This glazed lamb is the most delicious way to enjoy a classic roast dinner. This is a roast leg of lamb with a honey mustard glaze and it’s the perfect centrepiece for Christmas dinner or Easter. The potatoes cook alongside the meat and we make a gravy from the pan juices making this the ultimate easy one pan dinner the whole family will enjoy!
Plus, you can use the leftovers to make lamb fritters – yum!
A roast lamb is part of the quintessential Australian diet. Growing up it was something that was on regular rotation in my house with a big roast dinner, followed by sandwiches for lunch the next day using the leftover meat.
The best part in my opinion was when the veggies were roasted in the pan alongside the meat. They just get so much flavour, it truly is delicious!
This roast lamb recipe is more of a special occasion version. It’s straight from the brain of my husband as he decided what better centrepiece for the Christmas table than a ‘glazed lamb’, the punny alternative to a traditional glazed ham…
Puns aside, this roast lamb does have the most delicious honey mustard and thyme glaze that’s sweet and savoury and so flavourful. It pairs perfectly with the medium rare roast, and all the drippings can be made into a simple gravy because what’s a roast without the gravy!
Whether you’re hosting this year and are looking for an Aussie classic for Christmas dinner, or just love a roast lamb, this is a version you’ll want to try!
Key Ingredients
This is a standard roast lamb recipe, with the potatoes and gravy made in the same tray, flavoured with a sticky honey mustard glaze.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Lamb leg roast – depending on how many people you’re feeding will depend on your lamb, but for this amount of glaze use somewhere between a 2.5kgs and 3kg lamb. Mine pictured is 2.8kgs.
- Potatoes – cooking the potatoes underneath the lamb gives them the most delicious flavour and also means one less dish needed. I prefer leaving the skins on for texture, but peel them if you prefer.
- Chicken stock – used to stop the glaze burning at the bottom of the pan as well as to flavour the potatoes and make a gravy at the end. You want to make sure there is always liquid in the bottom of the baking dish for this reason.
- Honey – adds a delicious sweetness to the glaze that is the perfect pairing with the mustard.
- Mustard – I like a combination of both Dijon and wholegrain for flavour.
- Fresh thyme – lamb works really well with fresh herbs. I love thyme with the honey mustard but you can also use fresh rosemary or oregano.
- Garlic – I find two cloves enough for a subtle garlic flavour that pairs so well with lamb.
- Lemon juice – optional but just a little acidy helps balance out the flavour in the glaze.
- Traditional gravy mix – it’s a bit of a cheat but I like to use gravy mix to make the gravy with the pan juices super easy and very flavourful. I use the Gravox brand.
Step-By-Step Instructions
To get started you’ll need to prepare the lamb. Depending on the lamb leg you buy, it may have the shank attached or not. I personally prefer it without the shank but honestly this is entirely personal preference so feel free to leave it on if you like. You want the leg to still have some fat to keep it moist, but just trim up and remove any excess.
Step 1: In a small bowl mix together the glaze ingredients. Chop the potatoes and lay them in the base of a large roasting tray (around 33 × 25 cm or similar) so the potatoes are in a single layer.
Step 2: Brush the entire leg of lamb with the glaze and place on top of the potatoes. Pour the chicken stock around the potatoes.
Step 3: Loosely cover the lamb with foil (ensure it isn’t touching), and roast for 65–70 minutes. Cooking it covered first helps ensure that the lamb cooks evenly, stays juicy and doesn’t get too dark on top.
Step 4: Remove the foil and baste with the remaining glaze. Give the potatoes a gentle mix and double check there is still liquid in the base of the tray. If not, you can add a little more stock. Continue to roast uncovered for a further 30–35 minutes, or until the lamb reaches an internal temperature of 130°F / 53°C for perfectly pink meat.
Step 5: Remove the lamb from the oven and cover with aluminium foil and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes.
Step 6: Remove the lamb and potatoes from the pan and set on a serving platter. Add the pan with the remaining liquid over a medium heat on the stove. Add a little gravy mix and whisk well until thickened. You may need to add some water or stock depending on how much liquid is remaining in the pan.
Step 7: Carve the lamb and serve with a side of potatoes, maple glazed carrots, and a generous drizzle of gravy.
How to perfectly cook a lamb leg roast
The answer is actually fairly simple; use a meat thermometer. Start checking the internal temperature before the estimated cooking time finishes so that you can get an idea of how quickly the meat is cooking as all ovens work differently.
You also want to remove the lamb roast from the oven just before you get to the desired temperature as it will continue to cook as it rests.
Internal temperature guide:
- Rare–Medium Rare: 130°F / 53°C (recommended)
- Medium: 135–140°F / 57–60°C
- Medium-Well: 145°F / 63°C
And lastly, make sure you’re placing the thermometer in the lamb at the thickest part to get an accurate reading of the internal temperature.
Recipe FAQs
Lamb shoulder needs a long, slow cook to become tender, whereas this recipe is designed for a quicker roast leg served medium rare. For a shoulder, I’d recommend using my slow roasted lamb shoulder recipe instead.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–4 days. You can also freeze sliced lamb for up to 2 months.
Warm it gently in the oven (covered) at 160°C / 320°F or microwave in short bursts so it doesn’t dry out.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More Classic Roast Recipes:
Air Fryer Roast Pork
Air Fryer Roast Chicken
One Pan Roast Chicken
Air Fryer Broccolini
Roast Leg of Lamb with Honey Mustard Glaze
Ingredients
- 2.8 kilogram lamb leg roast approx size
- 1 kg potatoes chopped
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon traditional gravy mix
For the honey mustard glaze:
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat to 180°C / 350°F. Prepare the lamb by trimming any excess fat.
- In a small bowl, mix the honey, olive oil, Dijon mustard, wholegrain mustard, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Spread the chopped potatoes across the base of a large roasting dish.
- Brush the entire leg of lamb with the glaze and place on top of the potatoes. Pour the chicken stock around the potatoes.
- Loosely cover the lamb with foil (ensure it isn’t touching), and roast for 65–70 minutes.
- Remove the foil, baste with the remaining glaze, and gently turn or stir the potatoes. Continue to roast uncovered for a further 30–35 minutes, or until the lamb reaches an internal temperature of 130°F / 53°C for perfectly pink meat.
- Remove from the oven and let the lamb rest for 30 minutes, loosely covered with foil. The internal temperature will rise slightly.
- Remove the lamb and potatoes from the pan and set aside. Place the baking tray over a burner on medium heat and sprinkle the traditional gravy mix into the pan with the remaining juices and whisk well. Add a little more stock or water if necessary until the gravy thickens.
- Carve the lamb and serve with a side of potatoes and the gravy.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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