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    Home » Recipes » Lamb recipes

    Minted Roast leg of lamb

    Published: Apr 29, 2019 · Modified: Oct 28, 2024 by VJ · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

    Jump to recipe

    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.

    A roasted leg of lamb being carved into slices.
    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.

    A leg of lamb on a table with dishes of 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

    Ingredients for minted roast leg of lamb.

    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

    An uncooked leg of lamb rubbed with oil and mint sauce in a roasting pan.

    Rub the lamb all over with a tablespoon of oil and a teaspoon of salt. Then rub it with a tablespoon of mint sauce.

    A leg of lamb which has been covered with dry mint rub before going into the oven.

    Cover the lamb on all sides with the mint rub, taking care to pat it well onto the lamb.

    Place the lamb in a large roasting tray.

    A cooked leg of lamb in a roasting pan.

    Cover the roasting pan with a lid (or a sheet of tin foil) and roast for the times given in the cooking times below.

    15 minutes before the end of the cooking time, remove the lid to allow the lamb to brown.

    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.

    If you'd like to be notified of new recipes, why not subscribe to my newsletter? To say thank you, you will receive a free recipe e-book containing some of my most popular cakes and desserts.

    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.

    Slices of roast lamb on a plate with vegtables.

    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

    Save for later

    If you would like to make this minted roast lamb why not pin the recipe to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it easily? Just click the image below.

    Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.

    Related recipes

    You may also like to try these other lamb recipes:

    • A slice of Moroccan lamb pie on a white plate with two slices of roasted butternut squash.
      Moroccan lamb pie with apricots
    • Close up of two pan-fried lamb chops on a white plate with sprigs of rosemary.
      Pan-fried lamb chops with garlic and rosemary
    • A plate of shredded lamb shoulder with dishes of vegetables and gravy.
      Slow cooker lamb shoulder
    • Lamb bredie (lamb stew) in serving bowl.
      South African lamb bredie (lamb stew)

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

    📋The recipe

    A roasted leg of lamb being carved into slices.

    Minted Roast Leg of Lamb

    I can't think of anyone who doesn't love lamb, my favourite 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.
    Recipe by: Veronica
    Main Course
    Any
    Calories 382
    Prep 10 minutes minutes
    Resting time 20 minutes minutes
    Cook 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time 2 hours hours
    Servings: 6 - 8 people
    Print Pin Comment Bookmark Saved!
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    5 from 3 votes

    (Click the stars to rate this recipe)

    Equipment

    • Roasting dish
    • Meat thermometer
    • Carving knife

    Ingredients

    • 3.5 pounds / 1.5 kg Leg of lamb
    • Salt to taste
    • 2 tablespoons mint sauce
    • 2 to 3 tablespoons dry mint rub marinade You may need more depending on the size of your lamb leg
    • 1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

    Instructions

    • Pre-heat oven to 190 °C / 375 °F.
    • Wipe the lamb with a damp cloth
      3.5 pounds / 1.5 kg Leg of lamb
    • Rub the lamb all over with a mixture of salt and oil and then rub on the mint sauce
      Salt, 2 tablespoons mint sauce, 1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • Pat all over with dry mint rub marinade.
      2 to 3 tablespoons dry mint rub marinade
    • Place the lamb in a roasting dish.  You may want to line your dish with tin-foil to save on the washing up.
    • Cover the roasting dish with a lid or a layer of tin-foil
    • Place in the oven and leave for the times or temperatures indicated below.
      *Internal temperature
       - 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
      *Cooking time
       - 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
      A 1.5 kilogram leg of lamb will take 90 minutes to cook to medium doneness
    • Remove from the oven and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes before carving

    Notes

    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
    Cooking times will vary depending on how well done you like your lamb.
    I like to rub the lamb with mint sauce before adding the powdered mint marinade.  This allows the marinade to stick to the meat.
    It is very important to allow the lamb to rest for at least 20 minutes before carving and serving.  The resting time allows the juices to settle, and the meat to relax.  If you carve the meat as soon as it comes out of the oven, all those delicious juices will run out onto your carving board and the meat will be dry.
    A 1.5kg leg of lamb is more than sufficient to feed 6 to 8 hungry people as part of a roast dinner.  The calorie count has been based on 8 servings.

    Nutrition

    Calories - 382kcal | Carbohydrates - 0.2g | Protein - 35.7g | Fat - 26.6g | Saturated Fat - 10.6g | Sodium - 292mg | Potassium - 13mg | Fiber - 0.2g | Calcium - 6mg

    I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.

    Unless otherwise stated, a cup is the standard US cup containing 240 ml. In all my recipes this cup is assumed to hold 140g of flour. For help converting other ingredients between cups, grams, ounces and other measures, see my recipe conversion calculator.
    All my recipes are developed and tested at sea-level. For tips on adjusting recipes for high altitudes see my post on baking at high altitudes.
    Tried this recipe?If you made this recipe I'd love it if you could leave me a comment and let me know how it went!
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    More Lamb recipes

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      Lemon and herb lamb ribs
    • Close up of slices of curried slow cooked lamb on a bed of rice and peas.
      Slow cooker curried leg of lamb (in foil)
    • A slow roasted lamb shoulder being shredded with two forks.
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      Green bean bredie with lamb
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    About VJ

    Before I started my food blog I was an IT Consultant. Now that I've swapped an office for a kitchen I have a lot more time to spend on things that interest me such as trying out new recipes. Most of my cooking is based around quick and easy meals, mostly made from scratch, using everyday pantry ingredients.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 3 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    1. GrannyC

      April 01, 2024 at 8:10 am

      5 stars
      Easy and delicious. Thank you

      Reply
      • VJ

        April 01, 2024 at 12:53 pm

        5 stars
        Thank you for the comment. Glad you enjoyed the recipe!

        Reply

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