A Foolproof Way To Cook Boneless Leg of Lamb
Sous vide leg of lamb is the most stress-free way I know to serve a crowd-pleasing roast. A garlicky lemon-herb marinade seasons the meat overnight, the water bath brings it to your exact doneness, and a hot skillet finishes it with a crackly, golden crust. Every slice is tender, juicy, and perfectly pink. And the best part? You spent most of the cooking time doing literally anything else.
That’s the magic of cooking lamb sous vide. The meat marinates overnight, then slips into a water bath held at your exact temperature, so overcooking just isn’t possible. A few minutes in a smoking-hot skillet gives it that sizzling crust, and dinner is ready. It’s one of my favorite elevated dinner recipes that practically cook themselves, and it never fails to impress friends and family.
Why Sous Vide Is the Move for Leg of Lamb
Leg of lamb is lean, a little pricey, and notoriously easy to overcook in the oven, where the outside turns gray long before the center is done. Sous vide solves all of that. Since the water bath never gets hotter than the temperature you set, the whole roast cooks evenly from the outer edge to the very center. 🙌🏻
Most grocery stores sell boneless leg of lamb already rolled and tied with butcher’s twine. Leave the twine on until after searing: it helps the roast hold its shape.
Getting Started
You’ll need a sous vide circulator, a large pot or container, and a heavy skillet (cast iron is great here) for searing. A vacuum sealer is ideal, but not required.
If using a ziplock bag (the water displacement method), slowly lower the open bag into the water so the pressure pushes the air out through the top, then seal it just above the waterline.
Pat the lamb dry with paper towels, then place it in a vacuum seal bag. Pour the marinade over the top, tuck in the rosemary and oregano sprigs, and seal. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Heat the water bath. Fill a large pot with water, attach your circulator, and set it to your desired temperature (see the chart below). I set mine to 130°F for medium-rare.
Temperature Guide For Sous Vide Leg Of Lamb
| Doneness | Water bath temp | Internal temp range |
|---|---|---|
| Medium-rare (my pick) | 130°F (54°C) | 125–134°F (52–57°C) |
| Medium | 138°F (59°C) | 135–144°F (57–62°C) |
I don’t recommend going past medium. Leg of lamb is a lean cut, and higher temperature squeeze out its moisture, leaving it dry and tough rather than juicy and tender.
Remove the lamb from the bag, then pat it very dry. A dry surface is the secret to a fast, deeply browned crust. The lamb is already cooked through, so the goal of the sear is color, fast.
To reverse sear: Heat a large skillet over high heat until very hot, then add the neutral oil. Sear the lamb for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden brown all around. Then of course be sure to let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes, snip off the wine, and slice thinly against the grain.
You can also throw the lamb on a hot grill for the same length of time if you’d rather grill it!
How I Serve It
My favorite way to enjoy this lamb is in big Mediterranean rice bowls: warm rice, thin slices of lamb, and a generous dollop of cool, garlicky homemade tzatziki. Add something crisp and fresh like a creamy cucumber salad, then finish with pomegranate seeds for a burst of sweetness, lemon wedges, and fresh dill or oregano.
Not in the mood for tzatziki? A spoonful of bright, herby cilantro chimichurri cuts right through the richness of the lamb. With this, I’d add a big spoonful of pickled red onions, which instantly elevate every dish.
If you make this sous vide leg of lamb, I’d love to hear how it turned out! Leave a star rating and a comment below to share your feedback!
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Tender, Juicy Sous Vide Leg Of Lamb
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Lamb
- 1 (5-6 lb) boneless leg of lamb
- ¼ cup Kosher salt
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 sprigs fresh oregano
- 3 Tbsp neutral oil
Serving Suggestions
- white rice, cooked
- tzatziki
- cucumbers or cucumber salad, mixed with yogurt, lemon juice, and minced garlic
- pomegranate seeds
- fresh oregano
- fresh dill
- lemon wedges
Instructions
- Make the marinade. Combine ¼ cup Kosher salt, chopped garlic, lemon zest, ½ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp red pepper flakes, and ½ cup olive oil in a bowl, then whisk.
- Marinate the lamb. Place lamb in a vacuum seal bag then pour the marinade on top and add 3 rosemary sprigs and 2 oregano springs. Use the vacuum sealer to remove all air from the bag, then place in a refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.
- Prepare the sous vide circulator. When ready to cook, fill a large bucket or pot with water, then attach your sous vide circulator and set desired temperature for lamb. For medium-rare leg of lamb, internal temperature should be between 125°F (52°C) and 134°F (57°C). For medium, the internal temperature should be between: 135°F (57°C) and 144°F (62°C). I set mine to 130°F (54°C).
