Rice Free Greek Roast Lamb with Lemon and Herbs
Few centerpiece roasts deliver this kind of drama and depth — a whole bone-in leg of lamb, studded with garlic slivers and blanketed in a fragrant paste of fresh oregano, rosemary, thyme, lemon zest, and a warm hit of turmeric and ginger. The overnight marinade does the heavy lifting, driving those Mediterranean flavors deep into the meat before it ever sees the oven. A long, slow braise in bone broth keeps everything impossibly tender, and then a final blast of high heat caramelizes the surface into something genuinely gorgeous. Skipping rice as a side is no sacrifice here — the pan juices are rich enough to stand on their own, and the lamb is substantial enough to anchor any table. Fresh parsley and bright lemon wedges at serving cut through the richness and keep every bite feeling alive. This is the kind of recipe that looks like it required professional training but really just asks for patience and good ingredients.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the lamb
- 1 bone-in leg of lamb (about 5–6 lb), trimmed of excess fat
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and cut into thin slivers
For the herb paste
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (from about 1 large lemon)
- 2 tbsp fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 ½ tsp fine sea salt
For roasting
- 1 cup bone broth (homemade or aip-compliant brand)
- ½ cup water
- 1 large lemon, sliced into rounds
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
For serving
- fresh parsley, roughly chopped, for serving (optional)
- lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, chopped oregano, chopped rosemary, thyme, turmeric, ginger, and sea salt. Stir until a cohesive paste forms.
- 2
Using a small sharp knife, cut 12–15 slits about 1 inch deep all over the surface of the lamb. Press a garlic sliver into each slit, pushing it in as far as it will go.
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