Deviled leg of lamb is a bone-in leg of lamb topped with a warmly spiced ‘deviled’ crust and roasted to juicy perfection for Sunday dinners or holiday feasts.
This easy deviled leg of lamb recipe is a wonderful choice for big Sunday dinners, holidays, or other special occasions. But special as it is, it really requires so extra work to make. In fact roasting large cuts of meat is one of the easier ways to feed a crowd. (My 6 1/2 pound leg of lamb feeds 6-8 people.)
‘Deviling’ dates back to Georgian England
“Deviling” is a creative approach to adding gentle spice and depth of flavor to roasted poultry and meat dishes. First mentions of ‘deviling’ appear in recipe books like The Experienced English Housewife (1766), referring to dishes made with spicy condiments like cayenne pepper and mustard.
Grant and I have been making deviled chicken ever since we spent time living in England decades ago. It’s a classic British farmhouse recipe that gives roast chicken a whole new personality. The technique of rubbing a butter, bread crumb and spice based coating over joints of meat before roasting is easy and delicious and, for most of us, a little bit out of the ordinary.
Note that despite the name, this recipe for deviled leg of lamb is not hot or fiery. The spices are rich and warm. And so good!
ingredients for deviled leg of lamb
- bone in leg of lamb
- generally 5-7 pounds.
- garlic
- fresh rosemary
- mustard powder
- I use Coleman’s
- butter
- bread crumbs
- Worcestershire sauce
- chutney
- mace
- Mace is a spice derived from the aril of the nutmeg tree, a lacy, reddish-brown membrane that encases the nutmeg seed. It has an aromatic flavor, often described as being warmer, spicier, and more citrusy than nutmeg.
- smoked paprika
- salt
The devil crust
Mix the devil crust in a small bowl, I used my small food processor. You can adjust the ingredients to make it more spicy if you like. The paste gets rubbed in a thick layer all over the surface of the lamb and bakes up to a delicious crust. This is an idea you can steal for other recipes. We do it with chicken, and I think it would work on a pork tenderloin as well.
If you’d like to make your crust for deviled leg of lamb ahead of time keep in the fridge for up to 2 days, but be sure to bring it to room temperature before using to soften it up to spreadable texture.
the tool that makes cooking large cuts of meat easy
The key to cooking larger cuts of meat like steaks, roasts, and legs of lamb? It’s simple, just take its temperature. Use a meat thermometer like this one that will automatically alert you when your meat is done just the way you like it. (For deviled leg of lamb I want 130F-54C)
side dishes that go well with deviled leg of lamb
Deviled Leg of Lamb
Equipment
- large roasting pan with rack
- meat thermometer, optional but handy this is the one I use
Ingredients
- 5-7 lb leg of lamb, mine is bone-in.
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- sprigs of fresh rosemary
devil rub
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 Tbsp mustard powder, I use Coleman's
- 3 Tbsp dry breadcrumbs
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp mango chutney
- 1/2 tsp mace (substitute cinnamon)
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Pull your leg of lamb out of the fridge an hour before baking. It's important to bring the lamb out of the refrigerator early so it's not cold when you put it in the oven. A cold leg of lamb won't roast evenly. Remove any ties and place on a rack in a large roasting pan.
- Preheat the oven to 350F
- To make your deviled rub, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix with a spoon or fork. I like to do this in my small food processor. Mix until everything is well incorporated and you have a rough paste.
- Use a sharp knife to make several slanted slits in the top of your leg of lamb.
- Insert the sliced garlic with the rosemary needles into the slits, pushing them down into the meat.
- Pat the rub all over the upright side of the leg of lamb. Use your fingers, or the back of a spoon to faciltate spreading it more or less evenly over the whole surface.
- Roast the lamb until an instant read thermometer registers 130°F in the thickest part of the leg (do not touch the bone,) 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Mine took 2 hours. Note: I cooked my lamb to medium, but see the notes below for temps for different degrees of doneness.
- Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 15 to 25 minutes before slicing to allow the juices to redistribute in the meat. The internal temperature will rise slightly during this time.
- Slice the meat around the bone and serve. No gravy or sauce is necessary with deviled leg of lamb.
Notes
- Use a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the muscle, avoiding the bone.
- Account for carryover cooking. The temperature will rise slightly after you remove the lamb from the oven, so take it out 5°F (3°C) below your desired temperature.
- Let the lamb rest for at least 15-20 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to redistribute, resulting in a more flavorful and tender meat.
