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Instant Pot Leg of Lamb

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Whoa! Cooking a whole leg of lamb in your instant pot is not only quick and easy but it’s also insanely delicious. This low carb keto meal comes together in under an hour! In partnership with The American Lamb Board.

Low Carb Instant Pot Leg of Lamb

This past Thanksgiving, I came to the inevitable conclusion that I am just not that much of a turkey person. I am ducking as I say this, because I am sure some die-hard turkey lovers have just picked up the nearest object and thrown it at my head. But I think this has been coming slowly over time.

I do like the taste of turkey, but I don’t enjoy the work required for making a whole bird. Or the carcass that sits in my fridge, taking up room until I can find the energy to get all the leftover meat off. And then the pressure to use up all those leftovers in creative and different ways, after we’ve all become sick of it.

 

Easy Instant Pot Leg of Lamb Recipe. Paleo and low carb

I’d much, much rather do something like lamb. I know turkey is tradition and that the pilgrims didn’t have sheep anywhere nearby when they first came to the Americas. I get that and I will probably keep doing turkey year in and year out because it’s virtually required. But just understand that I will be dreaming of recipes like this Instant Pot Leg of Lamb instead. Because it would be so much easier, so much faster, and I would be happy to have all those lamb leftovers in my fridge.

I never ever get sick of lamb and I am very glad that with Thanksgiving out of the way and Christmas approaching, I have an excuse to make big lamb roasts. And this winter, I foresee many a comfort meal, like lamb stew or lamb curry. Discovering that I could do it all, even the roasts, in my Instant Pot was quite a revelation. When the American Lamb board challenged me to an Instant Pot recipe, my first inclination was a stew. But with the holidays coming, I wanted a nice, juicy lamb leg roast. So I set about to see if it can be made in a pressure cooker.

Easy Keto Leg of Lamb in your Instant Pot

Turns out that it can and that’s it’s so delicious and easy, you’ll wonder why you’ve never done it before. Like many pressure cooker meals, it doesn’t brown up as much as it would in the oven so I popped mine under the broiler for a few minutes after it was finished. But you can skip that step if you prefer. Regardless you will have perfectly cooked leg of lamb that is meltingly tender. Sorry folks, but turkey just can’t compete with this!

Want more great lamb recipes? Check out this healthy Lamb Kofta!

Win an Instant Pot!

Don’t have an Instant Pot? Well The American Lamb Board just so happens to be giving one away. All you have to do is follow them on Instagram and tag a friend in the comments on THIS PHOTO. And for more great lamb recipes and tips on how to cook lamb, check out The American Lamb Board.

You can make a whole lamb roast in your instant pot!

4.93 from 13 votes
You can make a whole lamb roast in your instant pot!
Print
Instant Pot Leg of Lamb
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 

Whoa! Cooking a whole leg of lamb in your instant pot is not only quick and easy but it's also insanely delicious. This low carb keto meal comes together in under an hour!

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 to 10
Calories: 432 kcal
Ingredients
  • 1 3 to 4 lb boneless leg of lamb
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 tbsp avocado oil divided
  • 2 cups water
  • 4 cloves garlic crushed
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
Instructions
  1. 1. Pat the lamb dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
  2. 2. Set the Instant Pot to sauté and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, brown the lamb all over. Remove the lamb and spread the top and sides with the garlic and rosemary.
  3. 3. Insert the rack into the bottom of the Instant Pot. Pour in the water into the bottom of the pot. Place the lamb on the rack and set the Instant Pot to meat/stew. Cook 30 to 35 minutes, depending on how rare you want it (30 minutes is good for medium rare on a 4lb leg of lamb). Let the pressure release naturally before removing the lid.
  4. 4. Preheat the broiler. Set the lamb on a broiling pan and broil 6 inches from the heat for about 2 minutes, to brown the top. Remove and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.
Nutrition Facts
Instant Pot Leg of Lamb
Amount Per Serving
Calories 432 Calories from Fat 232
% Daily Value*
Fat 25.82g40%
Carbohydrates 1.02g0%
Fiber 0.38g2%
Protein 44.7g89%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Many thanks to the American Lamb Board for partnering with me to bring you this post.

