Grilled Butterflied Leg of Lamb With Rosemary, Garlic, and Mustard Crust

By
Joshua Bousel
a photo of Joshua Bousel, a Contributing Writer at Serious Eats
Joshua Bousel is a Serious Eats old-timer, having started sharing his passion for grilling and barbecue recipes on the site back in 2008. He continues to develop grilling and barbecue recipes on his own site, The Meatwave, out of his home base of Durham, North Carolina.
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Updated February 05, 2024
Overhead view of grilled butterflied leg of lamb in a serving platter surrounded by blue plates

Serious Eats / Jen Causey

Why It Works

  • Whole-grain Dijon mustard, rosemary, and garlic provide the lamb with a flavorful crust.
  • Marinating the lamb overnight produces a tender, juicier bite.

April 2012

This recipe was cross-tested in 2024 and lightly updated to guarantee best results.

Recipe Details

Grilled Butterflied Leg of Lamb Recipe

Prep 35 mins
Cook 85 mins
Active 15 mins
Marinating Time 12 hrs
Total 14 hrs
Serves 10 servings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 8 medium cloves garlic (40g; about 1 1/2 ounce), peeled, divided

  • One 6- to 8- pound boneless leg of lamb, butterflied to even 1-inch thickness and trimmed of excess fat

  • 1/2 cup whole-grain Dijon mustard (about 5 ounces; 137g)

  • 1/2 cup (120ml) extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1/4 cup (60ml) dry white wine

  • 2 tablespoons (8g) finely chopped fresh rosemary

  • 2 tablespoons fresh juice from 1 lemon

  • 2 tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt (about 3/4 ounce; 18g); for table salt, use half as much by volume or the same weight

Directions

  1. Thinly slice 4 cloves of garlic. Spread lamb open on cutting board. Using tip of a paring knife, make 1/2-inch-deep slits all over lamb. Insert garlic slices into slits in lamb.

    Two image collage of cutting slits in lamb and placing garlic into

    Serious Eats / Jen Causey

  2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine remaining 4 cloves of garlic, mustard, olive oil, white wine, rosemary, lemon juice, and salt. Pulse until garlic is coarsely chopped and mixture is combined, about 12 pulses.

    Two image collage of an overhead view of before and after mustrad dressing being processed in a food processor

    Serious Eats / Jen Causey

  3. Place lamb in a large shallow container, such as a 9- by13-inch baking dish, and spread half of mustard mixture over top. Flip lamb and spread with remaining half of mustard mixture. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 12 hours.

    Overhead view of rubbing mustard sauce all over butterflied lamb

    Serious Eats / Jen Causey

  4. Remove lamb from refrigerator while preparing charcoal and let sit at room temperature. Open bottom vent of a charcoal grill completely. Light charcoal chimney starter filled with briquettes. When briquettes are covered with gray ash, pour them onto the bottom grate of the grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat to high (450°F to 500°F; 230ºC to 260ºC)] for 5 minutes. Coat top grate with oil; place on grill. If using a gas grill, preheat to high (450°F to 500°F; 230ºC to 260ºC). Place lamb in an even layer on oiled grates. Grill, uncovered, until well seared, 8 to 10 minutes. Flip, and grill, uncovered, until an instant read thermometer inserted in thickest portion registers 130°F (54ºC), 8 to 10 minutes.

    Two image collage of lamb placed on grill and flipped over

    Serious Eats / Jen Causey

  5. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes. Slice 1/4-inch thick and serve immediately.

    Overhead view of lamb cut on cutting board

    Serious Eats / Jen Causey

Special Equipment

Food processor, charcoal chimney, grill

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1057Calories
71gFat
2gCarbs
93gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10
Amount per serving
Calories1057
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 71g91%
Saturated Fat 27g133%
Cholesterol 337mg112%
Sodium 1320mg57%
Total Carbohydrate 2g1%
Dietary Fiber 1g2%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 93g
Vitamin C 2mg11%
Calcium 57mg4%
Iron 8mg42%
Potassium 1184mg25%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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