Grilled Leg of Lamb

About This Grilled Leg of Lamb Recipe

Weather permitting, grilling is our favorite way to treat a leg of lamb. Chris flavors the surface of the meat with a perfectly balanced, thick marinade which he also uses at Ginger & Baker for Easter, seasons it well and cooks it over indirect charcoal heat.

As the flavorful fat cap melts away and penetrates into the meat, some of it drips over the embers where it sizzles and turns into a lovely, fragrant smoke that perfumes the lamb on its way up. 

If you ever want to do justice to a leg of lamb while enjoying a beer by the charcoal grill - heed the tips below. 

Ingredients

Lamb leg. You can grill a bone-in or a boneless leg of lamb without changing the steps, the difference will be in the total time needed to grill and the ease of carving. Here we used the fillet section of a bone-in lamb leg (the tougher shank not attached). 

Marinade ingredients. Fresh rosemary, garlic cloves, lemon zest only, extra virgin olive oil, Dijon mustard (for umami and to bind everything else together) and kosher salt and pepper. You can add other herbs too, but rozemary should be the leading one.

Marinade for Leg of Lamb + How to Prep it for The Grill

Chris' Mediterranean inspired thick marinade for grilling lamb leg is incredibly flavorful while simple to prepare. It is easy to rub into the meat and stays on it. 

Make the marinade. Very, very finely chop fresh rosemary leaves and (picture #1 above) and mince the garlic. Zest the lemon, add extra virgin olive oil, Dijon, salt and pepper. Mix well together - the consistency should be pasty. No need to use a food processor.

Prep the lamb leg. Remove any excess fat, but leave enough of a fat cap to cover the leg - you need it for the meat to stay moist and take on extra flavor. To make sure that the marinade reaches the lamb underneath the fat cap, score it gently as shown above, in a diamond pattern. When you apply the marinade rub it well into the scored areas so it can penetrate the surface of the meat.

TIP: Alternatively, you can make a more Greek oriented pasty rub with oregano, garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper. Or for further inspiration take a look at these recipes for Lamb Chops Marinades. Just be sure to prepare a marinade with a thicker consistency. 

How to Grill a Leg of Lamb

Marinate covered and refrigerated. After applying the marinade all over the lam leg, season it well with salt and pepper. The extra salt will help more of the flavors of the marinade diffuse into to meat. For best results cover with a large bowl instead of plastic wrap.

Bring to room temperature. Allow at least thirty minutes for the lamb to warm up before you begin grilling it - it will cook more uniformly.

Heat the grill. Use charcoal if possible, the flavor will be so much better. Be sure the coals are hot and white before you begin. If using a gas grill only light the burners on one side to create indirect heat zone next to it.

Place directly on grill rack/indirect heat. Whereas a lamb shoulder has a lot more fat and collagen that is rendered during grilling generally you don't need to catch the drippings from a leg of lamb which is much leaner. Let the flavorful melted fat vaporize as it hits the embers and impart flavor on the meat. You also do not need to fear a grease fire since you are slowly grilling the lamb leg away from direct heat.  

Grill. Maintain a temperature of about 300-325 F and occasionally (at about 20-25 minute intervals) reposition the lamb leg - onto the bottom part and also onto the fat covered side, after most of the fat has rendered. 

TIP: We also like to throw a garlic head and a halved lemon or two on the grill to serve with the lamb. The garlic can go in at the beginning, let it roast slowly, away from the direct heat; the lemon halves do not need long - char them face down. 

How Long to Grill a Lamb Leg?

The short answer is about 1.5 to 2 hours at 300 - 325 F, over indirect heat for medium rare center and medium surrounding meat. That being said, several factors will influence the total time, so it is better to use Chris' universal reply of "grill it until it is done":)

The cook time for grilled leg of lamb for depends on:

• Its exact size and weight (big difference between a 2.2 lb lamb leg and a 4 lb one)
• If it is boneless or bone-in (boneless grills faster)
• Its starting temperature (grills faster when brought to room temperature)
• Maintaining a stable temperature on the grill
• Desired doneness

A grilled leg of lamb is cooked medium-rare when the internal temperature registers 135 F. We recommend up to 140-145 F for medium bone-in lamb leg. Past that temperature the meat will slowly begin to dry out. 

• Make use of your meat thermometer - insert it near the center of the leg, not touching the bone for an accurate reading;
• If you want one side to be a bit more done, say medium - leave the leg part with the most meat closer to the direct heat a bit longer, until you measure 140 F there;
• Keep in mind that once you pull the lamb leg off the grill the meat will continue to cook before it eventually begins to cool down;
• Let the lamb rest for 10 minutes before you attempt carving it - if needed loosely tent it with foil to keep it warm.

How to Carve a Bone-in Leg of Lamb

1. Position the rested leg of lamb with the rendered fat cap facing up (picture 1 above). Starting with the meatier side begin carving slices parallel to the bone (# 2 above).
2. Once you have reached the bone, flip the leg onto the newly formed flat surface and begin to slice the other side at a slight diagonal to the bone (# 3 above)
3. Transfer the slices to a platter, garnish with rosemary, grilled lemons and garlic and serve. 

TIP: All the flavorful meat around the bone makes for great gyros once you pick it off with a small knife or a fork. Simply reheat those bits of lamb in a pan over medium-high heat with a bit of olive oil and some extra seasonings. Once the lamb begins to crispen up, add a couple of tablespoons of water and stir around the pan. The steam from the water making contact with the hot pan will make the reheated bits of meat extra tender and juicy.

Other Recipes You Might Enjoy

Smoked Leg of Lamb | Low and Slow Lamb Roast | Braised Lamb Shanks | Guinness Lamb Stew | Grilled Lamb Steaks | Oven Baked Lamb Chops | Grilled Lamb Loin