Roasted Lamb with Honey & Thyme

This Roasted Lamb with Honey & Thyme is an easy and delicious entree for any special occasion from family dinners to holiday meals.

When I first included this Roasted Lamb with Honey & Thyme as a recipe on my blog in 2007, it was as a salad. Yes, 2007…a lifetime ago it seems! I wrote that post with this Roasted Lamb with Honey Thyme Glaze as part of a main course salad dish; something we had enjoyed for Easter.

While I loved it as a easy dinner over the holidays, I also sort of gravitated to nixing the salad idea and simply serving Roasted Lamb with Honey and Thyme as slices with accompanying dishes and it became perfect for both the Easter and Christmas holidays.

I love the whole process of Thanksgiving but I do not want to stand in the kitchen cooking all day on other holidays; especially ones so focused on kids. I was a single mom from the time my girls were two and six; I wanted to spend the day with them!

If I have leftovers, I might still serve it as a salad the next day; that way I get the best of both worlds. If I have leftovers is key…since I get a small leg of lamb, that is not always the case. Lamb roasts are small enough that a large crew is not necessary to see the entire roast disappear.

Whether I prepare this lamb for Easter or for our meal on Christmas Day we LOVE it with this Pumpernickel and Rye Dressing with Bacon and Pecans , it’s a savory dish that is perfect all year round and not a dressing that is reminiscent of so many served on Thanksgiving Day. It was first suggested to me by a friend that worked for a local liquor store, I will love her forever!

Multiple type of breads, bacon, pecans…and oh yeah, BOURBON…make it most unique and particularly delicious dressing I have ever had; it’s a must try!

Roasted lamb is so easy to prepare. It’s actually a boneless leg of lamb that has been rolled into shape and is kept rolled with netting or string; I get mine every year from Costco via New Zealand. Roast it and remove the netting after it has been cooked so it will keep it’s shape. How easy? This is the total of ingredients! (Complete recipe is at the end of this post)

• honey
• olive oil
• fresh thyme sprigs
• Lamb roast

I know that lamb and mint have been favorites forever but I prefer this method combining honey, olive oil and thyme; the resulting flavor is outstanding.

If I serve this for Easter, we LOVE this salad from the guys at The French Laundry; it’s so delicious. The veggies can be mixed up, but the dressing is the bomb!

For Christmas I’ve got several wonderful cranberry sauces we can choose from; that is one thing I love to play with each year and come up with something unique…here are a couple of my favorites:

• Bourbon, Brown Sugar, and Orange Cranberry Sauce – my latest and greatests (this year at least!)
• Cosmopolitan Cranberry Sauce
• Best Cranberry Sauce Ever (until I make the next one I think is best!)
• And a cocktail! Cranberry Pomegranate Moscow Mule

At one time I didn’t care for lamb but this preparation changed everything. It can be a bit gamey and this glaze works perfectly to add a sweet herbacious component. I’ve also realized that medium rare lamb is so much preferable to anything cooked longer.

This one actually was in the oven a few more minutes than I would have liked and it was still pink and  juicy but in my humble opinion, lamb roasted to medium or medium well would ruin it in my book, it simply dries out the meat.

As mentioned, while I no longer make the dish to serve as a salad, I certainly will enjoy one the next day if there are leftovers. I mix together a bit more honey, olive oil, some red wine vinegar and fresh thyme and serve it with the lamb and toasted pine nuts. Still a favorite after all these years!

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Roasted Lamb with Honey and Thyme Glaze

Barb

An easy preparation of a special dish, this Roasted Lamb with Honey-Thyme Glaze is delicious and perfect for a special dinner or holiday occasion.

5 from 50 or more votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Additional Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Course Christmas Favorites, Dinner, Lamb

Cuisine American

Servings 10 Servings

Calories 446 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 4 tablespoons honey
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 5 pounds lamb roast

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Combine honey, olive oil, and thyme in heavy small saucepan.
• Stir over low heat until just warm. Remove from heat.
• Place lamb on rack set in roasting pan; brush with half of honey mixture from bowl.
• Roast lamb 12 minutes; brush again with honey mixture from bowl.
• Continue to roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of meat registers 125°F for medium-rare and up to 150°F for well done. The time will vary depending on the size of your roast and desired level of done-ness; figure 15-25 minutes per pound.
• Transfer lamb to cutting board; over with foil and let rest for 15-20 minutes.
• Cut lamp into slices and drizzle with leftover honey glaze.

Notes

No roasting rack? No problem. Simply tear off a large piece of aluminum foil and wad it up in a shape to fit the length of the roasting pan and place your roast on top.

 

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Roasted Lamb with Honey and Thyme Glaze

Serving Size

 

1 Serving

Amount per Serving

Calories

446

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

24

g

37

%

Cholesterol

 

150

mg

50

%

Sodium

 

155

mg

7

%

Carbohydrates

 

7

g

2

%

Protein

 

47

g

94

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Calories

446

Keyword christmas, dinner, Easter, holiday, honey, lamb, roasted, thanksgiving, thyme

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