March 16, 2023| By

Smoked Leg of Lamb

Prep Time: 1 day
Cook Time: 3 hours
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If you're looking for a show-stopping dish for your dinner table, this Smoked Leg of Lamb Recipe is it! It's tender, juicy, and surprisingly easy to make! It's seasoned with a homemade dry rub with fresh herbs and flavorful garlic for maximum flavor in every bite. Save this impressive dish for holiday meals or any special occasion for an easy recipe that everyone will love!

For more smoker recipes, try this Smoked Chicken Thighs and Smoked Mac and Cheese!

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sliced smoked leg of lamb on a wooden plate with potatoes and fresh herbs.
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If you think that you can't make lamb at home, I'm here to tell you - you can! Cooking lamb is actually very easy and the end result is SO worth it. That smoky flavor in combination with the herbs and seasonings used enhance the flavor of the lamb and cut the gamey flavor.

In my family, we enjoy a smoked leg of lamb for Easter dinner. It's customary for my husband or I to smoke lamb and bring it to my mom's house to enjoy and share with everyone!

Why You'll Love this Recipe

  • A whole leg of lamb can feed a crowd! It's perfect for your next family gathering, a great option for meal prep, or enjoying now and freezing the rest to enjoy later.
  • It's an easy recipe with only a few steps! When you cut into the lamb and you see all that juicy tender meat, you'll feel like a home chef.
  • The flavor! The wood chunks and smoke add extra flavor to the lamb meat that makes undeniably delicious!

Ingredients

carved smoked leg of lamb garnished with rosemary.

Boneless leg of lamb - I chose to do a boneless lamb leg because it tends to cook a bit faster and is easier to carve. Bone-in leg of lamb can be used, just keep in mind that you'll need to cook it a bit longer.

Seasonings - we're keeping it simple! All you need are garlic powder, oregano, cumin, and smoked paprika.

Garlic and Fresh Herbs - freshly diced garlic cloves, fresh thyme, and fresh rosemary add so much flavor to this lamb!

Equipment Needed

  • You'll need a reliable meat thermometer with a probe to measure the internal temperature of the meat.
  • Heavy-duty aluminum foil
  • Smoker - I used an electric smoker because I don't have to worry about maintaining a consistent temperature. However, you can use a pellet smoker / pellet grill,

What type of wood chips to use for Smoking Lamb

The best wood chips to use for smoking lamb are apple, cherry, maple, hickory, or mesquite. For a more mild flavor, you'll want to stick with the apple, cherry, and maple chips. If you're looking for a more bold flavor, go with hickory or mesquite.

How to choose cut of lamb?

For this recipe, I used a boneless leg of lamb roast with a nice layer of fat on top. Leg of lamb is typically split into two parts - the lamb shanks, which are the ankle to the calf bone and the sirloin end which is the hip to the knee. I prefer the sirloin end as it has more tender juicy meat due to the layer of fat. It also tends to cook more evenly because of its shape.

When looking for a high quality leg of lamb at local grocery stores, look at the color of the meat - you want a cut that's lighter in color, it shouldn't be very dark. Avoid any grey looking meat.

Expert Smoking Tips

smoked leg of lamb on a plate in front of two wine glasses and a carving fork.
  • For best results, do not trim the fat off of your leg of lamb. As the lamb cooks, the fat will cook into the meat giving it a beautiful rich flavor while making the meat nice and juicy!
  • Always cut against the grain for the most tender pieces of meat!
  • Make sure that you allow the lamb to come to room temperature prior to placing in the smoker for best results.
  • Use a meat thermometer with a probe to prevent overcooking or undercooking the lamb!
  • Keep in mind that when you pull the lamb out of the smoker, it will continue to cook and raise about 5-10 degrees F. Remove the lamb from the smoker when it's 10 degrees lower than your desired doneness.

How to Smoke a Leg of Lamb

  • Combine the seasonings, diced garlic, and fresh herbs in a small bowl and mix together. Pat the lamb dry with a paper towel and coat the lamb with the seasoning blend with black pepper and kosher salt, ensuring that the entire roast is covered.
  • Place the lamb on a wire rack on a baking sheet and allow the lamb to sit in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours, optimally 24 hours.
  • Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees F and add wood chips. Add additional pan of water to prevent the lamb from drying out.
  • Let the lamb come to room temperature prior to smoking by letting it sit out for about 30 minutes. Place the instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the lamb and place in the smoker. Smoke until internal temperature reaches at least 145 degrees F for a medium rare roast.
  • Remove the lamb from the smoker, cover with aluminum foil and allow it to rest at 30 minutes to an hour, prior to slicing.

