Our smoked leg of lamb recipe uses simple ingredients and takes just a few minutes of prep work. This tender and juicy lamb roast would be a great addition to your dinner table.
Perfect for a special occasion or Sunday dinner, our slow-smoked leg of lamb is guaranteed to impress your friends and family.
Even non-lamb lovers will find it hard to resist the smoky flavor of this delicious smoked lamb.
If you haven’t tried a smoked leg of lamb, you don’t know what you’re missing. After one taste, I know you’ll agree that lamb isn’t just for holidays and special occasions.
If you love smoked meats, make sure to try our smoked chuck roast and smoked tri-tip steak recipes.
Ingredients to make Smoked Leg of Lamb
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make our easy smoked leg of lamb recipe. In Chef Speak, this is called the Mise en Place, which translates into Everything in its Place.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
Can I use dried spices instead of fresh herbs?
Yes, you can. A common rule of thumb is to use one-third of the dried herbs as fresh herbs. For example, if a recipe calls for one tablespoon of fresh oregano, use one teaspoon of dried oregano.
Should I use a boneless or bone-in Leg of Lamb?
It’s a matter of personal preference or what is available at your local grocery store. When smoking low and slow, I prefer a boneless lamb leg to a bone-in whole leg of lamb. They’re easier to find and definitely easier to carve.
But either variety will work with this recipe. If you can’t find a leg of lamb at your local grocery store, ask your butcher; they may be able to order one for you. You can also find them online at specialty butchers.
How to Make Smoked Leg of Lamb
- Remove the leg of lamb from the refrigerator one hour prior to cooking.
- Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, add the fresh rosemary, thyme, oregano, and garlic, along with the kosher salt, black pepper, turmeric, cumin, sweet paprika, and coriander.
- Mix well to combine the dry rub seasonings.
*When the smoker has heated, add your favorite wood chips to the smoker tube. We used cherry wood chunks for this recipe.
- Pat the roast with paper towels to remove any excess moisture.
- Rub olive oil over the roast, coating the entire roast.
- Spread the dry rub over the lamb meat and allow it to rest for 30 minutes so the flavors can begin to marinate. This will also allow the roast to come to room temperature.
- Place the leg of lamb directly on the rack in the preheated smoker. Place a drip pan underneath the roast.
- Place a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the boneless lamb roast and smoke for about 4 hours.
*Remember, we are cooking to temperatures, not time so that cooking time can vary. - For a medium rare leg of lamb, smoke to an internal temperature of the meat is 135 degrees.
*After removing it from the smoker, the internal temperature will continue to rise 7-10 degrees. Tent the smoked leg of lamb loosely with aluminum foil and let it rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing to allow the juices to redistribute to the meat.
Seasoned with a dry rub and smoked low and slow, this smoked leg of lamb will soon become a family favorite. Serve it with smashed potatoes or mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus or your favorite green vegetable.
Any leftovers should be stored refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Leftover lamb can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container or double-wrapped with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil for up to two months.
To reheat, let the meat come to room temperature. Then, place the lamb in a baking dish with a little water or broth. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and put it into a 325-degree oven. Heat for 15-20 minutes or until an internal temperature of 145 degrees has been reached,
Recipe FAQ’s
Because the leg of lamb is smoked low and slow, I advise leaving the fat on the roast. As it cooks, the fat will render, keeping it moist and adding flavor.
I like using apple or cherry wood for a sweet, subtle flavor. Maple, pecan, hickory, and oak wood chips are also good choices and will add a savory smoke flavor to the roast,
Cooking to an internal temperature of 135 degrees F. will yield a moist and tender medium-rare roast. After removing it from the smoker, the internal temperature will continue to rise 7-10 degrees.
If you prefer a more well-done roast, continue smoking until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees. I wouldn’t advise going any higher than that, as the roast will begin to dry out.
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Smoked Leg of Lamb
Ingredients
- 5 – 6 lb boneless leg of lamb
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary finely chopped about 2 sprigs
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme finely chopped about 4 sprigs
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano finely chopped about 2 sprigs
- 1 tablespoon garlic finely chopped about 2 cloves
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt or one teaspoon table salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper or ¾ regular grind black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika or smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
Instructions
- Remove the leg of lamb from the refrigerator 30 minutes before prepping to let it begin to come to room temperature.
- Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees
- Pat the leg of lamb with a paper towel removing any excess moisture.
- Rub olive oil over the roast, coating the entire roast.
- Add the fresh rosemary, thyme, oregano, garlic, kosher salt, pepper, turmeric, cumin, paprika and coriander to a small bowl and mix together to combine
- Spread the dry rub over the entire leg of lamb and allow it to rest for 30 minutes so the flavors can begin to marinate. This will also allow the roast to come to room temperature.
- When the smoker has heated, add your favorite wood chips to the smoker tube. We used cherry wood for this recipe.
- Place the leg of lamb directly on the rack in the preheated smoker. Place a drip pan underneath the roast.
- Place a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the lamb roast and smoke for about 4 hours.Remember, we are cooking to temperatures, not time, so cooking times can vary.
- For a medium rare leg of lamb, smoke to an internal temperature of 135 degrees.*After removing it from the smoker, the internal temperature will continue to rise 7-10 degrees.
- Tent the smoked leg of lamb loosely with aluminum foil and let it rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing to allow the juices to redistribute to the meat.
- Slice the leg of lamb against the grain into ½ slices.
Notes
If you prefer a more well-done roast, continue smoking until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees. I wouldn’t advise going any higher than that, as the roast will begin to dry out.
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