The BEST Smoked Leg of Lamb

This easy smoked leg of lamb recipe turns out SO tender, juicy, and full of flavor. It will literally knock your socks off. It's the perfect side of meat for any special occasion, holiday, or family dinner. A simple marinade and rub plus a few hours on the smoker and you're ready to devour.

This post is sponsored by the American Lamb Board. All recipes and opinions are our own. 

If you enjoy cooking lamb you might also enjoy our lamb chop recipe, grilled lamb burgers, and lamb kabobs. Cooking with lamb makes a nice change from cooking beef, chicken, or pork.

Do you love smoking a leg of lamb? Then you definitely need to check out more meats you can smoke such as our smoked turkey breast and this smoked pulled pork.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• Smoker leg of lamb is elegant enough for a holiday meal but also works for hearty dinners any time of year.
• This smoked lamb recipe makes a nice change for an easy dinner the whole family will love.
• Cooking lamb on the smoker is perfect for those summer nights when you don't want to heat up the entire house.

Ingredients to Make Smoked Lamb Leg

Simple seasonings combine to make a perfectly cooked and seasoned smoked lamb leg.

• Leg of lamb: The recipe uses a boneless leg of lamb.
• Zesty Italian dressing: Provides the marinade for the meat.
• Baharat seasoning: This seasoning blend comes from Middle Eastern, Turkish, and Greek cuisine. It's a combination of several spices. You could totally make your own at home! But it's nice to pick it up from a Middle Eastern or Indian market or from Amazon.
• Onion, garlic salt, and coarse salt: For the rub on the meat added just before cooking.

Where Do You Buy Lamb?

If purchasing lamb is new for you, I highly recommend checking out the ALB website's where to buy page. They can direct you to the nearest butcher or grocery store that sells lamb of great quality!

When looking for lamb, look for lamb grown by the American Lamb board. Their meat can be trusted and their sheep are raised by ranchers and farmers here in the US.

"They provide high quality, flavorful lamb in a way that sustains our industry, supports our communities, and preserves our land and resources for future generations."

American Lamb Board

How to Smoke a Leg of Lamb Bone-In

Smoking lamb is surprisingly easy compared to many other types of meat! We have the best recipe so it turns out perfect every time. All it takes is an easy marinade, rub, and basic smoking process.

1. Unwrap your lamb from the butcher's paper. Do not remove the butcher's string until you are ready to serve the meat.

2. Now it's time to add the smoked leg of lamb marinade. In an air-tight container place your lamb and pour your Italian dressing over the cut of meat.
3. Let the lamb marinate in the dressing for at least a few hours- up to 24 hours. Flip the meat every few hours to help the marinade flavor all sides of the meat.

4. Now that your lamb leg is thawed and marinated it's time to give it a herb salty rub.  You will need coarse sea salt, Baharat seasoning, onion salt, and garlic salt.
5. In a bowl combine your spices. Rub generously over your leg of lamb.

6. When you're ready to cook the lamb, preheat your smoker to 225°F. When hot, add your lamb with the rub.
7. Add an additional pan with water (to help keep lamb from drying out).

8. Cook until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the lamb reaches 145° F. If you prefer a more rare leg of lamb, cook to 140° F or 150° F for more done.

NOTE: My lamb was three pounds and took about 3 hours to reach 145° F internal temperature.

9. Remove the lamb with a towel instead of tongs to keep the juices in the meat from squeezing out.

10. The final step is to let your meat rest for 20 minutes. Wrap in foil to keep it warm.

11. After the lamb has rested, you will want to cut the string from the lamb before slicing it up and serving it.

PROTIP: Using kitchen shears cut down the length of one side of the string, then unwrap the string from the meat.

12. Then slice up the smoked boneless leg of lamb and serve it up!

What Sides Go With Smoked Leg of Lamb Bone-In

There are so many delicious foods that will pair with your lamb. Keep it simple for weekend dinners or more elaborate for special occasions. Here are a few ideas for inspiration.

• roasted potatoes or seasoned red potatoes
• sweet potatoes
• rice pilaf
• grilled veggies
• steamed veggies
• french bread
• flatbread such as naan or pita bread
• hummus

What Condiments Do I Serve With Lamb?

There are two famous condiments people love to serve with their lamb.

1. Pepper Jelly. We love this, and grab it at Trader Joes! Check your grocery store in the jelly aisle.
2. Mint Jelly

Expert Tips

• To make sure it's done correctly, use a thermometer to determine the doneness of the meat.
• Let the meat rest before slicing. This keeps the meat perfectly juicy and moist.
• For best flavor, marinate the leg of lamb for 24 hours.
• Store leftover smoked lamb in the refrigerator or freezer unsliced. This makes it easier to reheat without drying out the meat.

FAQs

When is the most popular time to serve lamb?

More Smoker Recipes

• Smoked Chili
• Smoked Tacos Al Pastor
• Smoked Turkey Breast
• Smoked White Shells and Cheese
• Smoked Pork Tenderloin

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