Sharing this roasted leg of lamb with apricot chutney to inspire your Easter menu! The lamb is coated with a flavorful blend of dijon mustard, garlic, dried rosemary, and other spices. It roasts low and slow until it’s tender and juicy. Served with a tangy, sweet apricot chutney for a burst of bright flavor. It’s a simple, approachable lamb recipe that works well with just about any spring side dish for a complete Easter meal!
This post was made in collaboration with the American Lamb Board.
Easter is one of my favorite holidays to celebrate. Springtime is so beautiful and brings such life and freshness to the air. My kitchen is always bursting with flowers, colorful produce, and rustic cooking. While being able to gather with our entire family and all those we love right now is quite uncertain, I’m still hoping I can inspire you to create a wonderful Easter meal, no matter how many people you’re cooking for.
And today I’m here to bring you the perfect main event – a juicy, very flavorful slow roasted leg of lamb.
roasted leg of lamb – the details…
As always, I’m sourcing American lamb for the best possible flavor. And especially right now, it is so meaningful to support local ranchers and families. I love knowing that I can take a small step to help my community during this crazy time. Utilizing local, American lamb is not only a great way to support your neighborhood butcher, but it results in the most tender meat with a fresh, rich flavor. We’re using a lamb leg here which requires a low and slow cooking method.
I’m using a small 2 ½ lb leg of lamb which only takes just over an hour to roast (if you increase the size of the meat, you’ll have to increase the roast time). It starts on high heat to form a brown crust, and then gets cooked at 300F for the remaining time so it remains tender and juicy. While the lamb roasts, flavors of dijon, rosemary, fennel, coriander, lemon, olive oil, and black pepper seep into the meat.
I’m serving this roasted leg of lamb with an apricot chutney, which is just a simple mixture of dried apricots, honey, vinegar, and mustard seeds. Simmered together until soft and spoonable. It’s a really nice tangy contrast to the rich meat.
As for Easter side dishes, you really can’t go wrong here! This leg of lamb works so well with a ton of different springtime options. I love slicing up snap peas and tossing them with any citrus juice, olive oil, salt and black pepper for a really quick side. I’d definitely serve some sort of potato dish as well, and maybe some beautifully roasted spring vegetables. With of course something fun for dessert like this chocolate tart.
I hope you love all of these ideas and feel inspired to pick up some American lamb for your celebration!
PrintRoasted Leg of Lamb with Apricot Chutney
simple roasted leg of lamb with a dijon-rosemary crust, served with a sweet apricot chutney
servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 (2 ½ pound) semi-boneless leg of lamb (aitchbone removed), fat trimmed
- 12 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 3 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- freshly cracked black pepper
- ¾ cup white wine vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 cup (about ½ lb) diced dried apricots
Instructions
- Place the leg of lamb onto a rack sitting on top of a sheet pan. Add the garlic, dried rosemary, fennel seeds, coriander, lemon zest and juice, 2 tablespoons of the dijon mustard, and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until well-combined. With the processor running, drizzle in the olive oil.
- Evenly cover the leg of lamb with the mixture. Top with freshly cracked black pepper. Let sit for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Roast the lamb for 20 minutes. Lower the heat to 300° Continue to roast for another hour, or until the lamb reads an internal temperature of 130-135°F (for medium rare).
- Meanwhile, combine the white wine vinegar, water, honey, mustard seeds, and remaining 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard to a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking together. Add the dried apricots. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 20-25 minutes, or until reduced and thickened. The apricots should be soft, and the liquid should be absorbed. Turn off the heat and reserve until serving.
- Transfer the leg of lamb to a cutting board. Cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
- Slice the meat and serve with the apricot chutney alongside.
Notes
Please note, the USDA recommends cooking lamb to an internal temperature of 145F with at least a 3 minute rest. I cook my lamb more on the medium-rare side.
