This stuffed leg of lamb is an impressive yet approachable main dish, perfect for holidays or special occasions. Filled with a savory-sweet blend of spinach, pine nuts, and raisins, it’s a flavorful centerpiece that’s easier to prepare than you might think.
Lamb is one of those meats where you either love it or hate it. Coming from a Persian family, I grew up eating lamb so I am definitely in the love-it category. My kids are also big fans, so I do my best to prepare it as often as I can.
A classic lamb dinner is common for Easter, so it is easy to find it on sale this time of year. My family loves a grilled bone-in leg of lamb, but today I am sharing one of my other favorite ways of serving a boneless version.
I do not celebrate Easter, but that doesn’t mean that I do not appreciate the holiday or find it beautiful. I hold the same sentiment for Passover.
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Recipe highlights
- Mediterranean flavors: The stuffing compliments the lamb beautifully using raisins, spinach, basil, garlic and pine nuts.
- Simple: This might seem like an intimidating recipe to prepare, but it is really very doable, even for a novice cook. I break down all the steps to make it easy to follow.
- Elegant: Whether you are preparing a lamb feast for a holy holiday or just because, a stuffed leg of lamb will certainly be a crowd pleaser.
- Video: I also have a video preparing this recipe where I also show you how to trim the lamb to further flatten any large chunks of meat.
Ingredients you need
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- Boneless leg of lamb: You can also buy a leg of lamb and debone it yourself.
- Pine nuts: If you are not a fan of pine nuts, you can also use chopped walnuts.
- Garlic: You can also use shallots.
- Fresh spinach: You can also use frozen spinach. Just thaw and squeeze out excess water before laying across the leg of lamb. No sautéing is required if you use frozen spinach.
- Fresh basil: You could use dried basil, but it won’t taste the same. You can also use fresh oregano.
- Raisins: You can use any dried fruits like raisins or dried cranberries. You can also chop up dried apricots or prunes and use them.
- Pantry Staples: Extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.
Step-by-step directions
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- Prepare filling. Toast the pine nuts then reserve. Sauté the garlic, but do not it or it will taste bitter. Stir in spinach and cook until spinach starts to wilt then remove from heat. Stir in basil and raisins and reserve mixture.
- Trim the lamb. Using a sharp knife, remove excess portions of fat over both sides of the leg of lamb. Cut the thicker thunks of meat to flatten the lamb even more.
- Add the stuffing. Season with salt and pepper then spread spinach mixture evenly over the lamb. Add the toasted pine nuts.
- Roll and tie. Starting with the widest end, roll up the lamb into a tight package. Use kitchen twine to tie and secure the roast.
- Roast. Season outside of the lamb all over with remaining salt and pepper and rub down with olive oil. Roast to desired doneness, until a meat thermometer to measure internal temperature. Let roast to rest 10 minutes before carving.
Recipes tips and FAQs
There is no special technique to rolling your meat up, but I like to start on the widest end of the lamb and slowly roll it up, like a burrito. Once rolled up, it’s time to tie it up so it will hold its shape. Tie your lamb roast up lengthwise and crosswise in multiple areas.
If you like this recipe, you should also try my butterflied leg of lamb stuffed with mushrooms, onions and herbs and my grilled butterflied leg of lamb marinated in yogurt.
Storing/Freezing Instructions
TO STORE: Store any leftover lamb in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Do not reheat lamb in the microwave, but sauté chopped meat in a hot pan with a little butter or olive oil.
TO FREEZE: You could also freeze leftovers, but I suggest not to do this as the texture does change when frozen and thawed.
This lamb roast can be stuffed and tied 1 day ahead. Wrap it in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before roasting.
Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of your bone-in or boneless leg of lamb. Your roast is ready when it reaches 140ºF/60ºC.
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Stuffed Leg of Lamb with Raisins, Spinach and Pine Nuts
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup pine nuts
- 6 garlic cloves crushed
- 5 ounces fresh spinach chopped
- 1 ounce fresh basil chopped
- ¾ cups raisins
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 5- pound boneless leg of lamb
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF/ 200ºC.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat and add pine nuts and toast until golden, about 5 minutes, and reserve.
- Add 1 TBS olive oil to hot pan and sauté garlic until golden, about 5 minutes. Do not burn the garlic or it will taste bitter.
- Stir in spinach and cook until spinach starts to wilt then remove from heat.
- Stir in basil and reserve mixture.
- Unwrap and unroll lamb over a large cutting board.
- Using a sharp knife, remove excess portions of fat over both sides of the leg of lamb. Since you are stuffing and rolling the meat, you do not want big chunks of fat.
- Once trimmed of excess fat, examine meat. One side is typically thicker than the other. To even out the thickness of the lamb, cut horizontally into the thick portion of the meat, but do not cut completely. As you cut, open the meat flap as you would open a page in a book until the meat is flat.
- If you want a thinner slab, cover with a sheet of plastic wrap and pound with a mallet until desired thickness or to help level out the lamb.
- Season lamb with 2 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon pepper.
- Spread spinach mixture evenly over the lamb.
- Next spread raisins over spinach mixture.
- Add toasted pine nuts over raisins.
- Starting with the widest end, start rolling up the lamb into a tight package.
- Tie roast together lengthwise with kitchen twine, with ties running across the roast, in 2-inch intervals. Any stuffing that has fallen out, can be stuffed back into your lamb package.
- Season outside of the lamb all over with remaining salt and pepper.
- Transfer lamb packed to a baking pan and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Rub oil all over the lamb roast and place in the oven.
- Cook until desired doneness, until the internal temperature of a thick piece of meat in the center of the roll reaches 145°F/63ºC for medium rare, 160°F/71ºC for medium, approximately 1 to 1 ½ hours.
- Transfer roast to cutting board and cover with foil. Allow roast to rest 10 minutes before carving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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Written by Laura Bashar
Hi, I’m Laura, a certified professional cook and cookbook author living in San Diego. I have been sharing my family’s favorite recipes inspired from all over the world since 2008. Let’s cook up something fun!
This is fabulous! Such great flavors. My mother used to make a savory bread filling with dried fruits and I loved it. But my husband won’t eat lamb…
Well, you should make the lamb and enjoy it. Your husband can enjoy some leftover chicken or something lol!
xoxo Laura
I love pine nuts so much! They’re great way to make a meal pop!
I want this for dinner!
This is certainly is a centerpiece dish.