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Nutritional Disclaimer

Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

Reader Interactions

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Comments

  1. That looks so delicious! Unfortunately, lamb isn’t readily available in our area.
    We don’t try to eat up our turkey leftovers right away….instead I put 3 cups of turkey along with broth into freezer bags and freeze it. It’s really handy to pull out a bag and make turkey soup later!

    Reply

  3. This looks delicious. My spouse has been wanting to try Leg of Lamb for the first time, and has been interested in the Instant Pot, so this is a timely post. Thank you for all the great low carb inspiration you provide.

    Reply

  5. This is perfect for our upcoming remodel project. I’ll be without a kitchen for a couple months and this will be a wonderful treat for Bill—he loves lamb!!!

    Reply

  7. I’ve read other blogs that mention the saute function isn’t that great on the instant pot. I’ve only used it to make yogurt so I thought I’d ask what you think! Surely you could just saute this in a pan first?

    Reply

    • No matter how you saute it, it needs browning at the end to take away that grey colour that happens with all pressure cooker meats. The saute function in my IP works find, in my opinion.

      Reply

    • i just literally sauted mine five mins ago… i didnt realise that there are three levels of saute, one seems to do nothing the middle one is hot and the higher one seems to be hotter but maybe im imagining it… the other settings all have three levels low med and high and the time also goes up so i dont really know if the heat goes up because the only one i coudl tell with is the lid off saute… but it did brown it just fine. i left it on for a few minutes while i washed my vaccuum packed leg and sprinkled it with salt, i threw in some olive oil and while it was browing on the side i peeled garlic and an onion, and then i turned i tover threw in the onions and galric nad herbs, then i boiled the kettle and added a stock cube, peeled some potatoes nad carrots, turned the leg over one more time to get the last side and everything was browing, i threw the spuds carrots and stock in at the last minute and put the pressure function on high for 40 mins…. so we shall see how it turns out. im starving!

      Reply

        • Carolyn, the Instant Pot has 3 levels of heat on saute. Normal/More/Less – when you hit the saute button, then hit adjust. 🙂 That said – I’ve been thinking of this post since I first saw it, and was at Costco today and picked up a nice boneless leg of lamb to try either this weekend or next!

          I’ll come back and rate the recipe after we actually try it!

          Reply

  10. I’m with you on the NO Turkey vote! Domestic turkeys must be created by humans, though the process is very inhumane. The male turkeys must be hung upside-down, stripped of their semen then the female turkeys are hung upside down and artificially inseminated. These big bloated engineered birds are unnatural!
    Eat 2 x 7 lb. Chickens at least they are real. There are some rare Heritage Turkeys out there that can still function & breed, though they are sensibly sized by Mother Nature vs Human Engineering. Eating a Wild Turkey is fine if you have a hunter in the family, though only the Breast (my least favorite part) is eatable as the legs are like rubber bands as these turkeys work for a living. I know I watch a rafter of 22 turkey out my window multiple times a week. Eat things that don’t have to be engineered! Lamb is Yummy!

    Reply

    • thing about the instant pot is it wil probably cook those legs to a gooey stringy tender edibleness. you know those really tough stringy stewing steaks? it makes them into butter if you slow cook em in the isntant pot..the pressure kinda dries them out…but id say a long slow cook would maketeh toughest bird into something edible. i could probably make my siff boots into soft slippers !!

      Reply

  11. I LOVE lamb – especially leg of lamb — so much that we raise our own. We eat it for most special occasions or just when we want to! My question is, can I roast a leg in a pressure cooker vs. an instant pot? My cooker has high / low pressure, browning, and Dante settings. What correlates to meat / stew setting?

