Slow-Cooked Mediterranean Leg of Lamb with Tzatziki
on Apr 01, 2019, Updated Apr 01, 2025
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A lush and tender semi-boneless leg of lamb gets paired up with a simple tzatziki sauce for an easy but elegant meal. The perfect Mediterranean-flavored spring show-off main dish.

This herby, lemony, semi-boneless leg of lamb is cooked low and slow for amazing tenderness, then finished with a blast of high heat to get the outside nice and browned. A leg of lamb is one of the greatest entertaining main courses around. It says You Are Special to everyone at the table, but in fact, it’s pretty easy on the cook. This one is very simply seasoned with classic Mediterranean herbs and spices and served up with cooling, creamy-crunchy tzatziki, which adds a Greek vibe.
Perfect for Easter or Christmas, serve this with saffron couscous or some roasted potatoes and some springy green vegetables for an easy but super impressive meal.
And hold onto those leftovers! You may want to make lamb sandwiches or Lamb Crostini the next day, or maybe put together a lamb gyro grazing board.
Table of Contents
Slow Cooked Mediterranean Leg of Lamb with Tzatziki: A lush and tender semi-boneless leg of lamb gets paired up a simple tzatziki sauce for an easy but elegant meal.
Ingredients
Tzatziki, a yogurt-based Greek cucumber sauce, goes exceedingly well with lamb. The rich meat pairs so well with the creamy sauce and the clean crunch of the shredded cucumber.
For the Lamb:
- Semi-boneless leg of lamb – Ask for a semi-boneless leg of lamb from your butcher. This means most of the bones will be taken out except for the main leg bone, which will give the roast flavor but still keep it easy to carve.
- Olive oil – Helps the lamb develop a crust in the oven.
- Garlic cloves – The whole cloves get blended up in the food processor into a garlicky and flavorful rub for the lamb.
- Rosemary – Fresh rosemary leaves give this lamb a much fragrant, floral flavor.
- Thyme – Using fresh thyme adds a beautiful herby, Mediterranean flavor.
- Lemon zest – Adds a bright, fresh note of citrus.
For the Tzatziki:
- Cucumber – Gives the dip a nice crunchy texture and a cool, fresh taste.
- Fennel – If you aren’t a fan of fennel, or you forgot to pick it up at the store, you can skip it.
- Salt – Don’t skimp on the salt — it is needed to cut through the yogurt and bring out the savoriness.
- Fresh mint – Dial up or down the amount of the herbs as you like in this dip. I prefer to dial-up, loving the burst of freshness. Try dill in place of the mint if you prefer.
- Fresh oregano – Don’t try to use dried herbs in this recipe. Fresh oregano has a different flavor and texture.
- Lemon juice – Makes the tzatziki acidic and bright.
- Minced garlic – A classic tzatziki ingredient. Mince the garlic cloves super fine, so it almost melts into the sauce.
- Greek yogurt – Use Greek yogurt to make the tzatziki, which is thicker and smoother than regular yogurt. Also, go for the 4 or 5% fat version; it’s so much richer and more flavorful than the low or nonfat, and you really aren’t going to be serving up that much of the condiment with your lovely slow-cooked lamb. Let’s live a little, guys.
- Couscous – Optional, but a nice accompaniment. Cook according to package directions.
How to Make Mediterranean Leg of Lamb with Tzatziki
- Season the lamb: Blend up the garlic, herbs, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Rub the mixture onto the lamb leg and rest for 30 minutes.
- Roast: Roast the lamb in the oven for about 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 hours, until it reaches an internal temperature of 220 F on an internal thermometer. Turn the heat up to 500 F. and let the meat cook for another 15 minutes (the temperature in the oven will climb but may not quite reach 500 F within 15 minutes, which is fine). Remove from the oven and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
Kitchen Smarts
How to Cook Leg of Lamb has tons of tips to help you through this recipe, including times, temperatures, and more!
- Prepare the vegetables: Mix together the grated cucumber with the fennel, if using. Salt and let rest for 20 minutes. Then, squeeze out the excess liquid.
- Make the tzatziki: Mix the cucumber and fennel with the mint, oregano, lemon juice, garlic, and yogurt. Season.
- Slice the lamb with a sharp knife and serve.
How Long to Cook Leg of Lamb
Here’s how long you should be cooking a semi-boneless leg of lamb at 325 degrees if you want it done rare, medium, or medium-well. If you want to avoid overcooking your lamb, start checking on your lamb using the meat thermometer at the earlier end of the time frames listed!
Leg of Lamb Weight | Doneness and Temperature |
---|---|
18–25 min/lb | Rare (125 degrees) or medium-rare (135 degrees) |
25–30 min/lb | Medium (145 degrees) |
30–35 min/lb | Medium-well (150 degrees) or well-done (160 degrees) |
Leftovers and Storage
Leftover lamb is a gift, and the idea of making a just-the-right-size leg of lamb is such a shame. You want those leftovers. You need those leftovers.
And whether you just nibble at them over the next several days, or use them to make sandwiches, OR make a Shepherd’s pie or some Chorba or a pretty elegant little plate of crostini later in the week, you will be so happy you went for the bigger roast.
Store leftover lamb in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Leftover tzatziki will last for about two days in a container in the fridge; it will get a bit watery as it sits, so give it a stir before serving.
What to Serve With Mediterranean Leg of Lamb
More Leg of Lamb Recipes
- Slow-Cooked Herbed Leg of Lamb with Fresh Herb and Arugula Salad
- Herbed Boneless Leg of Lamb with Mustard Crust
- Slow-Cooked Moroccan Leg of Lamb
- Lemon-Garlic Semi-Boneless Leg of Lamb
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Ingredients
Lamb:
- 6- pound semi-boneless leg of lamb
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Tzatziki:
- 1 small cucumber
- ½ cup minced fennel (optional)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (plus more to taste)
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon finely minced garlic
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 6 cups hot couscous (cooked according to package directions; to serve)
Instructions
- In a small food processor, combine the garlic, rosemary, thyme, zest, salt, and pepper. Rub the mixture all over the lamb, and let it sit for 30 to 45 minutes, to come to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 225 F.
- Place the lamb on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast the lamb in the oven for about 2 ½ to 2 ¾ hours, until it reaches an internal temperature of 220 F on an internal thermometer. Turn the heat up to 500 F. and let the meat cook for another 15 minutes (the temperature in the oven will climb but may not quite reach 500 F within 15 minutes, which is fine). Remove it from the oven, transfer the lamb to a cutting board, tent it with foil, and let the meat sit for at least 30 minutes.
- While the meat is resting, make the tzatziki. Peel the cucumber. Slice in half lengthwise, and scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon. Grate the cucumber using the large holes on a box grater or the grating blade in a food processor. Toss the cucumber with the fennel, if using, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt and place in a strainer over a bowl or in the sink. Let sit for about 20 minutes.
- Squeeze or press down on the cucumber mixture to press out any extra liquid, then, in a medium bowl, combine the cucumber mixture with the mint, oregano, lemon juice, garlic, and yogurt. Stir well, and add pepper and any additional salt as needed. Transfer to a serving bowl with a spoon.
- Slice the lamb and arrange it over the couscous. Serve with the tzatziki on the side
Wow, this was great! We had it for dinner tonight, so
SO great!