Roast lamb guide

Roast lamb
guide

Roast lamb guide

Roast lamb
guide

Roast lamb guide

Roast lamb
guide

Use our expert cooking guide for the best roast lamb. From choosing the right cut to the correct cooking times, and delicious recipes to cook's tips, we've got all you need to make the most of your roast.

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Roast lamb cooking times & temperatures




The perfect roast lamb

Our Cookery school star chef Alex Szrok shows how to cook the perfect roast lamb

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Roast lamb cooking times & temperatures

Whole, half or boneless shoulder

Whole, half or
boneless shoulder

Oven
170°C

Fan
150°C

Gas
3

40 minutes per 500g, plus 40 minutes

(typical weight: whole 1.75kg; half 1kg; boneless 1.4kg)

Half, whole or boneless leg and part-boned shoulder

Half LEG, whole leg or boneless leg
& part-boned shoulder

Oven
180°C

Fan
160°C

Gas
4

Half or whole leg
(typical weight: half 1kg; whole 2.2kg)

Medium
25 minutes per 500g, plus 25 minutes

Well done 
30 minutes per 500g, plus 30 minutes

Boneless leg
(typical weight: 1.25kg)

30 minutes per 500g, plus 30 minutes 

Part-boned shoulder
(typical weight: 1kg)

60 minutes per 500g, plus 30 minutes 
 

Lamb rack

Lamb rack

Oven
200°C

Fan
180°C

Gas
6

Preheat a nonstick frying pan and fry the lamb on all sides over a high heat to seal the meat. Transfer to a small roasting tin and cook for:

Medium
14 minutes

Well done
16 minutes

*cooking instructions per rack approx. 380g 

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Roast lamb cooking tips

  • Take large joints of meat out of the fridge one hour before you want to start cooking them.


  • For large joints, it’s a good idea to cook them on a high heat (220°C / gas mark 8) for the first 20 minutes. This makes the skin crisp while the heat penetrates the meat.


  • Baste the meat 2-3 times during cooking. Using a turkey baster or a large spoon, scoop the juices up from the corner of the pan, and drizzle back over the top of the joint.


  • Pierce the thickest part of the joint to check if it’s ready – pinky-red juices mean it’s rare, slightly pink and it’s medium, and clear juices mean it’s well done.


  • Rest the lamb after cooking before serving. This helps the juices settle back into the meat for a more tender serving.


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Choose the best cut


Allow 225g of meat per person – a joint for 6 should weigh between 1.5-2kg. Buy a slightly larger joint than you need if possible, as large joints tend to shrink less in the oven. You can always use up the leftovers.







Neck
Inexpensive and underrated, it’s a tougher cut that turns out beautifully when slow cooked. Try it in our roasted lamb ragù recipe.

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Shoulder
Lamb shoulder is a fattier joint of meat and benefits from slow roasting at a lower temperature. It’s full of flavour and slow roasting produces a really tender result. Shoulder is also available boneless or part boned – boneless lamb shoulder is usually rolled and tied. A 2.25kg shoulder should serve 6-8 people, and if you’re cooking for a smaller crowd, a half shoulder is a good option.

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Rack
A smaller cut for 2-3 people. One of the more expensive cuts, but it’s so delicious there’ll be no waste. 

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Loin
Located between the ribs and sirloin, the loin is the most tender part of the lamb. You can cook it as a whole roast loin or enjoy lamb loin chops, such as in this lamb rogan josh traybake.

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Leg
Best for a crisp outside with a pink, juicy centre. Feed a gathering of up to 10 with a whole leg, or opt for a smaller half leg. You can buy a whole leg, bone-in, part boned or boneless. A whole leg makes an impressive centrepiece and retains flavour from the bones – a boneless leg is easier to carve. For something in the middle, you could choose a part boned leg. A whole leg of lamb usually weighs between 2–2.75kg and will serve 6-8 people. If you’re cooking for a smaller group, a half leg is a good option.

