Grandma’s Roast Leg of Lamb Recipe With Garlic & Rosemary Is Old World Goodness by Elisa Schmitz
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My father is from the former Yugoslavia, and I grew up eating my grandmother’s Old World dishes. My Croatian grandma world make a succulent roasted leg of lamb for the holidays, especially Christmas and Easter. The aroma of lamb drenched in olive oil, rosemary and garlic, roasting in the oven, filled her home. And the memories still fill my heart.
Grandma’s recipe for roasted leg of lamb with garlic and rosemary is so flavorful, and it’s easier than you may think. To make this roasted leg of lamb recipe you will need a bone-in leg of lamb (check out the health benefits of lamb), olive oil, lemons for juicing, fresh rosemary, garlic and ground turmeric.
This tender lamb recipe is perfect for any special occasion (I just served it on Easter and everyone loved it), or just when you crave that Old World goodness.
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours (approximately)
Total Time: 2 hours and 15 minutes, plus 10 minutes to allow lamb to rest after baking
Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 5- to 7-pound leg of lamb, bone in, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or dried rosemary
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
Recipe Notes
- The general rule of thumb for baking lamb is 20 to 25 minutes per pound for medium-rare. If you want lamb medium, bake 25 to 30 minutes per pound, until meat thermometer inserted into the center registers about 160 degrees F. If you want lamb well done, bake 30 to 35 minutes per pound until meat thermometer inserted into the center registers about 170 degrees F.
Here's how to make it:
- Place the lamb in a 13x9-inch baking dish. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, lemon juice, rosemary, garlic and turmeric. Pour the mixture over the lamb in the pan, coating evenly. Sprinkle additional turmeric and rosemary, if desired. Season with sea salt and pepper.
- Cover lamb with foil and place in a preheated 325-degree F oven. Bake for 1 hour. Remove lamb from oven and baste with the drippings.
- Return to oven without foil, for about 1 more hour for medium-rare, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center registers about 145 degrees F to 150 degrees F without touching the bone.
- Remove lamb from pan and allow to rest for about 10 minutes before carving. Cut lamb against the grain. Serve with juices from pan, mint jelly or sauce of your choice.
Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. Any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.
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