    Reply

    • meat on instant pot is high pressure. i am not sure what psi, i do know that it isnt as high as you need for canning on my model, but later models have a higher psi… pressure rating… i think either would work though, and the saute setting i used was medium because the higher one started to burn… but i am not sure if there is much of a difference there either.;…it is very subtle if it is, cos i am always thinking am i imagining that that has gone down in heat?

      Reply

  17. 4 stars
    Hi Carolyn, I was just wondering what you do with the juices in the bottom of the pot? Haven’t ever made lamb before so not quite sure. Thank you for all your yummy recipes!

    Reply

    • 5 stars
      Gravy! Or use it to cook vegetables once the meat is removed. I always make gravy with it though, using the saute setting. You can even save the liquid broth in your refrigerator/freezer and use it to add extra flavor to another dish at a later time

      Reply

  19. Hi! My family is pretty small, so mine is only 1.9 lb. how would you recommend adjusting the time? Thank you and happy Easter!

    Reply

  22. Did you allow your roast to come to room temperature before Siri and the pressure cooking? Do you think it will matter with timing? My leg is boneless and just under 5 1/2 pounds, based on your other comments, I am thinking about cooking it on high with natural release for 40 minutes for medium rare. Thank you!

    Reply

  23. I don’t have an oven. Does it really need that final step? Maybe I could put it on the grill?
    Thanks!

    Reply

    • I add a couple of table spoons of blackberry jam in a small pot and bring to a simmer then strain. It’s my favorite with any kind of lamb. Of you like it thicker, just add a bit of flower mixed withcold water, add slowly, consistently storing, and bring to a boil again. Yum

      Reply

  26. 5 stars
    Thought I would share while my leg of lamb cooks in the Instant POT. My grand children are all grown so I don’t see them as much. I saw your pictures and thought this looks just like the lamb I cook for 4-5 hours. I have invited all the boys tonight (girls are not fond of lamb). Smells heavenly and hubby keeps asking, is it done yet. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I am going to make gravy with the juices. Instant POT does have a learning curve. The more I use it the better I enjoy using it. I am giving this 6 stars.

    Reply

  27. I a have a 2# boneless leg of lamb. I like my meat on the rare side – medium rare at the most. How long should I IP cook this for? Is there a basic formula of so many minutes per pound if you want rare, or medium, or well done? Would love to know the formula, so I can properly cook any size leg I happen to get. Thank you!

    Reply

    • I certainly don’t have a formula, but you can do it for a shorter amount of time and then test it with an instant read thermometer. If it’s not high enough, finish it off in the oven.

      Reply

    • 5 stars
      There is another blogger who gives the formula: for medium rare boneless lamb – 10 minutes per pound; for medium rare bone-in or semi-bone in lamb – 15 minutes per pound. Let the pressure release naturally. Hope that helps.

      Reply

  28. 5 stars
    Ok, I need to use my instant pot more! This looks so tender & juicy & love that it doesn’t take all day to cook!

    Reply

  32. 5 stars
    This would be a sweeeet out of the box dinner for Easter! Or any Sunday dinner. Trying out on my inlaws for sure!!

    Reply

  33. This is an awesomely easy and yummy recipe. I made a little change and it’s worth it. Instead of water, I used low sodium beef stock and made a delicious gravy with it after the lamb was cooked. My gravy is simply 3-T melted ghee, salt and pepper, 3-T flour (not enough to screw up your diet considering how much gravy you’ll have) – cooked on medium heat while wisking )until the flour was starting to brown) then slowly wisking in the beef/lamb stock until it is the consistency you like. Serve over the sliced lamb. YUM.

    Reply

  34. I’ve got two 1.3 lb semi boneless roasts. I’m thinking to cook for 20 mins to get medium rare. Anyone have suggestions?

    Reply

  35. 5 stars
    I cooked my 3# leg for 25 minutes and natural release, hoping to get it medium rare. While it was tasty and tender it was closer to medium/medium well. Next time, should I cook it for a shorter period of time or should I do the quick release? Or both?
    Thanks!
    William

    Reply

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