Is there anything more traditional than authentic Greek Lamb recipes?
Not for a Greek, there isn’t.
Celebrate Easter – or any other special occasion – with what is arguably the best meat you can roast, either in an oven, on the Weber BBQ or if you are lucky enough, on the spit (rotisserie).
Today we cook Greek lamb, one of our favorite lamb dishes. Greek lamb roasted using traditional herbs and spices as a marinade – yum!
Simple to prepare and cook, Greek lamb is a great dish to make, especially when cooking for a crowd. The scent of roasting lamb combined with garlic, rosemary, and lemon is one of life’s great pleasures. If you were hoping to find the best lamb recipes for dinner party menus, you’re in the right place.
It is a classic dish and leaves the host or hostess with plenty of time to entertain and impress your friends and family. It’s a great choice of lamb dish for a dinner party.
Lamb is a popular red meat in Greece as it is elsewhere in the region. We take a closer look at traditional Greek lamb dishes, how lamb is eaten in Greece and in expatriate Greek communities around the world.
Reader favorites from Compass and Fork!
Read on for the recipe and learn how to serve the best Greek Sunday dinner!
Greek Lamb in Greece and Around The World
Before I visited Greece, when thinking about Greek food, I always imagined myself eating fresh, Greek seafood from a taverna, as well as eating Greek lamb on the spit, accompanied by a village salad.
It is very traditional in Greece to break the Lent fast on Easter Sunday feasting on Greek-style roast lamb, roast potatoes and village salad. Family groups (and invited friends) often gather at a designated house to enjoy the roasted lamb being cooked on a spit.
A whole sheep is used and this can take most of the day to cook. Whilst the lamb is cooking, there is much merriment with raki, wine, dancing and mezethes (small dishes) being consumed in the meantime.
Can you just imagine that with the sweet scent of roasting garlic and rosemary-infused lamb? You can read more about Greek Easter here, including the fact that it is not this coming weekend in Greece!
Other popular methods of roasting lamb in Greece are in the home outdoor oven. We saw these everywhere on the island of Naxos. Essentially the same as an outdoor pizza oven, the only difference being, it is wood-fired. The lamb can be hot-roasted (usually a leg of lamb) or slow roasted (usually a shoulder of lamb). Bread is also cooked in the outdoor oven.
Other great ways to cook Greek lamb to enjoy:
- Loin chops or cutlets over a charcoal BBQ
- Gyros (the meat part in souvlaki)
- Lamb baked in a clay pot with kritharaki (a form of Greek pasta)
- Moussaka (usually with eggplant)
I could go on. The bottom line is that Greeks know a thing or two about cooking lamb. It is an essential part of Greek cuisine, and it is good. So good that Greek methods of cooking lamb have been exported all over the world.
How to Cook Greek Lamb Roast at Home – Step By Step
Unfortunately, I don’t have a spit or outdoor oven to cook Greek lamb dishes. The next best option, in my opinion, is to use a charcoal-fired Weber (or kettle) BBQ. An indoor oven also works and it is what I use in the winter.
Your next decision is which cut of lamb to select. For high-temperature roasting like this, I prefer to use a leg of lamb. It can be either boned or whole.
I also prefer to marinate my lamb overnight to allow all those great, Greek flavors to permeate through the meat. If you don’t have time for an overnight traditional Greek lamb marinade, you can cook the roast straight away. You will still end up with a great result.
Marinating your leg of lamb is the only preparation required – until you are ready to slice the cooked meat.
Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your lamb leg. Here is a great website to calculate the cooking time based on the weight (in pounds or kilograms).
It is traditional to serve Greek lamb with roast potatoes and village salad. It is a great combination everyone will enjoy.
Looking for a salad to go with your lamb roast? Try this easy Greek village salad. It’s one of the best side dishes for roast lamb – . Greek or otherwise.
Other delicious side dishes for lamb include:
- Greek-style braised green beans
- Creamed spinach
- Roasted asparagus
And for dessert? Continue the Greek theme with these loukoumades (Greek donuts).
Or you can go the full Monty and prepare a Greek-themed feast, just perfect for a dinner party or special occasion lunch.
Fancy roast lamb with Latin American flavors? Click here for roast lamb with chimichurri sauce.
Slow- cooked, roasted lamb is another easy option for roasting lamb and is beautifully moist. Greek leg of lamb slow -cooked is oh-so-divine!
Servings | Prep Time | Cook Time | Passive Time |
8people | 10minutes | 100minutes | 12hours |
Servings | Prep Time |
8people | 10minutes |
Cook Time | Passive Time |
100minutes | 12hours |
- 4 lb lamb leg
- 8 cloves garlic 2 cut in half lengthways, 6 crushed
- 3 tbsp rosemary, fresh chopped, plus 4 small sprigs
- 1/2 tbsp salt, ground sea
- 1 tbsp black pepper, ground
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 lemons
Ingredients
Servings: people
Units:
|
- In a bowl, make a marinade by combining the crushed garlic, chopped rosemary, sea salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon juice.
