Trader Joe’s Boneless Leg of Lamb is Back In Stock!

Hello friends!

I don’t know about you, but I am a weekly Trader Joe’s shopper. I look for the seasonal items to review and enjoy from boxed mixes for cornbread, stuffing, to select cuts of meat that are not available year round. Yes, my friends, that includes lamb legs and lamb chops! I usually see it around the Holidays, so whether you’re cooking for the Winter holidays or if you celebrate Easter…lamb is always a solid choice.

It’s not often that I cook with lamb–honestly, this was my first time cooking lamb, so I figured I’d share my experience with you all, as well as the recipe I tried!

For this week, I picked up a recipe for Garlic & Herb Roast Boneless Leg of Lamb by House of Nash Eats. I think it’s a great starter recipe if you’re feeling nervous about cooking lamb and especially if you’re using the TJ’s lamb, because they certainly do run on the smaller side than what so many of these recipes require. I believe mine was only about 2.5 lbs which is perfect for a smaller family.

Alrighty–let’s get rolling, but first…you can find the recipe right -> here!

Making The Herb Mix For The Lamb Leg

Truly one of the best part of any roasted piece of protein is what it’s seasoned with. If you’ve never had lamb before then..it’s certainly not like pork. It has a unique flavor to it that some may describe as “gamey”, but I’d honestly describe it as warm. And not like the temperature warm. Perhaps even…”grassy”?

All I know is that whenever I would go to a Brazilian steakhouse–the lamb is what I leave the most room for :).

This recipe calls for a delightful blend of garlic, rosemary, thyme, and good tablespoon of Dijon mustard to bring it all together. And of course salt and pepper. Making this herb blend is honestly going to be the most work you’ll need to do for this recipe.

Once your lamb leg is coated, you’re ready to rest it on the bed of potatoes (which I will cover shortly).

What I need to mention here is that this herb mix is exactly what this cut of lamb needs. It isn’t overly salty or too “herb-y”. The crust that this blend creates around the entire lamb leg is exactly what this dish calls for.

While the crust isn’t quite like a steak crust, it still works super well because the lamb melts in your mouth (when cooked medium rare) and that nice touch of herby goodness is the finishing touch. Yum! Not going to lie…my mouth is watering just a bit thinking of that first bite I took. Fantastic.

The Potatoes for the Leg of Lamb

The leg of lamb is most definitely the star of the show, but you must have a side. Cooking the lamb on a bed of potatoes is a fantastic idea, but there are a few things to consider if you want everything out and done at the same time. If you want your potatoes cooked perfectly, then timing is key. This goes back to the size of the lamb.

Your oven will be preheated to 350 F for the roast, so in order for the potatoes to be nice and cooked through you have to consider the size of your potato, the type, as well as time in relation to the lamb. Potatoes can often require that solid hour of roasting in order to be totally cooked through and soft. The lamb does not require hours and hours of roasting. Frankly, with the size of my lamb leg, it took about an hour to bring the meat to a medium rare.

To make sure the potatoes turned out perfect without having to bake them for longer, I cut each potato into quarters and parboiled them before seasoning and baking. Seriously–it takes away so much frustration when you get everything out of the oven for temperature checks and you poke a potato with a fork and it’s tender–heck yeah! Job well done!

And if you really want to make this a more decadent meal than it already is…broil some raclette cheese over the potatoes.

Grey’s Grade: 5/5

For my first attempt at making lamb leg, I have to say it turned out delicious. I love a nice medium-rare cut of lamb, but if you prefer a little less pink, then please do bake it a bit longer, but not too long! You want that lamb to still melt in your mouth. The moment you start overcooking it, it’ll get chewier and just…it won’t be as enjoyable as it can be. It’s such a nice cut of meat that it deserves the respect of a good roast.

This recipe is incredibly easy to follow and it should give you the confidence to get a delicious meal on the table. If you ever wanted to try roasting a lamb whether it’s for a special event or just to enjoy something different for dinner–this is a great recipe to have as a starter. I certainly enjoyed it and was very pleased to have leftovers!

Speaking of which–this lamb reheats VERY well if you want to make wraps or pita pockets. I made some with my leftovers and phew–two delicious dinners from one dish. Fantastic!

Have you made lamb before? What’s your go-to recipe? Let me know in the comments below because I’d love to try them out!

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