Greek Leg of Lamb Recipe – Cooking With Fire
This is my Greek leg of lamb recipe. The leg is scored with a crosshatch pattern, rubbed with a Greek spice mix of oregano, rosemary, garlic and lemon. It is seared on the grill and then braised over potatoes, carrots, onion and celery until it pulls apart with a fork. We use beef broth, white wine, lemon juice and tomato paste to braise the lamb. There isn’t any left when you are finished eating the veggies.
I have a recipe for a Braised Leg Of Lamb that is smoked and then the vegetables are roasted at the end. This recipe is the opposite. Sear it, then braise the whole way through until it is shreddable.
One difference with this recipe is the scoring. I score the lamb with a crosshatch before applying the rub. This allows the spices to penetrate into the meat instead of laying on top of the fat.
This is a great holiday recipe. Feeds a crowd, can sit in the tray, and is easy to serve.
Quick Look: Greek Leg of Lamb
- How it’s made: Score the leg and sear. Braise covered on the grill
- Temperature: Grill temp of 300 to 350 degrees to braise
- When it’s done: Internal temp of 205 degrees, or the probe slides in effortlessly. Lamb will be shreddable
- Time: Takes a few hours. Use temp and the probe to judge doneness
- Serves: 6 to 8
- Vegetables: Yukon Gold potatoes, onion, carrots, celery and garlic
- The one thing that matters most: Seal your foil good. This is where all the magic happens. You are steaming that 4 to 5 lb leg of lamb until it is shreddable
If you want your lamb in slices, check out my Garlic and Herb Roasted Leg of Lamb. Same cut of meat, different results. It is worth knowing both.
Why This Recipe
- Score it. Scoring the lamb about 1/4 inch deep with a crosshatch allows your rub to get into the meat. When dealing with a large piece of meat like a leg, you need to help the rub get in there.
- Sear it first. By searing the leg on high heat we are creating a crust. That crust will add flavor to the braise. Just like I do with my Smoked Braised Lamb Birria.
- The vegetables. These vegetables will be under a leg of lamb for hours absorbing all the lamb juices and lemon. They will taste amazing. Better than any other vegetable side dish I could make.
- Shreddable. At 205 degrees your lamb will be shreddable, just like pork shoulder. Instead of carving a leg of lamb you will have shredded lamb to serve. Nobody has to wait on a carving board.
- It can sit. This will sit in a tray for hours without drying out, which is why it makes a great holiday meal. You can’t say that about my Grilled Garlic Herb Lamb Chops. They need to be consumed right away.
Put all of that together and you get a leg of lamb that cooks itself once the foil goes on. You check the probe a couple of times, and the rest of the afternoon is yours.
Key Ingredients
What You Need to Make Greek Leg of Lamb
- Leg of lamb. Between 4 and 5 lbs. Bone in or boneless both work. Bone in takes longer.
- Olive oil. Helps the rub stick to the lamb and gets down into the cuts from the scoring.
- Salt and pepper. Kosher salt and coarse ground pepper.
- Garlic and onion powder. You want it in powdered form so it sticks to the olive oil.
- Greek oregano. Use 2 tbsp of dried Greek oregano. This is what makes it Greek. Use regular oregano if that’s all you have.
- Rosemary and thyme. Dried is fine. I crushed my rosemary so I didn’t have rosemary needles in the rub.
- Lemon. Zest one lemon. Use the juice of that lemon later in the recipe. Zest it before you cut it so you are not fighting a wet lemon.
Vegetables and Braise
- Potatoes. Use Yukon Gold potatoes and cut them into quarters. They hold their shape through a long braise.
- Onion, carrots and celery. Cut them large. Small pieces turn to mush over several hours.
- Garlic. Use about 8 to 10 cloves, smashed. They melt into the liquid.
- Beef broth. 2 cups of beef broth. Keep extra on hand in case the tray runs dry.
- White wine. One cup of white wine. Substitute with chicken broth.
- Lemon juice. Use two lemons. Lemon and lamb are great together.
- Olive oil, red wine vinegar and tomato paste. Body, acid and depth in the braise.
These are the same flavors I used in my Chicken Gyro on the Loco Cookers Griddle.
Substitutions or Additions
- Use lamb shoulder. This will also braise very well. Lamb shoulder is less expensive as well, and it has more fat, so the liquid comes out richer.
- Substitute the wine. You can leave out the wine and use more beef broth and red wine vinegar.
- Use any kind of potato. Try red potatoes or fingerlings. I would avoid using a russet potato as they will break down.
- Olives or artichokes. You can add olives or artichoke hearts to your braise. Kalamata olives would fit this recipe.
- Feta cheese. I love to top my shredded lamb with feta cheese, then drizzle a little fresh lemon on top.
- Try these flavors on a quick cook. Try my Mediterranean Yogurt-Marinated Lamb Chops. They use similar flavors and only take 20 minutes to cook.
- Cook in the oven. You can use the oven in place of the grill. Keep it at the same temperature and covered in foil.
- Serve it like tacos. This would be great served like birria tacos. Use some of your braise liquid and serve with warm tortillas. Check out my Birria Tacos Recipe.
