Description
Butterflied Grilled Leg of Lamb is the ultimate summer feast! Slather boneless or butterflied leg of lamb in a Mediterranean-inspired marinade made with loads of lemon, garlic, & aromatic herbs. Cook on the grill in about 30 minutes or less for charred & smoky yet super juicy & meltingly tender lamb meat.
Because it’s a large cut, butterflied grilled leg of lamb makes an especially show-stopping centerpiece for any summer dinner table! I love to slice it up & serve it alongside a mezze board with warm pita, pickly veggies, & spreads like hummus or toum, creating a fun experience for dinner guests. Be sure to refer to the blog post, above, for more serving suggestions.
Totally delicious & totally do-able – I hope you love this grilled leg of lamb recipe as much as we do! ♡
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 – 2 1/2 pounds boneless leg of lamb, butterflied to about 2 inches thickness (see Recipe Notes, below)
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 lemons, zested and juiced
- 8–10 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- optional: up to 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, as desired
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
- for serving, as desired: pita, hummus, pickled red onions, artichoke hearts, roasted tomatoes, pickled peppers, etc.
Instructions
- Prep the Mediterranean-inspired marinade and marinate the leg of lamb: Trim as much excess fat from the surface of the leg of lamb. You’ll need to leave some to keep the butterflied cut held together, but excess fat will cause unwanted flare-ups on the grill. From there, place the leg of lamb in an airtight container resealable storage bag. Top with the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, garlic, rosemary, dried oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes, if using. Season with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and ground black pepper as desired. Use your hands to really rub the herbs and spices into the nooks and crannies of the lamb. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours or up to 2 days.
- Prepare for grilling: About 30 minutes prior to grilling the lamb, pull them out of the refrigerator to let it come up to room temperature. I typically just pull it out of the fridge right before I preheat the grill. Preheat the grill for medium-high direct heat grilling, 450-500 degrees F. Once preheated, clean the cooking surface by firmly brushing a wire brush over the grates.
- Grill the leg of lamb: Place the leg of lamb on the grill grates, directly over the heat. Close the grill lid. Grill 6-12 minutes per side, noting that grill time will vary based on the thickness of the lamb. For a nice medium rare on a 2-inch thick butterflied leg of lamb, I typically grill 6-7 minutes per side, until an instant read thermometer inserted in the steak registers an internal temperature of 115-120 degrees F. Refer to blog post above for more guidance on different lamb temperatures and cook times. Transfer the grilled leg of lamb to a plate and set aside to rest.
- Rest, carve and serve: Set the grilled leg of lamb aside to rest for 10 minutes, then carve and serve as desired. I like to thinly slice against the grain and serve the lamb with fresh pita, hummus or tzatziki, pickled onions and peppers, and a leafy green salad. Build your own lamb pitas, or enjoy the grilled leg of lamb as-is alongside grilled veggies or a summer salad. Enjoy!
Notes
- Everything you need to know about butterflied leg of lamb:
- What is butterflied leg of lamb: Leg of lamb is a beautiful cut with a kind of funky, irregular shape. By removing the bone, the resulting cut is a little easier to work with, especially for grilling – it not only lays flat, but it also has a relatively uniform thickness across.
- Where to find butterflied leg of lamb and what to look for: Boneless/butterflied leg of lamb is sold in the butcher case of most conventional grocery stores, especially during grilling season. If your grocery store only carries bone-in leg of lamb, ask your butcher to de-bone and butterfly it for you.
- How to prepare butterflied leg of lamb for the grill: More often than not, boneless/butterflied leg of lamb is sold packaged in netting. Simply remove the meat from the netting and unwrap it so it lays flat. If there’s a section that’s thicker than the rest, carefully use a sharp knife to butterfly it, creating uniform thickness with the rest of the meat to ensure the leg of lamb cooks evenly on the grill. From there, trim off as much excess fat as possible, which will only cause unnecessary flare ups.
- Storage and Reheating: Grilled boneless leg of lamb is best served fresh off the grill, though leftovers will keep for a couple of days. Transfer cooled lamb to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Enjoy leftovers cold or easily reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through.