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Shank
This is the bottom portion of the leg, below the knee. Known for its extremely tender meat, the shank is an impressive looking cut when served as the centrepiece. It’s a great joint for slow-cooking too and adds amazing meaty depth to stews and curries. Choose 1 lamb shank per person when cooking.

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What herbs and spices go with lamb?

There are many ways to enhance the flavour of your roast lamb. 

  • Start with something simple like rosemary and garlic; using a small sharp knife make several small incisions in the meat, being careful not to cut too deeply. Push a thin sliver of garlic and a small sprig of rosemary into each incision. As the lamb cooks, the rosemary and garlic will impart a wonderful flavour into the meat. Try either fresh or dried rosemary in our slow-roast lamb recipe.
  • Marinating lamb in red wine and garlic overnight, or a mixture of yogurt and turmeric, all add great flavours. Remove all the marinade ingredients before you cook the lamb. If you’ve coated it in a spiced yogurt mixture, scrape as much off as you can.

  • If you like your lamb plain and simple, just sprinkle it with salt before you cook it. Don’t salt it too far in advance as the salt will draw the moisture out of the meat and could make it dry. Leave any fat on the meat to help baste it and keep it moist during cooking.


Create a stir with these alternative flavour pairings:

Cooks’ Ingredients Lebanese 7 Style Spice Blend

Cumin: aromatic and earthy, this is a great flavour pairing for lamb as its subtle sweetness cuts the meat’s richness. Try it in Lebanese style lamb & aubergine stew using Cooks’ Ingredients Lebanese 7 Style Spice Blend.

Cooks’ Ingredients Sour Cherries

Sour cherry: the tartness of the cherries cuts through the rich meaty flavour for a wonderful balance. Try Cooks’ Ingredients Sour Cherries in sweet & spicy lamb flatbreads.

Waitrose Anchovy Fillets

Anchovy: fish and lamb might seem an odd pairing, but the sharp saltiness is once again a wonderful contrast to the meat flavours. It also adds a great savoury depth to lamb dishes. Try Waitrose Anchovy Fillets in this roasted lamb ragù.

Red Wine

What wine to serve?

More delicate cuts, rump or rack for example, go best with elegant, more restrained wines like a Bordeaux blend, northern Rhône or rosé. If you're going for a braised or slow-cooked shoulder with plenty of fragrant spices, match it with bolder options such as Malbec or Rioja.

Red Wine

What wine to serve?

More delicate cuts, rump or rack for example, go best with elegant, more restrained wines like a Bordeaux blend, northern Rhône or rosé. If you're going for a braised or slow-cooked shoulder with plenty of fragrant spices, match it with bolder options such as Malbec or Rioja.

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Create a stir with these alternative flavour pairings:

Cooks’ Ingredients Lebanese 7 Style Spice Blend

Cumin: aromatic and earthy, this is a great flavour pairing for lamb as its subtle sweetness cuts the meat’s richness. Try it in Lebanese style lamb & aubergine stew using Cooks’ Ingredients Lebanese 7 Style Spice Blend.

Cooks’ Ingredients Sour Cherries

Sour cherry: the tartness of the cherries cuts through the rich meaty flavour for a wonderful balance. Try Cooks’ Ingredients Sour Cherries in sweet & spicy lamb flatbreads.

Waitrose Anchovy Fillets

Anchovy: fish and lamb might seem an odd pairing, but the sharp saltiness is once again a wonderful contrast to the meat flavours. It also adds a great savoury depth to lamb dishes. Try Waitrose Anchovy Fillets in this roasted lamb ragù.

Red Wine

What wine to serve?

More delicate cuts, rump or rack for example, go best with elegant, more restrained wines like a Bordeaux blend, northern Rhône or rosé. If you're going for a braised or slow-cooked shoulder with plenty of fragrant spices, match it with bolder options such as Malbec or Rioja.

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Cooking guides

Sharpen your skills with techniques, timings and recipe recommendations