3 Ingredient 7-Hour Lamb Roast

Learn how to make this easy 3 Ingredient 7 Hour Lamb Roast using water to cook the lamb and make a fabulous gravy with it afterwards!

Special celebrations and Sunday lunches are made for family and friends gathering around to dig into this amazingly tender 3 Ingredient 7 Hour Lamb Roast. Serve it with soft and fluffy naan or your favorite side dish to roll it into with a good bit of from 'scratch delicious gravy!' What was that you said about scooping it all up?

Lamb leg is a special meat roast and always seems to peak at celebrations. Prominent in homes over Easter its also the perfect meat for Father's day and other special occasions.

This recipe has been inspired by our love for lamb and my other lamb recipes.

Besides the fact that when cooked properly, lamb is delicately tender, it's also so delicious because of the fat content.

Lamb flavor predominantly comes from it's fat according to Cooks Illustrated. This makes complete sense since lamb generally is a fatty meat, proving once again that fat equals flavor!

What is Leg of Lamb

Bone-in leg of lamb is a large, impressive and expensive cut that comes from either the front end or the the back end of the lamb leg. They normally weigh between 2kg to 2.5kg and can feed an army (about 6 to 8 people) while a shoulder part of the lamb is a whole kilo and a half less in weight and can feed two people (when you're hungry).

Lamb leg is usually sold with the shank-on like in this recipe and can be very impressive however, if you're going to pull the meat apart after a slow cook, then it's best to use a cut without the shank attached.

Buying Lamb

I always say that if you can't talk to your butcher for advise on what you're buying, change your butcher, it's really that simple. This is not a cheap cut of meat, you need to know what you're buying and more importantly understand the cut. A very nice butcher will even share their expert cooking tips with you so don't settle for less than the best.

This fresh fish recipe was inspiration from a long chat I had with the fish monger! You have to seek out the best from the rest.

Lamb is sold at the meat counter in grocery and vegetable stores as well as the butcher. If you have a grass-fed-finish option that you can afford, that's a blessing. If not, you can find good fresh lamb you just have to look.

Cooking Leg of Lamb

Lamb leg, bone-in or boneless can either be oven-roasted or slow cooked till tender. Oven roasted to a light pink color, blushing pink as in this Prime Rib, Blushing Pink Recipe or slow and long, oven roasted until it's fall-apart tender.

Lamb Cooking Temperatures

Something to consider is that as the roast sits, the internal temperature will rise, it shouldn't rise by much but it will rise.

42°C - 51°C - 110F° - Rare 15 minutes per 500grams.

60°C-65°C 150F°- Medium rare 20 minutes per 500 grams

65°C/70°C /145°F - Medium well 25 minutes per 500 grams

75°F/83°C/165°F to 182°F - Well done 30 minutes per 500 grams

For this recipe oven slow roast lamb leg, I cooked it for 3 to 4 hours and it was between medium and medium well, reading an internal temperature of 65°C(145F) to 70-75°C (160-165F). For a slower roast and much more tender meat you can oven roast it for roughly 6 hours and this will give you in internal temp of 80°F /175°F. About 40 to 45 minutes per 500 grams.

Slow Cooker much more tender options? Overnight lamb roast.

Whether you are cooking lamb in the oven to a blushing pink or fall-apart tender slow cook, you always have to be aware of over cooking. You may think well done at 83°C/182°F is well done, perhaps for you it is, but for some it is not and there are cultures world-wide who only eat it this way.

How To Use A Digital Thermometer In The Kitchen

This is a question I had to include because my daughter who loves cooking, whenever I say, just use the thermometer, she responds 'I don't get how it works'. In an attempt to respond and repeat this whole sentence to her later 🙂

Stick the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat (usually in the middle) or if its chicken, the drumstick top part. Get it right to the other side and then slowly pull it out toward you and as it moves the temp will drop, when it's at it's lowest, that's the right temperature.

What To Look For When Buying A Digital Thermometer

I have a few thermometers so I understand the confusion with my family in reading them. However when I simplified this, this is what I would advise.

