Enjoy a succulent leg of lamb with a flavorful Honey Dijon marinade. Perfect for any cooking method, this recipe guarantees a tender and delicious centerpiece for your dinner.
Ingredients:
- Leg of Lamb: Choose a 5 – 7 lbs bone-in leg of lamb for the best flavor and moisture retention.
- Seasonings: Salt and pepper are essential for the basic seasoning.
- Marinade: Combine Honey Dijon mustard, minced garlic, and fresh rosemary for a flavorful rub.
Instructions for Various Cooking Methods:
Oilless Fryer or Air Fryer (Primary Method):
We originally tested this in the Big Easy Outdoor Air Fryer, see our product review here.
- Preparation: Pat the lamb roast with paper towels and season it generously with salt and pepper.
- Marinade: Mix the Honey Dijon mustard, minced garlic, and minced rosemary in a bowl. Apply this marinade evenly over the lamb.
- Prep the Oilless fryer or Air fryer: Preheat the fryer to 400 to 425 degrees F.
- Cooking: Place the lamb leg in the basket of the Big-Easy Oil-Less Fryer. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 145°F for medium-rare.
- Resting: Remove the lamb, tent it in aluminum foil, and let it rest. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, ensuring it remains juicy when sliced.
Traditional Oven:
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C).
- Prepare the lamb as above and place it in a roasting pan.
- Roast in the oven, basting occasionally with the drippings, until it reaches the desired doneness, approximately 20 minutes per pound for medium-rare.
- Rest the lamb as described above.
Smoker:
- Prep the smoker to maintain a temperature of around 225°F (107°C).
- Smoke the seasoned and marinated lamb for about 4 to 5 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 145°F for medium-rare.
- Wrap and rest the lamb in foil to keep it moist and allow it to rest.
Grill:
- Prepare the grill for indirect heat and preheat to a medium-high setting.
- Grill the lamb over indirect heat, covered, turning occasionally, until it reaches the desired internal temperature.
- Rest the lamb as per the above instructions.
Girl Carnivore Expert Tips
- Marinating: For deeper flavor, marinate the lamb overnight in the refrigerator.
- Internal Temperatures for Lamb: Use a digital instant-read thermometer for the most accurate results
- Rare: 120-125°F
- Medium Rare: 130-135°F
- Medium: 140-145°F
- Medium Well: 150-155°F
- Well Done: 160°F and above
- Reheating: To maintain moisture, reheat covered in a low-temperature oven.
How to Serve:
Serve your roast leg of lamb with a side of roasted new potatoes with mint, a fresh green bean almondine, or a vibrant Greek salad to contrast the rich flavors. This makes for a perfrect Easter feast, but is also great any time of year whhen lamb is on sale.
Wine Pairing
Consider pairing with a robust red wine such as a Shiraz or a Cabernet Sauvignon to complement the meal.
Storage and Reheating:
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
- Reheating: Reheat gently in a covered dish in the oven at a low temperature to maintain moisture.
More Great Lamb Recipes
Lamb is such a treat and it is one of those things you don’t typically get to have every night. So for those special occasions when you can enjoy it, here are some great recipes to consider:
- Savory Lamb Ragu with Pappardelle Pasta
- Slow Cooker Smoky Irish Lamb Stew
- Braised Moroccan Lamb Shanks
- Lamb Stuffed Peppers { Turkish Dolma }
- Harissa Butter Stuffed Lamb Burgers
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Honey Dijon Leg of Lamb Recipe
Recommended Equipment
- Big Easy Oil-free Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 5 – 7 lbs leg of lamb bone-in preferably
- salt and pepper
- 4 tbs Honey Dijon mustard
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbs fresh rosemary minced
Instructions
Oilless Fryer or Air Fryer (Primary Method):
- Season the lamb with salt and pepper all over.
- Whisk the mustard, garlic, and rosemary in a small bowl together.
- Rub a thorough coating of the mustard mix all over and let the lamb rest in the fridge overnight.
- Let the lamb sit at room temp for 45 minutes to 1 hour before cooking.
- Meanwhile, prep your Big-Easy Oil-Less Fryer for 400-425 degrees F and place the lamb in the basket.
- Put the basket in the fryer and cook until the lamb registers 145 degrees F for medium rare.
- With heat resistant gloves, carefully remove the lamb and tent it with foil to rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Allow to rest while you toss some veggies in that air fryer and let them get all nice and crispy.
- Slice the lamb into thin 1/4" pieces with a sharp knife and serve immediately.
Notes
Other Cooking Methods
Traditional Oven:
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C).
- Prepare the lamb as above and place it in a roasting pan.
- Roast in the oven, basting occasionally with the drippings, until it reaches the desired doneness, approximately 20 minutes per pound for medium-rare.
- Rest the lamb as described above.
Smoker:
- Prep the smoker to maintain a temperature of around 225°F (107°C).
- Smoke the seasoned and marinated lamb for about 4 to 5 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 145°F for medium-rare.
- Wrap and rest the lamb in foil to keep it moist and allow it to rest.
Grill:
- Prepare the grill for indirect heat and preheat to a medium-high setting.
- Grill the lamb over indirect heat, covered, turning occasionally, until it reaches the desired internal temperature.
- Rest the lamb as per the above instructions.
-
Rare: 120-125°F
-
Medium Rare: 130-135°F
-
Medium: 140-145°F
-
Medium Well: 150-155°F
-
Well Done: 160°F and above
Nutrition
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FAQs
I recommend the bone in leg of lamb for fried honey Dijon leg of lamb. Boneless is fine if that is all you can find, but the bone in helps kick up the umami and deepens the flavor of the meat.
For leg of lamb, which is a nice thick and round roast of a cut, you want an internal temp of 145° for medium rare, 160° for medium, and 170° for well done. Personally, I think cooking leg of lamb that hard would be a travesty, but some people just prefer super well done meat.
Might not be my style, but to each their own.
sounds a great recipe, will be trying this for Sunday Lunch tomorrow, one question… did you cook the lamb with the lid up or down ?
For the Big-Easy, I cooked it with the lid off. On a traditional grill / smoker I would have slow smoked w/ lid on. Thanks!
How long did your lamb take to cook, to get to the proper temp?
Hi Simeren, There isn’t an exact time, as each cut is different but try for 15 minutes per pound for your roast. Using a good instant read thermometer is super important to make sure you don’t over cook the meat. Cheers!
Did you find the honey burned when you made this?
Looks so yummy! Pictures look so good.
Turkey!
I just thought of something, Lamb is OK but a brisket would be out of this world, I have got to try this.
The recopies sound awesome, the pictures of look great, if you’re a fat guy on a diet your screwed.
If I had this Big Easy Oil-Less Fryer on Thanksgiving the first thing I would make is a Créole injected turkey. I need this in my life!!!!
The first thing I would make in your Big Easy Oil-less Fryer is fried chicken. I am a fried chicken fanatic!
A turkey of course! Just think of all the things you can make with the leftovers.
Obviously a fried turkey would be in order!
I’ve never been a fan of lamb, but this recipe is making me rethink that decision.
True story Crodelia, it isn’t my favorite either! But I have learned to experiment with things and give them another shot. This recipe was worth it ;D
Oh my friend. I am in love. Lamb is my absolute favorite meat and that roast is cooked to perfection. Seriously. I could easily devour the whole thing.
I love lamb too – it looks incredible!