- Cook the lamb. Place sealed bag with boneless leg of lamb in the pot of water, then set a timer as soon as circulator reaches desired temperature. Cook lamb for 3-4 hours (or up to 6 hours). Remove bag from water, cut open, and dry lamb on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Sear before serving. Heat a large skillet over high heat. When very hot, add 3 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil. Sear lamb for 2-3 minutes on all sides, or until golden brown all around. Allow meat to rest for 5-10 minutes, then thinly slice.
- Serve with garnishes. Serve sliced leg of lamb as is or with rice, tzatziki, cucumbers, pita, and lemon wedges. Fresh herbs (dill, oregano, parsley, or mint) make a great garnish and add extra flavor. Additional toppings could include: pomegranate seeds, feta, pickled red onions, or harissa.
Notes
- Make-ahead: Cook the lamb sous vide up to 3 days ahead. Chill the sealed bag in an ice bath, then refrigerate. Rewarm in a 130°F water bath for about 1 hour, then dry and sear.
- Storage: Refrigerate sliced leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
This post was published in November 2019. It has since been updated with additional tips, tricks, and information to make it easier to enjoy at home.
I don’t know who has 4 hours to cook something on a weeknight unless you’re European and eat at 10pm, but the recipe looks great. Going to try it.
Depends on how busy the weekday is! lol! Excited for you to try this one, we adore it! xo, Ari
I would have really liked to read this recipe BUT seems impossible with all the pop-ups and other ads
When comes to the time to cook it’s not like you are sitting over the lamb watching it only thing that takes time is mixing the marinade and putting it into a vacuum sealed bag which should only take you about 15 to 20 minutes tops besides that you just set it and forget it set a timer of course. This recipe was very easy and absolutely delicious no complaints from me I work and so does my wife and I did not find this time-consuming or to be problematic whatsoever thank you for the recipe will be looking for more
Michael, thank you for such a thoughtful review! Agree, it’s mostly hands off in terms of execution and has a ton of flavor. So glad you and your wife enjoyed it! xo, Ari
I thought that 1/4 cup of kosher salt called for in the marinade recipe was beyond excessive so I used less than half that amount. Even then, my lovely and expensive leg of lamb turned out so salty that it was inedible, as was the sauce which incorporated the liquid from the sous vide bag. PLEASE REPLY.
Hi Rosalyn, so sorry to hear that you felt the lamb was over salted. I definitely stand by this recipe, but certainly salt can be personal preference. In this instance, however, it’s not so much about whether you like salt-forward foods or not — it’s really about needing to use the appropriate amount of Kosher salt to tenderize the meat while marinading. If you were cooking this leg of lamb quickly — on a grill, roasted in the oven, etc. — you would not use nearly as much salt. But this is an overnight marinade, and the recipe calls for ¼ cup because 4 Tbsp (same amount) is what’s needed to help break down the muscles and tenderize the lamb. Hope this was helpful. Best, Ari
Do you keep the twine on the lamb when marinading?
Yes, just leave it on until it’s finished cooking, then cut, remove, and discard!
Finest recipe I have ever seen. Cooking technique very easy.
Finest recipe I have ever seen. Cooking technique very easy. Keep going.
DO NOT use vegetable or canola oil to sear. Use avocado oil. It has a much higher smoke point. It will not impart any avocado taste to the meat.
Hi Michael. While it’s true that avocado oil has a high smoke point, so do other light, neutral oils. I’m not in the habit of telling anyone what they MUST do, but rather providing information for them to make their own decisions. For instance, I wouldn’t recommend searing in OLIVE OIL (specifically because of the low smoke point), but avocado, grapeseed, canola, or vegetable oil are all fine choices. You can certainly choose the one that works best for you. Ari
Definitely thumbs up with this one. This is the first meal I tried cooking Sous vide and it turned out very tender and at just the medium rare we like our steaks. I normally don’t like lamb, I just cook it at Easter for my wife. Lamb to me always tastes a little weird and until now I didn’t really like the texture.
I liked how simple the marinade was but I was a little nervous at first because it seems that there is a wide variation on opinions of cook time. I had a 4.6 lb boneless leg of lamb and after marinating over night I cooked it for 5 hours at 139 degrees. Internal temp was 136 when I threw it on the grill to sear it. My wife who is extremely sensitive to salt, made a comment though that she thought it was a little salty, no one else seemed to notice. So anyone with the same sensitivity can just reduce the salt in the marinade.
Thanks so much for the feedback, Eddie–I’m thrilled your family enjoyed this (especially if you’re not a huge lamb fan!). Cheers, Ari
Made this last night for dinner following the recipe as written. It was excellent. The flavor was wonderful. The meat was tender and unbelievably juicy, and just salty enough, not at all too salty. The rosemary imparted just enough flavor as did the garlic. We will definitely make this again.
Thanks, Chris! Glad to hear you enjoyed this one. A great reminder that I should make it again soon, it’s been far too long!