Are you looking for an impressive main dish? Nothing is more “Greek” than a roasted leg of lamb!! This Greek-style roasted leg of lamb with potatoes is guaranteed to impress a hungry crowd.

My favorite way to eat lamb is the way my dad makes it every Easter; on the spit with lots of ladolemono (lemony olive oil dressing). Since I don’t have a spit and my dad lives in N.Y (very sad face), I roast my lamb in the oven, which is WAY easier… I like to roast the lamb with potatoes. They soak up all that delicious flavor and are to die for. It’s perfect for Springtime, to serve at any gathering or for a Sunday family meal.

Let’s go over the ingredients:

4-5 pound bone-in leg of lamb
3 medium onions
lots of garlic (I used about 20 cloves)
potatoes
salt
oregano
crushed red pepper
black pepper
olive oil
fresh lemon juice (always use fresh!)

I put the whole garlic cloves in the pan with quartered onions and set the lamb right on top to marinate it. It’s best to marinate it overnight for maximum flavor, but make sure the meat comes to room temperature before you roast it.

What is ladolemono?

One of my favorite marinades is ladolemono. It’s a lemony olive oil paste that creates all of the magic. Use just a little bit of oil because lamb is very rich and has lots of natural fat. I add lots of oregano to cut through the gaminess of the lamb, and I use a lot of pepper because I like it a little spicer. However, you can adjust the amount of pepper. You may also add some finely chopped mint.

How big of a leg of lamb do I need?

For this recipe, I used a pretty big piece. It’s between 4 and 5 pounds. Use whatever you find that’s fresh and really good quality in your local Meat Market or Supermarket. After you rub on the marinade, make sure that it’s completely covered properly with the foil to either put it in the oven to cook or the refrigerator to marinate.

I used to teach lots of cooking classes before I had baby Laya, and this was one of the most popular recipes that I taught. So, I’ve taught how to make it many times. You can take my class, too!

Potatoes and side dishes for lamb

The potatoes can be added at two different times. It’s whichever you prefer.

Add potatoes at the beginning with the garlic and onions: peel the potatoes and leave them whole or only cut them in half. They will soak up all of the delicious juices and be a little bit darker in color.
OR… wait until halfway through cooking the lamb (1 and ½ hours before the meat is fully cooked): peel the potatoes and cut them into quarters.

If you’d like to skip the potatoes or just add another side, try Tzatziki Sauce, Mediterranean Rice Pilaf, orzo soup, toasted bread, or a fresh greek salad.

Halfway through the cooking time, it’s important to bast the lamb and remove the foil. This will allow the lamb to brown and some of the excess juices to evaporate off.

Roast the lamb until the meat is falling off the bone and the potatoes are tender. If your lamb is a little bit smaller, it might be ready sooner. So, just check on it every half hour until it’s nice, soft and falling off the bone. If you have a larger cut, increase the temperature of your oven to 475℉ halfway through cooking. The extra liquid will evaporate faster so the potatoes don’t get mushy.

When it’s done, let it rest for at least 15-20 minutes so that the juices can get redistributed. Sometimes the lamb will release a lot of oil, so you can just skim it off the top and do whatever you want with it. The garlic will completely melt when you touch it with your fork, the onion will be super soft, and the potatoes will be perfectly cooked.

Greek-style roasted leg of lamb with potatoes is my favorite Easter lamb recipe, but…

Try these other lamb recipes:

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