Pressure Cooker Leg of Lamb makes a delicious and tender holiday roast that takes a fraction of the time as it does on the stove or in the oven and slow cooker. Its fall apart tender, juicy, and full of warm flavor.
Festive pressure cooker leg of lamb is a great main dish for your next holiday gathering. Its simple, delicious, and a true time and space saver when preparing big holiday dinners. In less than 2 hours you can have this delicious boneless leg of lamb roast ready to serve with you favorite accompaniments.
Naturally flavorful and tender, a boneless leg of lamb is seasoned with a Middle-Eastern inspired garlic, rosemary, thyme and allspice herb mix. These simple yet succulent seasonings bring out the robust flavors of a juicy lamb roast. You can also make a similar lamb roast dinner in your slow cooker or try out the sous vide function on your Instant Pot to make a sous vide leg of lamb.
My family has passed this recipe done for generations, after my great-great-grandfather created it for his big Christmas dinner in Syria, where lamb is an extremely popular choice of meat. Lambs unique flavor doesnt often need much in the way of seasonings and spices- just a few classics that bring out its strong flavor. This recipe is one our family favorites, next to Instant Pot stuffed grape leaves, Middle Eastern stuffed peppers and cabbage rolls.
Yes, you certainly can. You can overcook pretty much anything you cook in a pressure cooker, and it probably won’t take very long, either.
Unfortunately, once you overcook a piece of meat in the pressure cooker, there’s no going back. You’ll be left with a pile of dry, crunchy, tasteless fibers and no amount of additional pressure cooking is going to put that moisture back into the meat.
Don’t worry, the pressure cooking time chart lists the cooking times for just about any cut of meat.
A roast, for example, has the longest distance for heat to travel from the outside to the center of the meat. And, that’s about 45 minutes. If it’s sliced into 1-inch stewing chunks, it will need 20 minutes. And broken-up ground beef, only about 5.
The same slab of beef, for example, can have different pressure cooking times based on how it is sliced. Because the size dictates how quickly the heat will get to the center of the meat.
Earlier, I explained how ingredient size affects the cooking time. Well, that doesn’t just apply to potatoes, it applies to meat, too. Actually, it applies to everything that goes into the pressure cooker.
What To Serve With Lamb Roast
Lamb roast is excellent when paired with simple side dishes, like roasted or steamed vegetables, starchy vegetables like potatoes and light soups or pasta sides. Some ideas are:
- Instant Pot: youll need at least an 8 quart Instant Pot for a 5 pound lamb. For larger cuts, a 10 quart Instant Pot will work depending on how many pounds the lamb is. I use my 8 quart Instant Pot Duo Crisp and it can fit a boneless leg of lamb thats no bigger than 5 pounds.
- Silicone sling or trivet: these make lifting the lamb out of the inner pot much easier than trying to pull it out with tongs. This Instant Pot red silicone sling is my favorite pressure cooker accessory. Its long handles make it incredibly easy to pull out of the pot. The silicone is non slip, so you dont have to worry about food falling off of it as you lift it either!
- Cooking twine: usually a leg of lamb is purchased already tied together, but if not, you can tie it yourself if youd like since its being stuffed with garlic and herbs. This is optional, though because the lamb fits tightly in the pressure cooker and wont be able to fall open much.
- Boneless leg of lamb: substitute with bone-in leg of lamb or lamb shoulder. Lamb shoulder is a popular cut for long and slow cooking, so you may have heard to use this instead of leg when making a lamb roast. But because we are pressure cooking the leg, there is no need to worry about it drying out and becoming overcooked. (make sure to read about cook time below!)
- Garlic: opt for fresh whole cloves rather than minced garlic. For stronger flavor, use roasted garlic!
- Fresh rosemary and thyme, plus extra sprigs: substitute with dried herbs by using 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary and thyme for every 1 tablespoon of fresh that the recipe calls for.
- Allspice: a little allspice goes a long way and is a fantastic spice to use with lamb. Do not make a substitution.
- Beef broth: substitute with chicken broth.
- Freshly ground black pepper and salt: if possible, use freshly ground salt and pepper for the best flavor. Otherwise substitute with ground.
- Carrots: carrots are entirely optional in this recipe, as the long pressure cook time gives way to very soft carrots that may not be enjoyable to all. If you prefer crispy carrots with your lamb roast, cook them separately.
You can also add a splash of red wine to the pot once its done pressure cooking if youre not alcohol-free. This will elevate the flavors of the lamb, garlic, and seasonings a bit.
*These times are estimates and might vary based on your pressure cooker brand and age.
A boneless leg of lamb should be pressure cooked for 7 minutes per pound for medium doneness. For medium rare, cook for 5 minutes per pound. For well done lamb, cook for 9 minutes per pound.
Lamb tastes best when served medium or medium-rare, as the flavors are more pronounced, its juicer, and more tender when its a little pink inside.
As with any pressure cooked meat, make sure to let the pressure release naturally for the most tender outcome. Quickly releasing pressure on meats can turn a flavorful and tender meal into a tough and chewy one.
Pressure cooker leg of lamb is made in 5 simple steps. Although such an impressive and flavorful roast sounds complicated to prepare and cook, it is very easy!
STEP 1: Slice the garlic cloves in half or thirds and insert half of the slices into the pockets or folds in the lamb. Roughly chop the fresh rosemary and thyme. In a small bowl, combine the herbs with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and allspice. Mix to combine.
STEP 2: Roughly chop the fresh rosemary and thyme. In a small bowl, combine the herbs with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and allspice. Mix to combine. Then rub the lamb on both sides with the herb mix.
STEP 3: Add the olive oil to the inner pot and set to the sauté setting for 8 minutes. Sear the leg of lamb on both sides for 4 minutes. Remove when done and add the beef broth to the inner pot. Deglaze until there are no pieces of food stuck on the bottom. Cancel the sautè setting.
STEP 4: Place a trivet or silicone sling in the inner pot and place the seared lamb on top. Return the seared lamb to the inner pot. Add the remaining garlic cloves, carrots (if using), rosemary sprigs and thyme sprigs. Close and seal the lid. Set to pressure cook on high for 25 minutes for a medium-rare roast or 35 minutes for a medium done roast. *See above cooking times for preferred doneness.
STEP 5: Allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes, then quickly release any remaining pressure. Open the lid and carefully remove the sling or trivet to a cutting board. Remove the carrots to a serving dish.
STEP 6: Slice the lamb and transfer to the serving dish. Pour some of the broth over the roast and carrots. Reserve the rest for another use or serve on the side so it can be poured over individual plates.
Instant Pot Lamb Roast (Easy, Best Ever)
FAQ
Can you overcook lamb in pressure cooker?
Is it possible to overcook meat in an Instant Pot?
Does lamb get more tender the longer you cook it?
Can you overcook lamb?