Cooking Leg of Lamb in an instant pot is not only easy, it’s also incredibly tender and flavorful. This Keto Easter dinner comes together in under an hour!
Tender leg of lamb is usually a labor of love. Most recipes call for roasting for upwards of an hour and a half. And I certainly love to cook it that way when I have plenty of time on my hands.
But Instant Pot Leg of Lamb cuts that time almost in half, AND it results in unbelievably juicy, succulent meat. Ever since I first tried this method, I’ve been sold.
Paired with low carb sides like Cauliflower Rice Pilaf and lemony Sugar Snap Peas, it makes a wonderful spring meal. It’s always part of our Keto Easter Menu Plan!
Why you must try this recipe
Instant Pots are wonderful inventions, and they do so much more than just soups and stews. I think some people tend to forget that, but I’ve made everything from Easy Chicken and Mushrooms to Keto Cinnamon Bread.
The sauté function is incredibly valuable when doing something like leg of lamb, because you can brown the roast all over as you would in a dutch oven. Browning always brings out more flavor.
I still like to pop the roast under my broiler at the very end of cooking, to crisp up the fat a little more. But you can skip that step if you are short on time. Regardless, you will have perfectly cooked meat that is meltingly tender.
I encourage you to give this Instant Pot Leg of Lamb a go and let me know what you think!
Reader Reviews
“I love how easy and delicious this recipe was! Can’t wait to make it again!” — Steph
“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.” — Cindy
“It was yummy my family loved it, I cooked my lamb on New Years 2022!” — Renee
Ingredients you need
- Boneless leg of lamb: You want to find a lamb that will fit inside your pressure cooker. Boneless is going to work best here, as bone-in tends to be much larger and takes longer to cook. Try to get a roast that’s three to four pounds in weight.
- Garlic: Always use fresh garlic when pairing with lamb.
- Fresh rosemary: If you don’t like rosemary, try other herbs like marjoram or thyme. You can also use Italian seasoning.
- Water: I added some water to create the pressure, but you can use beef or vegetable broth.
- Olive or avocado oil: A few tablespoons of oil will keep the roast from sticking to the bottom of the pot during browning.
- Salt and pepper
Step-by-step directions
1. Prepare the roast: Pat the lamb roast dry and season with salt and pepper.
2. Brown all over: Set the Instant Pot to sauté and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, brown the lamb on all sides.
3. Pressure cook: Insert the rack into the bottom of the Instant Pot. Add the water to the bottom of the pot. Place the lamb on the rack and set the Instant Pot to meat/stew. Cook 25 to 35 minutes, depending on how rare you want it (30 minutes is about right for medium rare on a 4lb leg of lamb).
4. Release the pressure: Let the pressure release naturally for about 10 minutes, then vent to release any remaining pressure. Test the internal temperature of the lamb with an instant read thermometer. If it needs more time, you can return it to the pot for a few minutes or you can cook it a bit longer in the oven after broiling the top.
5. Broil: Preheat the broiler. Remove the netting from the lamb and spread the garlic and rosemary all over the top and sides. Set the lamb in a baking dish and broil 6 inches from the heat for about 2 minutes, to brown the top.
6. Rest: Let the roast rest about 10 minutes before slicing.
Expert Tips
When estimating how long to cook your lamb in the pressure cooker, remember that lamb is best when it it is somewhat pink inside and not well done. So it’s better to cut the cooking time by a few minutes instead of adding more.
A general rule of thumb for Instant Pot Leg of Lamb is to cook is about 12 minutes per pound. If it’s not up to temperature when it comes out of the pot, you can leave it in the oven for a few extra minutes after broiling the top.
If you want to make a gravy, use chicken or beef broth instead of water. Then you can follow my tips here for a good keto gravy.
Leftovers can be place in an air tight container and refrigerated for 3-4 days. You can also freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
A 4-pound boneless leg of lamb will take 30 to 35 minutes and the duration depends on how rare you like it. A good rule of thumb is about 12 minutes of pressure cooking per pound. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before removing the lid.
When pressure cooking meat, you must add some liquid so that the Instant Pot can create the steam needed to pressure cook the meat. You can use water, stock, wine or a combination of liquids.
This Instant Pot Leg of Lamb recipe has only 1g of carbs per serving.
More delicious lamb recipes
Instant Pot Leg of Lamb
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 – 4 lb (1360.78 g) boneless leg of lamb
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup water
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Pat the lamb roast dry and season with salt and pepper.
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, brown the lamb on all sides.
- Insert the rack into the bottom of the Instant Pot. Add the water to the bottom of the pot. Place the lamb on the rack and set the Instant Pot to meat/stew. Cook 25 to 35 minutes, depending on how rare you want it (30 minutes is about right for medium rare on a 4lb leg of lamb).
- Let the pressure release naturally for about 10 minutes, then vent to release any remaining pressure. Test the internal temperature of the lamb with an instant read thermometer. If it needs more time, you can return it to the pot for a few minutes or you can cook it a bit longer in the oven after broiling the top.
- Preheat the broiler. Remove the netting from the lamb and spread the garlic and rosemary all over the top and sides. Set the lamb in a baking dish and broil 6 inches from the heat for about 2 minutes, to brown the top.
- Let the roast rest about 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
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.
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This would be a sweeeet out of the box dinner for Easter! Or any Sunday dinner. Trying out on my inlaws for sure!!
I love how easy and delicious this recipe was! Can’t wait to make it again!
This looks so tender and delicious! I love that you can cook it in the Instant Pot too!
Perfect for the instant pot. I am ready to pull mine out again!
Ok, I need to use my instant pot more! This looks so tender & juicy & love that it doesn’t take all day to cook!
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!
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.
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.
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.
Thanks, Linda! I love lamb and it’s nice to take a shortcut with the Instant Pot. Enjoy!
How would you adjust the time for a frozen roast? It is only 1.9lbs.
No idea but I bet you can google it!
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
What other oil can you use other than avocado oil?
Whatever you like.
I don’t have an oven. Does it really need that final step? Maybe I could put it on the grill?
Thanks!
The grill will totally work!
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!
I do almost always let my roasts come to room temp first. If yours is that big, it will definitely take a little more time in the IP.
Thanks so much!
Hi, unfortunately the only lamb Leg available had a big bone in it! Do you have any timing suggestions?
I don’t but I bet you could google it!
what should the timing be for a semi-boneless leg?
I don’t know, I didn’t write the recipe that way. Sorry!
So it’s not stewed by sitting in the liquid. That would braise the lamb, rather than “roast” it.
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!
I really can’t say for sure. Maybe take it down by 10 minutes. If it’s not done, do 5 more minutes.
The smallest boneless I’ve found is just over 5lbs. Should I increase cooking time? By how much?
Maybe. I wouldn’t increase by more than 5 minutes.
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!
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