Simplicity means not too many attachments, it's enough to confuse anyone who doesn't cook a lot. I have one with wires that extend into the oven (very fancy), however I always had to call my husband to help me use it until I learned, not ideal.

My favorite is one with a folding probe, that each time you open to use it, it automatically comes on. That's great because sometimes your hands are messed and you don't need to be fiddling with on/off buttons. Some have a magnet on the back so that you can stick the thermometer onto an acceptable surface like the fridge if you want to. Plus, a hook on the top for easy hanging.

Most thermometers now come with all the temperatures written on the back or front which is very convenient.

Lamb Leg Slow Roast Ingredients

Salt and Pepper I always use this one. Complete convenience with the perfect blend of sea salt and fresh black pepper. We have one everywhere; next to the stove, on the countertop, eating area, braai area its dependable!

Olive oil: a little drizzle over the meat.

Water: Distilled, tap, previously boiled water, any water.

In the same way that you can add stock into this recipe, you also don't have too. Not every slow cook needs stock because water, believe it or not makes a great stock with the fat and juices from the lamb! It also makes a fabulous gravy!

Stock Water is Convenient For 2 Reasons:

• You may not have stock on hand whether it's homemade or store bought

• Store bought stock contains a lot of unnecessary ingredients and high sodium. When you do find an organic one with low sodium it can be expensive.

What could be more organic than boiled water for stock? We don't boil the water before adding it into the slow cooker (although you can) but it does boil for hours while cooking. Sure you can add some vegetables but in this 7 hour lamb roast, the water has ample time to draw flavor from the lamb drippings.

The best part? Make a gravy with that water! What more could you want. You have a tender lamb slow roast and gravy!

How To Cook This 3 Ingredient 7 Hour Lamb Leg

I will take you through these easy steps to making a beautiful tender lamb roast.

Lamb Leg: Remove the lamb from the fridge at least 20 to 30 minutes from the fridge before seasoning. We're talking about fresh lamb not frozen because frozen lamb must be thawed overnight. For the best results and even cooking throughout you want the lamb completely at room temperature.

Seasoning and Olive Oil: Sprinkle the salt and pepper making sure to cover the whole lamb leg, underneath included. Add the olive oil and rub it into the seasoning, the oil helps the salt and pepper stick to the lamb.

Prep to Cook: Place the lamb leg into the slow cooker, add 2 cups of water, set the slow cooker to 'low' and your timer to 7 hours later. There's no need to check the slow cooker to see if it has enough water because if you've added water, it probably won't need any more. Should you open to check, try to place the lid back on immediately after checking or adding if necessary.

Rest the Lamb: Remove the lamb leg and and place it on a platter covered loosely with foil. The lamb leg should ideally rest for 20 to 30 minutes.

FAQ's - 3 Ingredient 7 Hour Lamb Roast

How many hours can you leave lamb in the slow cooker?

This recipe I left it for 7 hours so follow the recipe card below. I've also left lamb for 10 hours which is my overnight slow cooker lamb roast. In saying that however, I've also left lamb for 5 to 6 hours in the slow cooker, it's not as tender and fall apart but it's still soft, edible and delicious especially at 6 hours, 5 hours personally for us, was too short for lamb.

What's Room Temperature?

You need a kitchen thermometer. Whatever the thermometer reads when you turn it on is the temperature of the room (roughly). That's the temperature you need your lamb at before cooking. Simple right?

Different lamb dishes to suit different families. Here are the lamb dishes that I've made to share with you.

More Slow Roast Dinners

• Slow Roast Lamb Shoulder With Potatoes
• Air Fryer Chicken Roast
• Topside Roast Beef
• Braised Lamb Shanks In Red Wine

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Before you go! Please leave a review and rating in the recipe card below, letting me know how you liked the recipe and don't forget to tag me @anosmickitchen or use the hashtag #anosmickitchen on Instagram should you share your own creations of my recipes. Many thanks, Miranda. xx