If it’s your first time tasting the savory goodness of a Rotisserie Leg of Lamb, you’re in for an epic experience! This straightforward recipe with minimal ingredients transforms the classic roasted leg of lamb into a succulent masterpiece.
What can you expect after following the recipe card? Fall-off-the-bone tender meat crowned with a zesty, slightly spicy chimichurri sauce. Brace yourself, because once you try this combo, serving leg of lamb any other way will seem unimaginable.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love Bone-In Lamb Leg Roast
What’s not to love about a lamb roast? The marinade, a fusion of light beer, garlic herb seasoning, fresh garlic, lemon juice, shallot, and olive oil, complements the whole leg of lamb perfectly. An incredibly juicy meat roast complemented by a bright, tangy homemade chimichurri sauce is so freakin’ delicious!
This Rotisserie Leg of Lamb recipe is perfect for Easter Dinner, Christmas Dinner, and all special occasions, even if it’s just a dinner party with friends. Your crew will go wild for all the smoky grill flavors and the most tender meat, especially because of the overnight marinade.
If you’re looking for the best lamb dishes, check out these other recipes: Grilled Lamb Arayes, Spiced Lamb Kebabs with Mint Chimichurri, Crown Roast of Lamb, and Smoked Leg of Lamb.
Ingredients for Your Roast Leg of Lamb
- Medium Lamb – You can source a whole leg of American lamb (or New Zealand lamb) from your local grocery store butcher or online.
- Marinade – The marinade that tenderizes the lamb is a combo of your favorite Light Beer, garlic herb seasoning, garlic cloves, lemon juice, shallots, and olive oil.
- Chimichurri Sauce – This is a zesty sauce made with fresh herbs that levels up any roasted meat, especially lamb meat. It’s a simple yet potent fusion of parsley, red wine vinegar, garlic cloves, red chili flakes, olive oil, and some kosher salt.
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How to Make the Rotisserie Leg of Lamb Recipe
Start by combining the marinade ingredients in a blender or food processor, and pulsing until smooth. Next, take that leg of lamb and give its outside fat cap a little scoring to ensure maximum flavor. Place the lamb inside a food-safe bin and pour over the marinade to cover fully. If you don’t have a bin, an oversized ziplock back should do the trick – just be careful to make sure the top stays closed! Next, place the lamb in the fridge for at least 4 hours, but if you can wait overnight, even better.
Easy Minted Potatoes Recipe
Any roast lamb recipe gets even better with some roast potatoes. The fresh mint adds a flavor twist that is the perfect complement to the garlic-infused rotisserie leg of lamb. Here is a basic recipe, however, feel free to make it your own!
- Boil 2 lbs of baby potatoes until fork-tender (15-20 minutes).
- In a small saucepan, melt 2 tbsp of butter over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 cloves minced garlic, and 3 tbsp chopped fresh mint. Cook for 1-2 minutes to infuse the flavors.
- Drain the boiled potatoes and place them in a bowl.
- Pour the mint-infused butter mixture over the potatoes, tossing gently for an even coat. Season generously with salt and black pepper.
Cooking Bone-In Leg of Lamb
Roasting Time on the FIRE
Once the marinade has worked its magic of tenderizing the meats with the acids, it’s rotisserie time! Pull the lamb out of the bath and discard the liquid. Now, spike the lamb with the rotisserie skewers and set it aside until you’re fire is hot and ready.
For best results, get a two-zone indirect medium-high heat thing going, hitting around 350-375 degrees F. Make sure the rotisserie is set to turn over the cooler side of the fire as we are going for a steady, consistent roasting here.
Check the temperature of the meat 2.5-3.5 hours later. Use an instant-read thermometer placed into the thickest part of the meat. We are looking for an internal temperature of 130-135F for lamb that is nice and pink. Do your best to keep the heat consistent, and if any spots get too hot, give it a spritz with water.
Resting Stage
Once your lamb is cooked, pull it off the stage and let it rest for 20-25 minutes. Resting distributes the juices and makes all the difference. In the meantime, let’s make the easy OTFC Chimichurri in a small bowl. Let all the ingredients mingle and rest for about 10 minutes.
