough to hold your leg of lamb. If the roasting tin has a lid, so much the better. But don't worry if it doesn't have a lid, you can just cover it with a sheet of tinfoil.

Ingredients

Lamb leg joint - the size doesn't really matter - you can work out the cooking times for different sizes of lamb legs from the cooking times instructions below.

Mint rub - this is sold in packets in the supermarket (in the gravy section), or you can order it online from Amazon. This is the one I use and it is a dry powdered mint-flavoured rub which comes in 60-gram packets. Depending on the size of your lamb you will probably need half a packet.

Mint sauce - this is optional, but I like to rub the lamb with a little mint sauce before adding the mint rub as it helps the rub to stick to the lamb.

Sunflower oil - one or two tablespoons to rub over the lamb.

Salt - to your own taste.

What to do

Rest the lamb

It is very important to allow the lamb to rest for at least 20 minutes after removing it from the oven. This gives the meat time to relax and allows the juices to settle. If you carve it straight out of the oven all the delicious juices will just run all over your chopping board.

Leave the lamb in the roasting pan with the lid on, and let it stand until you are ready to carve.

Make the gravy

For a quick and easy gravy mix 1 tablespoon of lamb gravy granules with a little boiling water and then make it up to 1 cup with the remains of the lamb roasting juices.  The minty flavour from the lamb adds a delicious taste to the gravy.

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Cooking times for leg of lamb

The ideal way to cook your lamb to perfection is to use a meat thermometer.  When the internal temperature reaches a certain point your lamb is done and should be taken out and rested.

• Medium rare - very pink - 55 - 60 °C
• Medium - just a hint of pink - 61 - 66 °C
• Well done - no pink at all - 67 - 71 °C

If like me, you don't own a meat thermometer you can time your lamb instead

• Medium rare - very pink - 20 minutes per 450 grams (or per pound) + 20 mins
• Medium - just a hint of pink - 25 minutes per 450 grams (or per pound) + 25 minutes
• Well done - no pink at all -30 minutes per 450 grams (or per pound) + 30 minutes

The above times and temperatures assume an oven temperature of 190°C / 375 °F

For more information on cooking lamb, along with information on the different cuts of lamb, see this handy guide.

What to serve with roast lamb

I like to serve my minted lamb with roast potatoes, a selection of veggies and plenty of gravy made with the roasting juices.

Here are a few vegetable side dishes you may like to try:

• Boere boontjies (mashed green beans)
• Baby Marrow with Tomato and Onion
• Glazed carrots (vichy carrots)
• Creamy leek and brussels sprouts bake
• Buttered cabbage and leeks with mustard seeds
• Cauliflower cheese
• Brussels sprouts with chestnuts and bacon

And of course, don't forget the potatoes:

• Crispy smashed rosemary potatoes
• Cheesy potato casserole
• Easy crispy roast potatoes

Related recipes

You may also like to try these other lamb recipes:

You can find many other ideas for meals with lamb (including this delicious leftover lamb curry) on my lamb recipes page.

📋The recipe

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