Roasted Butterflied Leg of Lamb with Mint Chimichurri

This Roast Lamb with Mint Chimichurri is perfect for feeding a crowd! The butterflied leg of lamb is marinated in a simple lemony herb and garlic mixture, roasted in the oven and served with a vibrant mint chimichurri sauce. This Boneless Leg of Lamb is ready in under 45 minutes and the perfect meal to serve for a special occasion (like Easter!).When I was a kid, roasted leg of lamb was my parents go to dish to serve to guests in the spring. I always remember the stress surrounding whether the roast leg of lamb was cooked properly, and because of this I assumed that the large cut of meat was very complicated to prepare. Fast forward to cooking my first Easter dinner for friends in my early 20s when I saw a boneless leg of lamb in the grocery store, and felt brave enough to give it a try. I was truly blown away and just how easy a boneless leg of lamb is to cook. With a hands-on time of less than 15 minutes, and a short 25 minutes in the oven, this fool proof recipe results in the most juicy and succulent roast leg of lamb. It’s the perfect dish to serve a large crowd for special occasions, Sunday lunch or Easter. 

Why You Will Love This Boneless Leg of Lamb Recipe

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• This Boneless Leg of Lamb recipe requires only a handful of simple ingredients that come together to really make the lamb shine. 
• The marinade gives the meat a lot of delicious flavor and also creates a nice crunchy herb crust around the meat. 
• Unlike a bone-in lamb leg which has a roasting time of 90 minutes – 2 hours, by removing the bone, the leg of lamb cooks in a much shorter time of less than 30 minutes
• The mint chimichurri is a fantastic compliment to the lamb. I absolutely love the freshness of it and will never again serve mint sauce or mint jelly, this is so much better! The fresh herbs really help to lighten up the gamey flavor of the meat. 
• I have tested out a few different methods for roasting lamb and found that the best way to get a crust on the outside of the lab is to sear it first before transferring it to the oven. 
• This roast lamb is the perfect main course to make for a special occasion such as Easter dinner
• This butterflied lamb roast recipe is Keto, Whole30, Paleo, Grain Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, and Specific Carbohydrate Legal.

 

What Does Butterflied Mean?

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Butterflied is a term used to describe a cut of meat with the bone removed. A butterflied lamb leg is a leg of lamb with the bone removed so that the piece of meat lies flat and is a similar thickness the whole way through.  Butterflied leg of lamb is my favourite cut of lamb, it’s juicy, succulent and has a relatively short cook time of just 25 minutes versus bone in leg of lamb which is closer to 90 minutes.  

 

 

Ingredients You Need to Make This Roast Leg of Lamb

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• Butterflied Leg of Lamb: While it is possible to buy a bone-in leg of lamb and butterfly it yourself with a sharp knife, I recommend asking your local butcher to do it for you. 
• Garlic Cloves:  in my opinion, lamb needs lots of garlic
• Oregano: I prefer using fresh oregano, but dried oregano can be used in its place. 
• Rosemary: While dried rosemary can be used, I find that the flavor is so much better if you use fresh rosemary. 
• Lemon Juice: Lemon juice helps to tenderize the meat and adds a nice acidity fo balance out the richness of the meat. If you like a stronger lemony flavor I recommend adding in 2 tsp of fresh lemon zest 
• Salt and Pepper: Kosher salt and black pepper are a must. You may want to add a touch more salt to the marinade to really bring out the flavor of the meat. 

 

 

How To Make This Butterflied Leg of Lamb

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1. To start I recommend cutting any thicker parts of excess fat from the butterflied lamb leg. Place the boneless lamb leg in a large ziploc bag or large bowl and add in all of the marinade ingredients. Ensure the surface area of the whole leg is coated in the marinade and then transfer it to the fridge to marinate for a minimum of 6 hours but ideally overnight. 
2. Preheat the oven and then heat a large grill pan on medium-high heat. If you do not have a large enough grill pan or skillet to fit the whole leg of lamb you may need to cut the lamb into 2 even sized pieces. Sear the lamb for 2-3 minutes on both sides until a golden brown crust forms.
3. Place the seared lamb  in a large roasting pan and transfer to the hot oven to cook for 25 minutes or until it reaches your desired level of doneness. Use an instant read thermometer to check the temperature of the thickest part of the lamb.  
4. Cover the lamb with aluminum foil and let the meat rest for approximately 10 minutes before transferring to a carving board and cutting it into thick slices. 