- Make 4 slits about 1 inch (3 cm) deep in the lamb leg. Push half a clove of garlic and a small sprig of rosemary deep into the slit. Place the lamb in a dish, rub the marinade over all of the lamb and then cover the dish and refrigerate overnight.
- About 45 minutes before cooking, bring the lamb to room temperature. Pre-heat your oven to 350 f (180 c) or prepare your Weber BBQ ready for roasting. Place the lamb in the oven and roast for 1 hour 40 minutes. If using a Weber, follow the cooking instructions contained in the guide. Ovens vary so check the internal temperature of the lamb about 10 minutes before it is due to be removed.
- Remove the lamb when the temperature registers about 140 f (60 c). Loosely cover the lamb in aluminum foil. The lamb will continue to cook for a short time and should result in a medium rare to medium done roast.
Bobbie
How can I register on your website to receive updates and newsletter and become part of your community?
Compass & Fork
Just use any of the subscribe to newsletter links in the posts.
Ann
I’ll be making the lamb soon, but I’m intrigued with the dish in the photo behind the lamb. Feta? Laser? On peppers? Do tell.
Compass & Fork
It is the Village Salad– y
Dianne
Perfect #lockdownlamb …. Lovely salad for me and roasties for hubby… Sunday lunch…#reasonstolovelockdown
STACEY
Can you provide an appropriate cooking time if the leg was boneless? I’m looking for to cooking it!
Compass & Fork
Stacy, depends on the size of the piece of meat. A good cooking/time guide in farenheit/pounds is https://lambrecipes.ca/CulinaryIndustry/TimeTemperatureChart.aspx or for celcius and kilos try https://www.australianlamb.com.au/cooking/handy-lamb-hacks/time-your-lamb-to-cooked-perfection/#
Francesca
I made this over Christmas and am about to make it again on Easter Sunday. It is so delicious and easy to prepare. I will serve will lemon potatoes and Greek salad. Yum!
Audrey
Hi, quick question: do you cover the lamb when you cook it? Looks delish btw 🙂
Editor
No- leave it uncovered. Only cover it loosely at the end with foil while it rests. Enjoy!
Laura @ Grassroots Nomad
This looks incredible!!! I am living in Guatemala at the moment and I’m really missing my lamb! I have a holiday tothe US in a few weeks so hopefully I will be able to give this a go 🙂
Editor
Yes I don’t remember much lamb in Guatemala. I hope you enjoy it in the US. Thanks for your comment.
Linda
What a great post! I love lamb! Thank you so much for sharing. 🙂
Editor
My pleasure, one of my favorite dishes. Thanks for your comment.
Emma @ Supper in the Suburbs
This looks amazing!!! Perfect for Easter!
Editor
Yes and easy to prepare and cook. Thanks for your comment.
Ali from Home & Plate
I’m the only one in my family that likes lamb. Your recipe looks mouth watering. I’ll be sure to keep it for when I have a dinner party.
Editor
I feel sorry for you. Everyone in my family likes lamb (lucky me). Thanks for your comment.
Revathi Palani
Looks perfectly done. Surely a perfect addition to the Easter table 🙂
Editor
Indeed. But let me tell you that I make this dish numerous times throughout the year. Thanks for your comment.
Sarah
Wow this looks gorgeous! You make it look so easy! I’m loving the herb and flavor combos 🙂
Editor
It’s a sensational combination of flavors. My favorite roast. Thanks for your comment.
Brian Jones
Lamb is my idea of food heaven and this sounds like a corking way to cook a leg of lamb, I have used similar flavours with a sloww cooked shoulder before. Such a shame that lamb is difficult to find in these parts!
Editor
Brian. Sorry to hear about the difficulties of sourcing lamb. I feel blessed as to its availability where we live. Thanks for your comment.
Sam | Ahead of Thyme
Wow this looks like the juiciest lamb ever! My hubby loveeees lamb so I will be bookmarking this to make for him!
Editor
Sam, You will definitely be in the good books!
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious
Wow, that is a picture-perfect roast! Thanks for the plan to make lamb for Easter!
Editor
Dorothy, It is a great dish to anytime, but Easter provides a great occasion.
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy
This looks so good. My husband and I love lamb, but no one else does. I wish I could cook this for Easter…but will have to do it later just for the two of us. Looks awesome.
Editor
Gloria, Wow- they don’t know what they are missing. Oh well more for you two!
Kelly @ Mostly Homemade Mom
This looks like the perfect Easter dinner main dish to me! Mouthwatering!
Editor
Kelly, It is a great meal for Easter, or any other time really. It is a favorite in our house.
Lisa @garlicandzest.com
I’m such a sucker for a leg of lamb! We usually make them for Easter and Christmas, and the occasional dinner party. That marinade sounds like the way to go!
Editor
Lisa, It keep sit very moist and it very nice. Hope you enjoy it. It is probably our go to marinade for lamb.
Peter @ Feed Your Soul Too
This lamb roast looks delicious from the fresh herbs to the crust you got by cooking on a grill.
Editor
Peter, Yes the crust and the charcoal taste both just add to the flavor. It is nice in the oven as well if you don’t have a grill. We make this one all the time.