This roast boneless leg of lamb on a bed of mint is easy to prepare and makes a delicious main for a festive meal or Sunday roast. Gently minty, it let's the lamb flavors shine.
This post may contain affiliate links, where we earn from qualifying purchases. See more details in the policy page.
While I wasn't brought up with the tradition of a Sunday roast, it is one I enjoy. Sometimes we make a roast at home and roast lamb is a favorite. While I sometimes make different flavors, relatively simply like this roast boneless leg of lamb on a bed of mint is a delicious way to enjoy it. You get all the fantastic lamb flavors with just a hint of mint coming through.
While I used a boneless leg of lamb joint, you could also use a bone-in piece of lamb, the principle works the same. Boneless is just that but easier to carve. It's the perfect centerpiece to a meal, whether that's your regular Sunday roast with the family or an Easter gathering.
I've made roast lamb with garlic and rosemary studded in it for many years now, and it's a definite favorite. Last time we had a lamb leg joint I also happened to have some leftover mint. I debated making mint sauce, which is a common condiment in the UK for lamb, but I've actually never made it and many versions I looked at seemed too vinegary for my taste.
I decided to try another way to combine lamb and mint which is where this roast variation came from. The flavor is more subtle, but you can tell it's there, and it's both easy and tasty.
If you'd like to try other ways of preparing lamb, why not try Greek lamb kleftiko, a slow roast with vegetables added in, hünkar beğendi, a Turkish lamb stew over a creamy eggplant base, or smoked leg of lamb.
How to make this roast boneless leg of lamb
This is really easy to prepare as all you do is make incisions into the lamb, press in pieces of garlic then sit the lamb on some stems of mint. Sprinkle over some salt and olive oil then you let the oven get on with it.
The exact cooking time varies depending on how well done you want the meat - I tend to go for fairly rare/medium rare but it's very much a personal preference. Whatever you decide, you'll enjoy the delicious flavor of the roast lamb with a lovely hint of mint in the background.
In terms of sides to pair with this, roast vegetables are a natural choice, like roasted potatoes, maple roasted parsnips and others. Other vegetable sides that would pair well include Vichy carrots (French glazed carrots) and minted peas. Mint jelly alongside is a natural choice, too.
This roast boneless leg of lamb is an easy but impressive main that's perfect for a festive meal or Sunday dinner. Pair it with your favorite sides, such as some roast potatoes and other vegetables as we did here. Gently minty, with all that delicious lamb flavor, it's a wonderful roast.
Try these other tasty lamb recipes:
- One pot braised lamb shoulder chops with vegetables
- Lamb pilaf (great for leftovers!)
- Lamb kofte (ground meat kebabs)
- Kofte-style lamb meatballs in a tomato pepper sauce
- Plus get more mains recipes in the archives.
Roast boneless leg of lamb on a bed of mint
Ingredients
- 2 lb boneless leg of lamb 900g, or larger, adjust cooking time accordingly
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 stems mint
- ½ teaspoon salt approx
- ½ tablespoon olive oil approx
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450F/230C. Ensure the lamb is at room temperature before you cook.
- Make incisions into the fatty side of the lamb joint with a small sharp knife, evenly spaced over the top and side of the joint around 1-2in apart (3-5cm).Peel the garlic and cut into long strips, around 6-8 per clove. Stuff a piece of garlic into each incision in the lamb.
- Put the mint leaves in the bottom of a roasting dish and sit the lamb roast on top.
- Sprinkle a little salt over the lamb along with a drizzle of olive oil. Place in the oven and roast for 15min, uncovered.
- Reduce the heat to 325F/160C. and cook at this temperature for the remainder of the cooking time - in all, you'll need approx 20min per pound/450g for medium-rare (around 25min for medium, 15 for rare), although time may vary with your oven and size of leg. Your most accurate way is to use an internal meat thermometer - you want around 125F for rare, 130F for medium-rare, 135-140F for medium, 155-165F for well done.
- Remove from the oven and allow to stand for around 10-15minutes before carving.
Nutrition
See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store.
Fiorenza says
It looks succulent indeed!
The mint combines perfectly. I really like this recipe, congratulations
Caroline's Cooking says
Thank you!