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Easy Leg of Lamb Roulade Recipe

Easy Leg of Lamb Roulade Recipe combines the deep flavor of lamb with a rich smooth filling of cheese, pinenuts, mushrooms, and spinach. It’s a celebration of flavors, textures, and colors perfect for a special dinner.

Top down view of a roasted leg of lamb that's been butterflied and rolled. It's stuffed with pinenuts, mushrooms, and spinach. Theres chopped mushrooms surrounding the roast on a white platter.

Elegant doesn’t have to be hard. This Easy Leg of Lamb Roulade Recipe may look fancy but it comes together quickly. There’s no better way to make people feel special then to serve them a beautiful dish like this Roasted Lamb Roulade Recipe.

I used to be a ninny that said: “I don’t like lamb”.

On a couple of occasions when we would have our friends over for a special night such as New Year’s Eve, John often cooked lamb chops on the grill. I had to admit that they were definitely striking to look at, and when he coaxed me to try it, I had to admit that they were delicious too.

Gradually I got over being a ninny and started branching out. Our family congregates at our house over the holidays and we always enjoy our Rich and Meaty Lamb Ragu over a Cheesy Polenta or Pistachio Crusted Lamb Chops. These dishes are elegant enough for company but easy enough for dinner.

In the summer, we love grilling this Greek Lamb Burger with Lemon sauce. It’s the perfect recipe to serve to ninnies that state they don’t like lamb. It will change their minds I’ll guarantee it!

With entertaining in mind, I hope that this Lamb Roulade recipe inspires you to either try lamb or making this Roulade recipe.

It may look a little fancy, but it’s one of those recipes that’s guaranteed to impress.

You can take all the credit and don’t even have to fess up as to how easy it is. Follow along and I’ll show you exactly how easy it is to make.

Straight on view of a roasted lamb roulade stuffed with a filling of pine nuts, cheese, mushrooms, and spinach on a white plate surrounded by mushrooms and rosemary sprigs.

This post is sponsored by True Aussie Beef & Lamb but the opinions here, and love I have for their products and their story are all my own.  

I’ve always purchased Australian Lamb for my recipes. When I had the opportunity to work directly with True Aussie Beef & Lamb, I learned that I was making an excellent choice and that they do so much more than just producing quality lamb for the consumer.

This locator can help you find True Aussie Lamb in your area.

With entertaining in mind, I hope you enjoyed our Lamb Bites with Fig Balsamic Glaze. That recipe was so fun to make and with all of the colors, textures, and flavors, it really elevated these cold drab days.

We served our Savory Vegetable Lamb Soup as a second course but it’s so simple and delicious for any time.

That finger-friendly lamb appetizer will be perfect to serve all year round. If you’ve tried it, I hope you’ll let me know how you liked it.

For this recipe, I want to take you right to the main course. Roasted Leg of Lamb Roulade will just slide right off of your tongue when your guests ooh and aah over this dish.

What does Roulade mean?

Very simply, a roulade is a dish served or cooked in a roll. They are typically filled and can be savory or even sweet such as a swiss roll that is a sheet of cake filled and then rolled. Most often it’s meat such as this recipe.

You can make a roulade out of most meats or fish and the filling can be anything you choose. I’ve seen them filled with a bread filling such as our Roasted Turkey Roulade or our Pork Roulade that’s filled with spinach and goat cheese.

What’s the best meat to use for a Roulade.

Any meat or fish that you can flatten and roll is suitable for a roulade. If you are starting with a larger piece of meat, you can make it into a thin flat piece suitable for rolling by butterflying it.

The most important thing is when making a lamb roulade is to have your meat in a uniform thickness for even rolling and roasting.

How do you butterfly meat?

Two photo collage of butterflying a pork roast into a flat piece.
Butterflying Technique
  • A boneless leg of lamb is generally wider on one end than the other. Cut off the narrow end of the meat so the width is uniform. We freeze the part that we cut off for our other lamb recipes.
  • The initial cut determines the thickness of your roll. We sliced our meat about 1-inch thick. Slide the knife along through the meat and open it up as you continue slicing it.
  • Hold the meat in place by keeping one hand on the top of the meat and unroll toward you. Keep your knife in a flat position cutting toward the back of the meat.
  • You will want to remove any excess fat or gristle that you find inside the meat. Don’t worry about a few areas that are thinner than others.
  • If you are starting with a flat piece of meat, you can pound it into an even thickness by placing it in between two pieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap. Putting it in a plastic bag works too. Lightly pound the thicker areas of the meat until you reach a uniform thickness.

Tips for Lamb Roulade Filling:

Two picture collage showing the ingredients of the lamb roulade filling, mushrooms, cheese, spinach and pine nuts. The second picture is a bowl of the combined ingredients.
  • You can make any filling you desire. My biggest suggestion would be to use flavors that compliment the meat.
  • In my humble opinion, I like to have a contrast of colors and textures while also complimenting the protein.
  • One thing I’ve learned is to make a paste or chop the filling ingredients small enough so you can roll it without losing it as you go.
  • I also used a neutral oil to bind all the ingredients so it was “paste-like” but still maintained the texture of the ingredients.

