A smoked leg of lamb is a delicious and flavorful dish that will leave your taste buds craving for more. This succulent lamb recipe is perfect for any occasion, whether it’s a family gathering or a barbecue party with friends.
The unique smoky flavor and tender texture make this smoked leg of lamb recipe a crowd favorite that’s easy to prepare and guaranteed to impress your guests. This is our favorite smoked leg of lamb recipe that you can easily recreate in the comfort of your own backyard. It’s simple and has tons of rich flavor, but takes a little longer than our quick grilled lamb chops. Skip the prime rib, fire up the smoker, grab some wood chips or chunks, and try this amazing smoked leg of lamb recipe!
For the best flavor, you’ll want to start by marinating the lamb in a mixture of herbs, spices, and lots of garlic (and even more if you love garlic like we do). Then, you’ll need to smoke the lamb for several hours and finish with a sear for an amazing crust. The smoky flavor will add a delicious depth of flavor to your dish, making it a crowd-pleaser, perfect for holiday meals like Easter, Passover, or any special occasion.
If you’re not sure your family will love lamb, consider making a smaller smoked leg of lamb as well as a more traditional dish like smoked spiral ham or smoked turkey with stuffing to give everyone options.
The Cut: Boneless Leg of Lamb
A boneless leg of lamb is a cut of meat from the top of the animal’s rear leg. It’s one of the most tender and flavorful cuts of lamb, but because it is a working muscle, it requires a low and slow cook to become tender, just like braised lamb shanks. From the whole leg of lamb, this lamb meat has the bone removed by the butcher. When the bone is removed, the meat is usually butterflied, meaning it is opened up and flattened out, making it easier to season with layers of flavors, roll, and cook evenly.
Removing the bone from a leg of lamb allows for more flexibility in cooking methods, such as grilling, roasting, or even slow cooking, like this smoker recipe. It also makes it easier to carve and serve the meat. A boneless leg of lamb roast, around 3-5 pounds, is also smaller than a bone-in leg of lamb, around 5-7 pounds. However, this recipe and method work for both, so if you are feeding a large crowd, feel free to go with the bigger cut; but make sure to extend the cooking time.
Ingredients for Smoked Leg of Lamb Recipe
- Boneless leg of lamb – these are usually at the local grocery store around spring or the Easter season. If you can’t find one locally, check out our article on the best online meat delivery services for where we buy meat online.
- Salt – we use kosher salt when cooking
- Dijon Mustard
- Fresh Rosemary
- Fresh Garlic
- Olive oil – or your favorite neutral cooking oil
- Lemon zest
- Pepper – we use freshly ground black pepper when cooking.
How to Smoke a Leg of Lamb
Prep the lamb
For this boneless leg of lamb, start by removing the meat from the package and patting it dry with paper towels. If it’s already been tied for you by your butcher, you may want to snip the kitchen twine to expose more surface area to season. This can help with that ‘gamey flavor’ some people associate with lamb.
Season the meat liberally with salt, and then combine the mustard, minced rosemary, minced garlic, olive oil, lemon zest, and pepper in a bowl to make a coarse paste. Cover the meat, roll it back up with the thin layer of fat on the outside, and tie it securely with butcher’s twine every 1 1/2 to 2 inches. Add smashed garlic cloves to the seams of the rolled meat for even more garlic flavor (or go even bigger with smoked garlic confit).
Wrap the lamb in plastic wrap and let it marinate in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours.
Prep the smoker
When ready to cook the lamb, prep your smoker for a temperature of 250 degrees. See our notes about smoker pellets and wood varieties below.
Remove the lamb from the fridge and unwrap it and let it come to room temperature while the smoker preheats for 30 minutes.
Smoke the Lamb
When the smoker has come to temp, add the boneless leg of lamb to the grill grates over a drip pan. Close the lid and smoke the lamb checking the internal temperature of the lamb after 2 hours and every 25-30 minutes until the lamb has cooked to 110-120 degrees (depending on your desired finished internal temp).
Remove the smoked lamb from the grill and set aside. Then, adjust the air vents or turn the pellet smoker to the sear setting. Allow the grill to heat up to around 400-450 degrees F and return the lamb to the grill for a quick sear on all sides, about 3 to 4 minutes a side.
Rest, Slice, and Serve
Remove the lamb from the grill and tent it with foil. Allow the smoked leg of lamb to rest for 10-15 minutes before carving.
When ready to serve, snip the kitchen twine and remove it. Then, carve the roast into thin slices with a sharp knife for serving.
What to Serve with smoked leg of lamb
We love a variety of our favorite side dishes with the smoky flavor of this leg of lamb. It’s perfect with creamy mashed potatoes, smoked brussels sprouts, hearty Dutch oven mac and cheese, or keto creamed spinach. Fresh green beans and umami-loaded smoked mushrooms also go great with this.
