Best Smoked Bone-In Leg of Lamb: Easy Recipe With Only 3 Ingredients! (2024)

This smoked bone-in leg of lamb is surprisingly simple to prepare with only 3 ingredients, yet it still turns out super tender and juicy! Once you season the meat, you can pretty much kick back and let your smoker do all the work! If you've never cooked lamb meat before, this fool-proof recipe is a great place to start!

Best Smoked Leg Of Lamb (Bone-In)

I love cooking lamb, and I've prepared it every which way, but when it comes to smoking, the leg of lamb has to be my favorite cut. Particularly a bone-in leg because the bone gives the meat so much more flavor!

Not only is the meat succulent and tender with a perfect crust on the outside, but it takes very little effort on my part. I can just season the meat and let the smoked do all the heavy lifting!

If you're working with a boneless leg of lamb, I have an equally delicious recipe with step-by-step instructions on how to smoke a boneless leg of lamb!

🥘 Smoked Bone-In Leg Of Lamb Ingredients

You really only need 2 ingredients to smoke a leg of lamb, but I like to add herbes de Provence to my seasoning blend. Your lamb will still turn out tasty without it, but I think it adds a lovely flavor profile that really complements the taste of the meat!

• Leg of Lamb - A 5-pound bone-in leg of lamb. You can smoke a larger leg but will need to increase the amount of seasoning you use (*see notes below).
• Lamb Rub - 1 ½batches of mylamb rub(*see my recipe or use your favorite brand).
• Herbes de Provence - 1tablespoon of herbes de Provence. (See myHerbes de Provencerecipe, or use your favorite brand.)

*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*

🔪 How To Smoke A Bone-In Leg Of Lamb

If you've ever smoked anything, this leg of lamb should be a breeze! It's all about keeping an eye on the internal temperature. You'll need a small mixing bowl, measuring spoons, heavy-duty grilling tongs, and of course, a smoker.

A 5-pound bone-in leg of lamb makes roughly 10 servings, so there's plenty to go around!

1. Preheat. Load your smoker with pecan or fruit wood pellets or chips, then preheat it to 225°F(107°C).
2. Season. In a small bowl, combine1½ batches (10 grams) of my lamb rubwith1 tablespoon (4 grams) of Herbes de Provence, if using. Season your5-pound (2.27 kilograms) leg of lambgenerously on all sides, massaging the seasoning into the meat.
3. Smoke. Put the leg of lamb directly onto your smoker's grill grates with the fat cap facing upwards. Smoke until the lamb reaches an internal temperature of 130°F(54°C) as read by a meat thermometer,then increase the smoker temp to 400°F(205°C).
4. Sear. Let the lamb sear at this high temp until it reaches an internal temperature of between 135-140°F(57-60°C)and has developed a crispy outer crust.
5. Rest. Remove the leg of lamb from the smoker and set it on a cutting board or platter with a piece of foil tented loosely over the top. Let it rest for 20-30 minutes before slicing and serving.

🥗 What To Serve With Smoked Leg Of Lamb

I like to stick with the classics when I'm serving smoked lamb. Loaded baked potatoes are always a great choice (you can even smoke the potatoes, too)! If you'd like a sauce to serve along with the meat, try my easy lamb gravy or mint sauce!

In fact, I have an entire page dedicated to what to serve with lamb. Check it out for more great side dish suggestions! Enjoy!

💭 Tips & Notes

• If you would prefer to make the dry lamb rub into a marinade or paste, you can! For a paste, mix the dry with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and spread it generously all over the meat. To make a marinade, combine the dry rub with¼ cup + 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar. Marinate the meat for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.
• Mylamb rub recipemakes enough seasoning for 3-4 pounds of meat, so I used 1½ batches to season this larger bone-in leg of lamb. You can even double the lamb seasoning recipe if you have an extra-large bone-in leg of lamb.
• While the USDA recommends an internal temperature of 145°F(63°C), I prefer to pull mine from the smoker at135-140°F(57-60°C).This is because themeat will continue to cook for another 5°F or so as it rests(a process known as carryover cooking).Learn more from my guide tolamb cooking doneness!

🥡 Storing & Reheating

Once the smoked lamb has cooled, put it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Discover all the incredible ways you can use leftover lamb meat here!

Freezing Leg of Lamb

Wrap leftovers in foil or plastic wrap and put them in a heavy-duty freezer bag. Freeze for up to 4 months and put the meat in the fridge to thaw overnight before reheating.

Reheating Leg of Lamb

Remove the cold lamb from the fridge to warm up some while your oven preheats to300°F(150°C).Put the meat in a baking dish with a splash of water or broth and cover it with foil. Reheat in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until warmed through.

>>>>See all of my recipes here<<<<

🥩 😋 More Great Lamb Recipes

• Guinness Lamb Stew - Tender chunks of lamb meat in a rich, beer-based broth with lots of delicious vegetables!
• Lamb Meatballs - These easy lamb meatballs can be served as an appetizer or with spaghetti!
• Sous Vide Lamb Chops - Once you try these buttery and tender sous vide lamb chops, you'll never want them any other way!
• Roasted Lamb Breast - This roasted lamb breast is super flavorful and pulls right off the bone!
• Roasted Rack of Lamb - An elegant rack of lamb makes the perfect centerpiece for any holiday meal or special occasion!
• Slow Cooker Boneless Leg of Lamb - Lamb and potatoes slow-cooked all day until it's easy to shred!

📖 Recipe Card

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