I made this lovely slow roasted lamb recipe for my family, and it easily feeds 8–10 adults. What I love about this recipe is how simple it is, perfect even if you’ve never cooked a leg of lamb before. This year, after visiting Turkey and Greece, I was inspired by how they cook lamb. Their slow-cooked, fall-off-the-bone style is what I wanted to recreate.
Fall Off The Bone Slow Cooked Roast Lamb Recipe
I marinated the lamb on Friday night and started cooking it on Sunday morning, and wow, the flavours were incredible! Marinating overnight makes all the difference, it tenderises the meat and infuses every bite with rich spices.What sets this recipe apart is the extra care with seasoning. The garlic and rosemary stuffed into the meat add bursts of flavour, while the spiced yoghurt marinade locks in moisture and creates the most delicious crust. Here’s a tip from my butcher: use a meat injector syringe to add stock directly into the lamb. I’ve seen this on so many cooking shows, so I was excited to give it a try and it was a game changer! It kept the lamb incredibly moist and evenly flavoured throughout. If you don’t use a syringe, slow roasting the lamb using the method below will still give you a fall-off-the-bone result, especially when you marinate the lamb overnight.Slow-roasting is the key to perfection. The low and slow method allows the lamb to cook gently, making it tender and juicy. Then, finishing at a higher temperature gives it a gorgeous golden crust. I hope you love and appreciate my slow cooked roast leg of lamb recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 2-2.5kg leg of lamb
- 10 garlic cloves quartered
- 1 bulb of garlic halved
- ½ cup plain yoghurt
- ½ cup olive oil
- Handful of fresh thyme
- 3 large sprigs of rosemary
- 2 tbsp oregano
- 2 heaped tsp black pepper
- 2 heaped tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder From Gorima’s
- 1 onion quartered
- 3 carrots peeled and halved
- 2 Knorrox mutton-flavoured stock cubes dissolved in 1 litre of hot water
Instructions
- Prepare the Lamb
- Trim excess fat from the leg of lamb, leaving some for added flavour. Wash the lamb thoroughly.
- Season both sides generously with salt and pepper, rubbing it into the meat as though giving it a massage.
- Make small incisions all over the lamb. Insert a quartered piece of garlic and a small sprig of rosemary into each incision.
- Marinate the Lamb
- In a bowl, combine oregano, Kashmiri chilli powder, ground coriander, plain yoghurt, crushed garlic, and olive oil.
- Place the lamb on a large sheet of cling wrap. Coat the lamb thoroughly with the marinade, ensuring it’s evenly covered on all sides.
- Wrap the lamb tightly in the cling wrap and refrigerate overnight (or up to 48 hours for maximum flavour).
- Prepare the Veggies and Stock
- In a large oven tray, layer the halved garlic bulb, carrots, onion, and fresh thyme.
- Set aside ½ of the prepared stock. Use a meat injector syringe to inject the remaining stock into 4–5 places in the lamb. This keeps the meat moist and enhances its flavour.
- Slow Roast the Lamb
- Place the marinated lamb on top of the veggies. Pour 3½ cups of stock into the tray. Cover the tray tightly with foil and poke 6 small holes into the foil for ventilation.
- Slow roast in a preheated oven at 145°C for 4 hours and 15 minutes.
- Roast for Colour
- Carefully remove the foil and increase the oven temperature to 180°C. Roast the lamb uncovered for an additional 30 minutes to achieve a beautiful golden colour.
- Rest and Serve
- Remove the lamb from the oven, cover with foil, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Transfer the lamb to a serving platter and drizzle it with some of the reserved stock. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.
- Shred or slice the lamb as desired and serve with your favourite sides.
Notes
TIPS
– Marinating the lamb overnight makes a huge difference in tenderness and flavour.
– Don’t trim too much fat, the fat keeps the lamb juicy and adds richness.
– The meat injector syringe is optional but highly recommended for evenly distributed moisture and flavour.
This was an absolute winner with my entire family. The recipe is easy to follow and turned out soooo good! Utterly divine, bursting with flavour and the meat just fell off the bone.
Definitely a new family favorite
Thank you Sunera, I am so glad it was a hit with your family.
Tried this recipe for christmas and it was absolutely delicious. So easy to make. The meat was so tender and literally came off the bone. Such a winner.
Thanks Adane.
Hi Priyanka, I tried this recipe for Christmas this year, bearing in my mind I have never attempted roasting a leg of lamb. It was such a hit with our guests! The meat slid off the bone without any effort, I was super excited & felt so accomplished This recipe & your instructions were very accurate. I also made the gravy, another hit! Thank you for sharing the recipe, I am forever grateful
Thanks Chanal, I appreciate your kind words.
Hi tiried this roast lamb recipe, for our Christmas Lunch and it was absolutely divine!
The lamb turned out succulent, tender, and juicy, melting in the mouth with every bite. My family couldn’t stop raving about it—This recipe is now a firm favorite for our special occasions. Highly recommended for anyone looking to impress with a hearty, flavorful roast lamb!”
Thank you Dhanusha, I hope that you started a new family tradition.
This recipe was so easy to follow especially since it was the first time I roasted a leg of lamb. My family absolutely loved it as it turned out juicy and delicious. The meat just fell off the bone. It’s also easy to improvise as I added some mint with the garlic and rosemary.
I highly recommend this recipe for an easy and fool proof roast lamb.
Thank you Priyanka for all the amazing recipes.
Thanks Darsh, I appreciate your kind words. Well done on improvising.
Thee besttt leg of lamb recipe ever! Absolutely juicy, tender and so full of flavor. It literally was cooked to perfection. This recipe is definitely a winner! I’ve tried many recipes but this is by far the best one ever!
Aw thank you. I hope you stated a nee tradition