How to Make Greek Leg of Lamb (Step by Step)
Pat it dry and score it. Take your leg of lamb out of the packaging and pat it dry. Using a sharp knife, create a crosshatch pattern on the entire surface of your leg, about 1/4 inch deep. You are just trying to expose some of the meat and maybe cut through the silver skin. You can remove the silver skin as well, but it’s not necessary.
Mix the rub. Take a small bowl and mix your olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, Greek oregano, crushed rosemary, thyme and lemon zest.
Rub it down. Rub your mixture all over your leg of lamb and work it into the cuts.
Sear on the grill. Turn your grill up to max and sear all sides of your leg. You are looking for a nice char on the outside. Remove from the grill.
Line the tray with vegetables. Potatoes, onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Season with olive oil, salt, pepper and oregano.
Add the braising liquid. Combine your beef broth, white wine, lemon juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, tomato paste and oregano. Pour it into the tray.
Lamb on top, seal it up. Place your leg of lamb on top of the vegetables and cover the tray with foil. Seal it good. You want no air to escape.
Braise on the grill. Braise at 300 to 350 degrees until it reaches an internal temp of 205 degrees, or your probe can slide into the lamb with ease. It will take several hours. If your braise is going a long time, check to see if you need to add more liquid.
Shred and serve. Once your leg of lamb has reached 205 degrees, pull it off the tray and shred it. Add some of the braise liquid on top of the lamb. Serve with the vegetables in the tray.
As you can see, our lamb is way over the USDA minimum of 145 degrees. We want to get it to 205 degrees so that it will shred. Under 200 it still slices. Over 200 it pulls apart with two forks.
Once it is shredded, I put the whole tray on the table and let everyone go at it. The lamb, the vegetables and the braise liquid all go on the same plate.
Tips From Miguel
Always score your leg of lamb. Scoring the lamb will allow your rub to get inside the meat. It will also give you more surface area to sear.
Sear your lamb before you braise it. We want a good crust on our lamb before it goes into the braise. This will give your braise some extra flavor.
Make sure your tray is sealed. You want to trap all the moisture in your tray so that your lamb will braise and become shreddable. Press the foil down around the edges and check it before it goes on the grill.
Don’t go by time. You can use time to estimate how long your braise will take. But I always go by temp and how it feels when I insert the probe. If there is any resistance, it needs more time.
Allow your lamb to braise. The longer you let your lamb braise, the more flavor it will build. Have patience with this recipe. It’s a day in the life type of cook, so plan it for a day you have nowhere to be.
Storage and Reheating
- Fridge: Will store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep it in the braise liquid so it stays moist.
- Freezer: Can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just don’t store your vegetables. Eat those first.
- Reheat: On the stovetop or in the oven with the braise liquid, covered. Don’t microwave it dry.
- Make ahead: You can braise it a day early, cool it in the tray, and reheat covered before serving.
More Lamb Recipes to Try
Greek Leg of Lamb FAQs
Do I have to score my leg of lamb?
You can get away with not scoring your leg of lamb, but I would recommend it. When you score the lamb it allows your rub and braising liquid to get into the meat. It only takes a couple of minutes to score your lamb.
Can I make Greek leg of lamb in the oven?
Yes you can. Just sear your leg of lamb in a pan over high heat, then follow the instructions above. Braise it covered in the oven at the same 300 to 350 degrees until it reaches an internal temp of 205 degrees.
How hot should I cook my leg of lamb?
I cook my leg of lamb until it reaches an internal temp of 205 degrees. The USDA minimum for lamb is 145 degrees, so anything past that is safe to eat. I like mine at 205 because that is where it shreds.
Should I use a bone in or boneless leg of lamb?
I think either will work for this recipe. You will want to cook it longer if it’s bone in, and boneless will shred quicker. Either way, go by the 205 degree internal temp and the probe, not the clock.
Greek Leg of Lamb Recipe (Seared and Braised)
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Remove the lamb from the packaging and pat it dry. With a sharp knife, score a crosshatch pattern across the whole surface about 1/4 inch deep, just enough to cut through the silver skin. Trim the silver skin if you like, but it is not necessary.
- In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, Greek oregano, crushed rosemary, thyme and lemon zest. Rub it all over the lamb and work it into the cuts.
- Turn the grill up to high. Sear the lamb directly on the grates on all sides until there is a dark char all over. Remove and set aside.
- In a deep foil tray or oven safe roasting pan, add the potatoes, onions, carrots, celery and smashed garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and oregano. Toss.
- Whisk together the beef broth, white wine, lemon juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, tomato paste and dried oregano. Pour over the vegetables. Tuck in the rosemary, thyme and bay leaves.
- Set the seared lamb on top of the vegetables. Cover the tray tightly with heavy duty foil and seal the edges so no steam escapes.
- Place the covered tray on the grill at 300 to 350°F. Braise, covered, until the lamb reaches 205°F internal or a probe slides in with no resistance. This takes several hours. If it runs long, check the liquid and add broth if the tray looks dry.
- Pull the lamb onto a board and shred it with two forks. Spoon braising liquid over the shredded lamb and serve with the vegetables straight from the tray.