How do you know when lamb is done?

When the internal temperature of the lamb reaches at least 145 degrees F, the lamb is finished cooking. According to the American Lamb Board, here are the internal temperatures for degrees of doneness:

  • Medium Rare: 145 degrees F
  • Medium Doneness: 160 degrees F
  • Well Done: 170 degrees F

Keep in mind that when you pull the lamb out of the smoker, it will continue to cook and raise about 5-10 degrees F. Remove the lamb from the smoker when it's 10 degrees lower than your desired doneness.

What to Serve with Smoked Leg of Lamb

smoked leg of lamb on a plate with potatoes.

There are so many delicious foods that can be enjoyed with smoked lamb. My favorite side dishes to enjoy with this boneless lamb roast are:

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Let's stay connected on social media and continue to cook together! Also, if you decide to make this recipe, please leave a star rating on the recipe card and leave a comment below! Tag @BritneyBreaksBread on Instagram and hashtag #britneybreaksbread so I can see your creations! I hope that you love this recipe as much as we do!

smoked leg of lamb on a plate in front of two wine glasses and a carving fork.

Smoked Leg of Lamb

If you're looking for a show-stopping dish for your dinner table, this Smoked Leg of Lamb Recipe is it! It's tender, juicy, and surprisingly easy to make! It's seasoned with a homemade dry rub with fresh herbs and flavorful garlic for maximum flavor in every bite. Save this impressive dish for holiday meals or any special occasion for an easy recipe that everyone will love!
Serving: 12
Prep Time: 1 day
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 1 day 3 hours
Calories: 157kcal

Equipment

  • Meat Thermometer
  • Smoker
  • Wire Rack

Ingredients

  • 5-7 lb Leg of Lamb
  • 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
  • ½ tsp Oregano
  • 1 tsp Cumin
  • 4 cloves Garlic (diced)
  • 1 tbsp Fresh Rosemary (diced)
  • 1 tbsp Fresh Thyme (diced)
  • 1 tbsp Kosher Salt
  • 1 tsp Black Pepper

Directions

  • Combine the seasonings, diced garlic, and fresh herbs in a small bowl and mix together. Pat the lamb dry with a paper towel and coat the lamb with the seasoning blend with black pepper and kosher salt, ensuring that the entire roast is covered.
  • Place the lamb on a wire rack on a baking sheet and allow the lamb to sit in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours, optimally 24 hours.
  • Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees F and add wood chips. Add additional pan of water to prevent the lamb from drying out.
  • Let the lamb come to room temperature prior to smoking by letting it sit out for about 30 minutes. Place the instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the lamb and place in the smoker. Smoke until internal temperature reaches at least 145 degrees F for a medium rare roast. (NOTE: Keep in mind that when you pull the lamb out of the smoker, it will continue to cook and raise about 5-10 degrees F. Remove the lamb from the smoker when it's 10 degrees lower than your desired doneness.)
  • Remove the lamb from the smoker, cover with aluminum foil and allow it to rest at 30 minutes to an hour, prior to slicing.

Notes

Expert Smoking Tips
  • For best results, do not trim the fat off of your leg of lamb. As the lamb cooks, the fat will cook into the meat giving it a beautiful rich flavor while making the meat nice and juicy!
  • Always cut against the grain for the most tender pieces of meat!
  • Make sure that you allow the lamb to come to room temperature prior to placing in the smoker for best results.
  • Use a meat thermometer to prevent overcooking or undercooking the lamb!
  • Keep in mind that when you pull the lamb out of the smoker, it will continue to cook and raise about 5-10 degrees F. Remove the lamb from the smoker when it's 10 degrees lower than your desired doneness.
How do you know when lamb is done?
When the internal temperature of the lamb reaches at least 145 degrees F, the lamb is finished cooking. According to the American Lamb Board, here are the internal temperatures for degrees of doneness:
  • Medium Rare: 145 degrees F
  • Medium Doneness: 160 degrees F
  • Well Done: 170 degrees F
Keep in mind that when you pull the lamb out of the smoker, it will continue to cook and raise about 5-10 degrees F. Remove the lamb from the smoker when it's 10 degrees lower than your desired doneness.

Nutrition

Calories: 157kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 656mg | Potassium: 367mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 0.04g | Vitamin A: 119IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 3mg
Course: Dinner, Holidays, Lunch
Cuisine: American

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