Lamb is becoming incredibly popular for Christmas dinner, and it’s easy to see why. Succulent, soft, and ideal for a wide range of flavor combinations. Christmas lamb meals can be a welcome change for you and your loved ones. We’ve got roast lamb recipes that will wow this Christmas, from a roast lamb with pomegranate glaze to orange and date stuffed lamb.
We’ve chosen our favorite holiday roast lamb recipes for your Christmas centerpiece. These lamb dishes include something for everyone.
St. Clements Roast Lamb
A zesty citrus half lamb roasting joint that’s perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
- 900g-1.3kg lean lamb half leg joint
- 4 tbsp freshly chopped thyme leaves
- 2 lemons (sliced)
- grated zest of 2 oranges (reserve oranges)
- 3 tbsp white grape juice or dry white wine
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 160°C or 180°C, Gas/Fan Mark 4-5.
- Place the chopping board on top of the joint. Season both sides after making several incisions over the joint. Spread the orange zest and thyme over the lamb and into the slits.
- Slice your oranges and place them in a large nonstick roasting pan with the lemon slices, then top with the joint. Cook the roast for the desired amount of time, basting now and again with any meat juices. Cover it with foil if it begins to brown too quickly.
- Pour the white grape juice or wine over the lamb 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time and return to the oven for the leftover cooking time.
- Serve with roasted sweet and white potatoes and seasonal vegetables like fennel.
Roast Lamb With Pomegranate Glaze
Raise your roast lamb game to new heights.
Ingredients
- 2 x 4kg lamb legs
- 12 Asian (red) eschalots, peeled
- 1/2 cup (125ml) olive oil
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 3 small pomegranates
- 3 garlic bulbs
- 1 tbsp sumac
- 1 cup (250ml) pomegranate molasses
Instructions
- Score the top of your lamb legs at 1cm intervals with a sharp knife. In a mixing bowl, combine oregano, 2 tablespoons of oil, and 1 teaspoon each freshly ground black pepper and salt flakes. Set aside 1 hour to allow the oregano mixture to come to room temperature.
- Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
- Wrap the garlic bulbs in foil and drizzle with two tablespoons of oil.
- Make a slight cut in each pomegranate with a sharp knife and peel apart from the cut. Juice half a pomegranate and combine with sumac and pomegranate molasses in a mixing bowl. Set aside with the rest of the pomegranate until needed.
- Cook, turning once, for 10 minutes or until brown all over in a flameproof, large, heavy-based roasting pan with the remaining 45ml oil. Cast aside and repeat with the other leg.
- Return both legs to the roasting pan and sprinkle with the eschalots. Roast for 45 minutes with the garlic. Remove the lamb from the oven and top with the pomegranate mixture. Return the pan to the oven and roast for another 30 minutes, or until the garlic is soft and the meat thermometer injected directly into the center of a leg reads 54°C for medium-rare.
- Rest the lamb for 10 minutes, loosely covered with foil, before serving with roasted pomegranates, eschalots, and garlic.
Orange and Date Stuffed Lamb With a Marmalade and Orange Liqueur Glaze
A great all-year-round dinner party centerpiece, but especially appropriate for the holiday season.
Ingredients
- 2 x 6-boned racks of lamb, chined (to make the Guard of Honour)
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 tbsp Seville orange marmalade
- 1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
For the Date and Orange Stuffing:
- 50g freshly made breadcrumbs
- 25g dried dates, roughly chopped (soaked overnight in 5 tbsp orange liqueur)
- 25g dried dates, roughly chopped (soaked overnight in 5 tbsp orange liqueur)
- 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, freshly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 160°C or 180°C, Gas/Fan Mark 4-5.
- Drain the dates and reserve the orange liqueur in a small bowl to make the stuffing. Combine the leftover stuffing ingredients in a mixing bowl.
- Season the lamb with salt and pepper and sprinkle with cinnamon on each side.
- In your nonstick frying pan, heat the oil, add the lamb, skin side down, and cook for one to two minutes until brown. Remove from your oven and place on a clean cutting board.
- Fill each rack’s cavity with the stuffing mix and sandwich to form an arch. Secure using butcher’s string or elasticated meat bands.
- Weigh the racks, place them in a medium-sized roasting pan, and roast for the estimated cooking time (for medium). If the bones are browning too quickly, cover them with foil.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine two tablespoons of marmalade and the reserved orange liqueur.
- Brush the racks with the marmalade glaze ten minutes before the cooking ends. Remove from your oven and set aside for 5 minutes to rest.
- Serve the Guard of Honour sliced alongside seasonal vegetables and mini roast potatoes.
Easy Carve Lamb, Garlic, Oregano, and Feta Potatoes
Whether you’re cooking for or entertaining the family, the perfect roast lamb is waiting for you. This recipe will require a meat thermometer.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch oregano, leaves picked
- 8 garlic cloves, peeled
- 3/4 bunch thyme, leaves picked
- 1.7kg easy carve lamb leg
- 1/3 cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 300g feta, drained, broken into chunks
- 1kg small chat potatoes
- 1 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 250g punnet cherry tomatoes on the vine
Instructions
- Pound half of the thyme, oregano leaves, and garlic to a rough paste in a large mortar and pestle. Stir in 1/4 cup (60ml) oil to combine. You should spread half of the paste over the lamb. Set aside 1 hour to marinate at room temperature, or overnight in your fridge if time allows.
- Heat the oven to 200°C. Put the lamb leg in a roasting pan and season with salt flakes. Arrange the potatoes in one layer around the lamb, drizzle with the remaining one tablespoon of oil, and season with pepper and salt.
- Roast for an hour and 15 minutes for medium (on a meat thermometer, 52-56°C). Remove the lamb and cover with foil to rest and keep it warm.
- To coat the potatoes, combine the feta, red wine vinegar, tomatoes, and garlic-oregano paste. Gently smash your potatoes with tongs. Cook for another 18-20 minutes until the feta is golden.
- To serve, carve the lamb into slices and sprinkle with the remaining oregano leaves.
Roast Lamb With Mint Sauce
Shoulder joint or leg of the lamb with a classic mint sauce and a zesty glaze, a slight twist on your traditional Sunday roast.
Ingredients
1.3kg lean lamb leg, half shoulder, or shoulder joint
lemon zest
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and cut lengthways
1 tbsp olive oil
2 large sprigs of fresh rosemary leaves
3 tbsp melted lemon marmalade
For the Gravy:
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 600ml good, hot lamb stock (homemade if preferred)
To make the Mint Sauce (150ml):
- 1 x 30g fresh mint leaf pack (stalks removed)
- 150ml boiling water
- 4 tbsp light muscovado sugar
- 150ml white wine vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 160°C or 180°C, Gas/Fan Mark 4-5.
- Position the joint on a cutting board and slit it along both sides. Season. In a small mixing bowl, blend your lemon zest, rosemary leaves, garlic, and oil.
- Stuff your mixture into the slits, brush with any residual mixture, put the joint in a large nonstick roasting tin on a metal rack, cover with foil, and roast for your calculated cooking time. Remove the foil 40 minutes before the completion of the cooking time.
- Glaze the joint with your lemon marmalade ten to fifteen minutes before the conclusion of the cooking time.
- Pound the sugar and mint leaves into a rough paste in a mortar and pestle to make the mint sauce. Alternatively, put it in your blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Infuse for 5-10 minutes after adding the boiling water.