The flavours of this easy butterflied lamb leg recipe are a Persian-Greek fusion! Perfectly roasted, juicy, pink lamb, with the tangy, bold flavours of sumac and lemon, with floral earthy notes of oregano. A fail-proof, perfect weeknight roast lamb dinner in 30 minutes.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe:
It’s Easy and Simple!
Throw on some spices on the lamb leg, squeeze a lemon over it, and whack it in the oven. It couldn’t be easier!
It’s Healthy!
Lamb is incredibly nutrient-dense. Not only is it packed with protein, but it contains so many vitamins and minerals like B12, iron, zinc, phosphorus, B3 and more! It’s also a rich source of healthy, stable saturated fat, and fatty acids like omega-3, and conjugated linoleic acid! Plus, most Australian lamb is grass-fed, increasing the levels of omega-3. Lamb is a super food!
It Tastes Phenomenal!
If you love tangy, bold flavours, you will love this butterflied lamb leg. Sumac and lemon are a power combo for a citrusy tanginess, and oregano mellows everything out with its earthy tones. These flavours complement the tender, fatty lamb perfectly!
It’s Quick!
2 minutes of prep, 25 minutes in the oven, dinner will be on the table in no time at all!
Ingredients for this Lamb Leg Recipe
Besides the lamb leg, all you need for this recipe is some olive oil, salt, sumac, oregano, and lemon. That’s it!
Because we’re using a butterflied lamb leg, we can significantly reduce the cook time. ‘Butterflied’ just means the bone has been removed, and the meat has been cut into a flatter, longer piece. Because it’s a flatter piece, we can get away with the quick cook time in the oven, and still end up with juicy, succulent lamb! My tip is to look for a piece that has a thick fat-cap on top – this becomes crispy and delicious in the oven. Plus it will make each slice of lamb so much more flavourful!
If you’ve never used sumac before, allow me to introduce you to one of the most incredible, flavourful spices ever! It’s a dark red spice made by drying and grinding the berries of the sumac plant, native to Iran (my heritage)! In Iran, people use it in many dishes. But you’ll see it as a popular spice sprinkled over succulent Persian Kebabs (Kabob Koobideh), made with lamb. It is also a perfectly citrusy addition to a quick Middle Eastern Shakshuka!
Lamb and sumac just work! The best way I can describe the flavour of sumac is citrusy, lemony, but also incredibly fruity. It’s a beautiful addition to so many middle eastern and Mediterranean dishes.
How to Make this Easy Butterflied Lamb Leg
This butterflied lamb leg is ridiculously easy to make – no need to marinade, no need to prep anything!
Rub the lamb leg with olive oil. Then just sprinkle salt, sumac, and oregano over your lamb leg, squeeze the juice of a lemon on top, then place in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until it reaches the desired pinkness. I like my lamb medium-rare, so I cook a 1kg piece of lamb leg for 25 minutes at 200°C fan, then 240°C for 5 minutes. Those last 5 minutes just help crisp up the delicious fat-cap on top!
The best way to tell how your lamb is cooked is with a meat thermometer. For medium-rare lamb, the internal temperature should reach 62°C. But while the lamb is resting, the temperature will rise. So take it out a bit earlier (once it reaches 57°C) for lovely, pink, medium-rare lamb! For other levels of ‘doneness’, follow this handy guide!
Serving up the Butterflied Lamb Leg
For a quick roast dinner, throw in some red onions, carrots, and broccolini to your roasting tray. This is just one combo I like – but really any vegetables would work well! Just cut them somewhat small so they cook within half an hour. Make sure you pour on some of that delicious, lemony sauce in the bottom of the tray over your lamb!
The lamb leg would also pair beautifully with some carrot and caramelised onion purée, or alongside some buttery sautéed rainbow chard with candied walnuts. Otherwise, for a satisfying keto/carnivore meal, enjoy as is, with the lemony pan juices poured on top – simply perfect!
I truly hope you love this recipe! xxx
Easy Butterflied Lamb Leg with Sumac, Lemon and Oregano
Description
Tangy, bold flavours of sumac and lemon, with floral notes of oregano make this easy butterflied lamb leg a Persian-Greek fusion! A beautiful lamb roast in under 30 minutes - simple and delicious. My kind of dinner!
Ingredients
Method
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Take your lamb out of the frigde for 30-60 minutes before you want to cook it, to allow it to come to room temperature (see Note 1).
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Preheat your oven to 200°C fan. Meanwhile, drizzle the olive oil over the lamb, and sprinkle on the salt, oregano, and sumac. Squeeze on the juice from the lemon, and massage the seasonings all over the lamb leg (see Note 2).
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Place in the oven for 20 minutes, uncovered, then increase the temperature to 240°C for a further 5 minutes to crisp up fatty layer on top (for medium-rare lamb). See Note 3 for cooking times.
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Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes loosely covered with foil - see Note 4 (although I have sometimes skipped this step when in a rush and the lamb is still juicy and delicious)! Carve up and enjoy!
Note
- Allowing the meat to come to room temperature will ensure that it cooks more evenly and the middle isn't cold. I find it also relaxes the muscle and as a result, the meat is even more tender and less tough. The sudden temperature change from the fridge to the hot oven can sometimes make the proteins 'seize up' which is what contributes to the toughness. But it's not the end of the world if you don't have time for this step. I have sometimes skipped it when I'm in a rush, and the lamb is still yummy!
- The lamb might go a greyish colour at this point - do not worry! This is normal. It's just the acidity from the lemon denaturing/breaking down the proteins in the meat (almost like it's 'cooking' it!).
- The best way to tell how your lamb is cooked is with a meat thermometer. For medium-rare lamb, the internal temperature should reach 62°C. But when you remove the lamb from the oven, the temperature will rise as it's resting. My tip is to take it out once it reaches 57°C, as this should give you lovely, pink, medium-rare lamb! For other levels of 'doneness', follow this handy guide!
- When the lamb goes in the oven, the muscle fibres and proteins contract. This causes the moisture in the meat to be drawn into the centre. By resting your lamb, you allow these fibres to relax. This allows the moisture to redistribute evenly in the meat, back into the edges of the lamb. This means your lamb will be juicier, and more succulent - although I have sometimes skipped this step when in a rush, and the lamb usually turns out juicy and delicious! I think it's because of the short cooking time, but if you've got the time, resting makes a difference!