You can find full details in the recipe card below. 

 

 

What Internal Temperature Should I Look For?

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The cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of your lamb. I recommend using an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat to check the internal temperature to ensure that the lamb is cooked to your desired doneness. A general rule of thumb, as with all red meats, is to let the lamb rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing to give the juices time to redistribute through the meat. During this resting time the meat will continue to cook and the internal temperature will rise by another 8-10 degrees Fahrenheit, so because of this it’s best to remove the lamb from the oven before it reaches your desired level of doneness to prevent the lamb from becoming overcooked during the resting stage. After reaching your desired temperature listed below with the meat thermometer, I recommend placing the butterflied leg of lamb on a cutting board and wrapping it in aluminum foil while the meat rests. 

Rare (dark pink): remove from the oven at 120ºF

Medium Rare (light pink): remove from the oven at 135ºF

Medium (only a touch of pink): remove from the oven at 145ºF

Well Done (brown, no pink color): remove from the oven at 152º  

 

What Is In The Chimichurri?

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To make the chimichurri combine all of the ingredients in a small food processor and pulse until everything is broken down into small pieces. Traditional chimichurri is made by finely cutting everything on a chopping board with a knife which you can alternatively do, although it’s definitely more time consuming. This simple mint chimichurri made with minimal ingredients really elevates this tender leg of lamb to a spectacular dish. 

• Parsley: Parsley is traditionally used as the predominant herb in chimichurri. Either flat leaf or curly parsley can be used. 
• Mint: Fresh mint is the star of the show in this chimichurri. I absolutely love the fresh flavor it adds to the sauce and is a wonderful compliment to lamb.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves add so much flavor. You can adjust the amount of garlic used depending on how strong a flavor you like. 
• Red Wine Vinegar: Red Wine Vinegar adds a nice touch of acidity to the chimichurri. If you do not have red wine vinegar then white wine vinegar or lemon juice can be used in equal amounts
• Olive Oil: Use good quality extra virgin olive oil. 
• Chili Pepper: I like adding a red fresno chili pepper for a kick of heat. Feel free to skip this if you don’t like spice, or alternatively you can substitute it for chili pepper flakes. 

 

What To Serve With This Roast Lamb 

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Other than the mint chimichurri which is an absolute must, other side dishes which are fantastic served with this roast lamb leg include roast potatoes, grilled vegetables, roasted broccoli, green beans, asparagus, or serve it as part of a greek inspired spread with tzatziki, hummus and spicy feta dip. 

How To Store Leftovers

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Leftover lamb can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. I prefer eating leftover lamb at room temperature as I find that the meat can dry out very quickly.  If you are reheating slices in the microwave, place a damp paper towel overtop and microwave in 30 second intervals until the lamb is warm. Alternatively in the oven I recommend placing the sliced lamb in a baking dish, topping with a splash of water or beef stock and then cover tightly with aluminum foil and cook in a 300 degrees F oven for 10-15 minutes. 

 

 

How To Enjoy Leftovers 

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I like to slice up any leftover roasted lamb and eat it in a sandwich with mint chimichurri, tomatoes, lettuce and mayonnaise. Alternatively you can enjoy it sliced and added to a salad with the chimichurri used as a dressing, or as part of a greek inspired bowl with couscous or roast potatoes, tzatziki, tomatoes, cucumber, feta and olives. 

 

Here are a few more lamb recipes that you might enjoy: 

• Greek Lamb Meatballs
• Spiced Lamb & Lentil Stew
• Middle Eastern Lamb Stuffed Eggplant
• Greek Lamb Burgers
• Braised Lamb Shanks
• Braised Lamb Ragu

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If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!