A Moroccan lamb marinade brings so much flavour to this BBQ boneless leg of lamb! Using butterflied lamb speeds up grilling time and the boneless meat is incredibly succulent and easy to carve. Cook on your barbecue or in the oven in case of rain!The marinade is enough for two boneless legs of lamb, around 900g/2 pounds each, or one larger piece. A larger piece will require longer cooking time (see notes).
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time30 minutesmins
Marinating time4 hourshrs
Course: BBQ, Main Course
Cuisine: Moroccan
Keyword: BBQ Boneless Leg Of Lamb, BBQ marinade, boneless leg of lamb recipe, lamb marinade, moroccan lamb, bbq marinade, butterflied leg of lamb, Butterflied Lamb Recipe
2boneless legs of lamb (butterflied lamb) 900g | 2 pounds each
sea saltto season
Lemon wedges to serve
Instructions
BBQ Boneless Leg Of Lamb
Prepare the marinade: add the ground cinnamon, cumin, coriander, turmeric and garlic granules into a large container. Stir Add the lamb and rub the marinade all over. Cover and chill for 2-4 hours, or overnight if you prefer.
Prepare your barbecue for two zone cooking. Pile the coals on one side of the BBQ and light. Leave the other side empty of coals or add a very sparse layer of coals (once they are hot). Wait until the coals have turned ashy and any flames have died down before grilling.
Take the lamb out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes while your BBQ is heating up. Remove the lamb from the BBQ marinade and discard any leftover marinade. Season liberally with salt on both sides.
Place the lamb fat side down on the hot side BBQ and sear for 4 minutes. Have a spray bottle of water handy in case you get flare ups due to the fat dripping on the coals.
Flip the lamb over and sear on the other side.
Now move the lamb to the cooler side of your barbecue, fat side down. Close the lid and cook for 20 minutes then check the temperature with a meat thermometer. The lamb is ready when it registers around 63°C (145°F) for medium rare on a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat (see also grilling times for lamb notes). If it's not ready yet continue cooking for a further 5-10 minutes.
Rest the cooked lamb loosely covered with foil for 15 minutes. Slice into thin slivers, pouring any meat juices over the slices. Serve immediately.
Oven Cooking Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180° (350°F).
Brush a griddle pan with oil and sear the lamb for 4 minutes per side, pressing down so that it browns evenly. This may be quite smoky so open a window or turn an extractor fan on!
Transfer the lamb onto a rack set over a roasting tin. Cook for 30 minutes then check the temperature of your lamb. Continue cooking for another 10 minutes or longer, depending on size. Rest before serving.
Video
Notes
Grilling Times and temperatures for lamb
The best way to determine whether your lamb is cooked to perfection is to rely on a digital thermometer. That way you can avoid overcooked dry meat and grill with confidence.
The grilling times for boneless leg of lamb over indirect heat can vary from 20-30 minutes (plus searing) for a small piece of 900g /2 pounds to 35-45 minutes for a larger joint of 2.5kg / 6 pounds.
The best way to serve lamb is rare or medium rare. Aim for the following internal temperatures depending on how you like it cooked: 62°C/ 145°F (medium rare), 71°C/160°F (medium), or 76°C/170 °F (well done).
2 zone cooking technique – ‘banked grilling’
If you are using a charcoal barbecue, pile the coals on one side leaving the other side clear or very sparsely layered. That way you create two cooking zones, one for searing directly over the coals and the cooler side for cooking over indirect heat.
If you are using a gas barbecue you can control the heat more easily. Heat on high to start with and while searing then turn the heat down to 150-180°C (300-350°F).