Serving Time
By now, your lamb is ready! Transfer lamb onto your cutting board and slice it up with a sharp knife. After plating, cover the lamb with a generous amount of chimichurri, and savor the mouthwatering masterpiece you’ve just created. Cheers!
What to Serve with Leg of Lamb
The possibilities for what to serve with any lamb roast recipe are endless. The classic side in New Zealand is minted potatoes. Roasted root vegetables, such as carrots and parsnips seasoned with fresh rosemary would also be amazing.
Another great way to round out the meal is to make a big spinach salad with some toasted pecans, dried cranberries, crumbles of blue cheese, and balsamic dressing. Bacon bits are optional! If you’re a wine lover, don’t forget the bottle of red,
Leftovers & Reheating
Wrap any remaining cuts of meat tightly in aluminum foil and store in an airtight container for 3-5 days. When reheating inside the aluminum foil packet over the grill, drizzle in some broth or light beer to add moisture. Once warmed through in about 15-20 minutes, savor the deliciousness of your reheated leg of lamb leftovers.
More On Lamb
FAQs
Although I’m no sommelier, my personal preference is a good Cabernet Sauvignon. A Malbec adds a touch of spiciness. Pinot Noir, with its lighter profile, is another great choice.
Grass-fed New Zealand lamb is known for its milder taste, while American lamb may have a slightly stronger flavor due to grains in the diet. The choice is up to you. You can savor the subtler taste of New Zealand lamb or enjoy the heartier flavor of American lamb.
Sure, you can make the sauce and keep it in an airtight container in a cool, dark place but not the fridge until it’s serving time. Although, admittedly, it’s never quite as good as when it’s freshly made.
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Rotisserie Leg of Lamb
Ingredients
Lamb:
- 1 Whole Leg of Lamb
Marinade:
- 12 oz of Light Beer
- 2.5 tbsp Garlic Herb Seasoning
- 6-8 Garlic Cloves
- 3 medium Lemons juiced
- 1 medium Shallot
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
OTFC Chimichurri:
- ½ cup Parsley chopped
- ¼ cup Red Wine Vinegar
- 4-6 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 tbsp Red Chili Flakes
- Olive Oil to desired consistency
- Kosher Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a blender, add all the ingredients for the marinade. Blend until smooth.
- Score the outside fat cap of the leg of lamb, then add to a food safe bin and pour the marinade over top.
- Place in the fridge for at least 4 hours but ideally overnight.
- Next day, pull your lamb out of the marinade and discard excess marinade.
- Place the leg of lamb onto the rotisserie spike and secure. Set aside until ready to use.
- Preheat a two-zone indirect medium-high heat fire (around 350-375 degrees F). Make so that the rotisserie cooks on the cool side of the grill or pit.
- Add your leg of lamb onto the rotisserie and cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 130-135 degrees F (around 2.5-3.5 hours). Make sure to maintain consistent heat, and spritz with water as needed to cool any burning spots.
- Once the lamb has hit temperature, pull off and let rest for 20-25 minutes.
- In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the OTFC Chimichurri and let sit for 10 minutes to marinate.
- Slice up your leg of lamb, top with the chimichurri and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Easy Minted Potatoes Recipe
Any roast lamb recipe gets even better with some roast potatoes. The fresh mint adds a flavor twist that is the perfect complement to the garlic-infused lamb. Here is a basic recipe. Feel free to make it your own!- Boil 2 lbs of baby potatoes until fork-tender (15-20 minutes).
- In a small saucepan, melt 2 tbsp of butter over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 cloves minced garlic, and 3 tbsp chopped fresh mint. Cook for 1-2 minutes to infuse the flavors.
- Drain the boiled potatoes and place them in a bowl.
- Pour the mint-infused butter mixture over the potatoes, tossing gently for an even coat. Season generously with salt and black pepper.
Loved and tried the recipe. Can you share what is the rotisserie (two prong spit and battery powered motor) that you used with this recipe?
Thanks.
It is a kettle rotisserie off amazon!
Very interested in the rotisserie you use for the open fire for the leg of lamb. Thanks for the video!
Added maple syrup to the chimichurri. That hint of sweetness was perfection. Thanks for the recipes 😋