Nothing compares to Greek roast lamb and potatoes. In Greece, roasting meat (lamb, cattle, or chicken) with potatoes is a common winter meal. My aunt revealed a tip to me during my most recent trip to Athens that elevates the typical roast lamb to a new level. She advised adding one orange’s juice in place of the customary lemon juice. When I got home, I gave it a try, and it was fantastic! I might not use lemons again for a while, but this meal is both tasty and easy to make.
| Prep Time: | 30 mins |
| Cook Time: | 1 hr |
| Total Time: | 1 hr 30 mins |
| Servings: | 4 |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 large orange, juiced
- 3 tablespoons brown mustard, or more to taste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 teaspoons dried oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- 10 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 (3 pound) half leg of lamb, bone-in
- 5 cloves garlic
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- In large bowl, whisk together the orange juice, mustard, olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir the potatoes into the bowl to coat with orange juice mixture. Remove potatoes with a slotted spoon, and place them into a large roasting pan.
- Cut slits into the lamb meat, and stuff the garlic cloves into the slits. Rub remaining orange juice mixture from bowl all over the lamb, and place the lamb on top of the potatoes in the roasting pan. If there’s any remaining orange juice mixture, pour it over the lamb.
- Roast in the preheated oven until the potatoes are tender and the lamb is cooked to medium, about 1 hour. A meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat should read 140 degrees F (60 degrees C). Check every 30 minutes while roasting, and add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of hot water if you find the potatoes are drying out. If the lamb finishes cooking before the potatoes, remove the lamb to a cutting board or serving platter and cover with foil while the potatoes continue to bake in the oven.
- You can follow the same recipe and use beef or chicken for this dish. Note that almost any mustard works well here, but I prefer a dark brown or Dijon mustard.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 912 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 103 g |
| Cholesterol | 137 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 15 g |
| Protein | 51 g |
| Saturated Fat | 10 g |
| Sodium | 312 mg |
| Sugars | 9 g |
| Fat | 33 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
Nice
I have never cooked lamb before, but this recipe was easy and I had rave reviews! The only thing I changed was I used Greek seasoning instead of just oregano.
Super yummy! I followed the recipe without change and it was fantastic. Definitely a repeat!
REALLY GOOD! The orange is not a strong flavor, just very subtle and brings out the flavor of the lamb well. I used a “lamb rub” mix (a variety of spices, rosemary, oregano, pepper, cumin etc.) in place of the oregano and this recipe was superb. I also used spicy brown mustard as this was what we had in the fridge. This will be one we make again.
This was very good. I used stone ground dijon mustard from Trader Joe’s and a large orange for fresh squeezed. This was more than enough for a whole boneless leg. Served at Christmas dinner to a very happy family. I might try fresh oregano next time and reduce the pan dripping for a sauce.
Lamb did not turn out the way I hoping for it to. I rate this a three because, although I did not care much for the flavor, the texture came out great. Lamb seasoning was a bit too bland for me. Otherwise, thank you for posting!!
This recipe is very tasty. First I must state I see recipes as an outline, that I do not measure, I estimate, I add ingredients. I used a sweet hot mustard and a little white wine. I also added some greek seasonings, and smoked paprika. The lamb is tender and favorful as the potatoes soak up the favors so well. I found that it took about 1 1/2hrs in the oven.
Excellent recipe. I just made this dish with a lamb roast we picked up at the grocery store this week. I would eat this again!
Good flavor! Quick to make, and the leftovers are excellent for sandwiches.
I tried this upon the recommendation of a friend. while I am not a big fan of lamb, this was very good!! I used a roast instead of leg of lamb. Wish I had marinated for a bit longer. The roast came out tender and moist. I did add a little cayenne pepper for some heat. I also took the advice of the author and used dijon mustard. Will try this again!