Roulade Filling Ingredients and variations:

Top down view of the ingredients used to make lamb roulade. Leg of lamb, spinach, mushrooms, cheese, and pine nuts.
  • Pine Nuts – This nut is mild and has a softer texture.
    • Pistachios would be an amazing substitution.
  • Mushrooms – I used Portobella because they are a thicker flavorful mushroom that would not bake down and create a lot of liquid as my Roasted Lamb Roulade baked.
    • White mushrooms (Oyster) would work well too.
  • Spinach – I loved the color and flavor spinach adds. It also bakes up well without adding a lot of moisture.
    • Be careful substituting for other greens. Many aren’t sturdy enough to be baked or can become bitter when baked.
  • Fontina Cheese – I chose Fontina because it would be a good flavorful melting cheese.
    • You could substitute lots of different cheeses here. I would choose a semi-soft cheese such as Gruyere, Mozzarella, or a semi-soft sheep’s milk cheese would be great.
  • Seasoning – Very simply, salt, pepper, and fresh rosemary.
    • Fresh Thyme, marjoram, sage, or oregano would also work in this recipe.
  • Vegetable oil – Canola, olive oil, or other neutral-tasting oil.

Assembling Boneless Leg of Lamb Roulade:

Two picture collage showing how to apply the filling to the lamb.
  1. Lay the flattened piece of meat in front of you. Brush both sides of the meat with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  2. Spoon the filling on top of the meat leaving a little space from the edges for the filling to fill when rolled.
  3. Roll the meat tightly but not so tightly that all of the filling is pressed out the sides. Losing some is normal and can be placed back in the sides.
  4. Lay 3 or 4 pieces of cooking string under the rolled meat. With the seam side up, tie the string securely. Cut the ends of the string ends off.
  5. Place the rolled meat seam-side down on a rack placed in an open roasting pan.

How long does it take to cook Roasted Lamb Roulade?

Butterflying a boneless leg of lamb speeds up the cooking time. For a 4 to 7 pound leg of lamb, butterflied, it will take 40 to 50 minutes.

How do I know if my lamb is done?

Don’t overcook this boneless leg of lamb recipe. We went with a medium-rare. Always use an instant-read thermometer and remove the meat as soon as you are close to the correct internal temperature.

The following chart should be helpful. Remember, the temperature can rise once it’s removed from the oven.

Medium Rare 130°FMedium 140-145°FWell done 155-160°F

Note: This is our opinion of how we prepare our lamb.

Roasted lamb roulade straight from the oven before it\'s sliced. It sits next to a bed of roasted mushrooms on a white plate over a black placemat.

Important: This roasted Leg of Lamb Roulade must rest 15 to 30 minutes before slicing it. If you don’t let it rest, the juices will run out and you may lose your filling.

Can Roasted Lamb Roulade be made ahead of time?

You could prepare it by rolling it with the internal ingredients the day before. Wrap it tightly and put it in the refrigerator. I would wait to cook it the day you need it, however. I just don’t think any meat cooked in advance is as good as freshly cooked.

  • Instant-Read Thermometer – I use an instant-read thermometer for this recipe, for grilling, and even baking bread! I couldn’t function without one.
  • Fillet knife -We love how this knife slices through the meat so smoothly. It’s sharp and thin and helps keep our cuts smooth.
  • Mini Food Processor – I used this little powerhouse for my filling. chopped everything finely in a heartbeat. I’ll pull this little guy out instead of lugging my big heavy food processor out 80% of the time.

What to serve with Roasted Leg of Lamb Roulade:

Don’t forget to pin this recipe!

Two photo collage of a Leg of Lamb Roulade roast sitting on a white plate surrounded by chopped mushrooms and sprigs of rosemary.

HERE ARE A FEW MORE EASY LAMB RECIPES YOU MAY ENJOY

We love lamb and you can find all of our lamb recipes here!

I hope that I’ve shown you just how easy this beautiful delicious Leg of Lamb Roulade recipe is to make. As always, I answer all my own comments and emails so let me know if you have any questions.

Don’t forget to stop back and let me know how your Leg of Lamb Roulade turned out!

Top down view of a roasted leg of lamb that's been butterflied and rolled. It's stuffed with pinenuts, mushrooms, and spinach. Theres chopped mushrooms surrounding the roast on a white platter.

Roasted Leg of Lamb Roulade Recipe

Author: Julie Menghini
Easy Leg of Lamb Roulade Recipe combines the deep flavor of lamb with a rich smooth filling of cheese, pinenuts, mushrooms, and spinach.
4.84 from 12 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Resting time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword: Lamb Roulade
Servings: 6

Ingredients
  

  • 4 lb boneless leg of lamb

Filling

  • 1 cup chopped Portobella mushrooms
  • 1 cup pine-nuts chopped
  • 2 cups fresh spinach leaves washed and chopped
  • 3 oz fontina cheese grated
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 325°F.
  • Slice off the narrower end of the leg of lamb. Butterfly the roast by putting your non-dominant hand on top to hold it in place. Slice the roast to a 1-inch thickness, rolling it toward you as you go until you've sliced it into one flat piece.
  • Drizzle oil on both sides of the meat and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  • Using a food processor, chop the mushrooms, cheese, spinach, and pine nuts. Add enough oil to just bind the ingredients together.
  • Spoon the filling onto the flat piece of lamb. Leave a gap to the edge. Roll the meat tightly, but not so tightly that you lose the filling. Tie the roll together with cooking string.
  • Put the rolled lamb roulade on a rack set in a roasting pan seam side down. Roast for 40 to 50 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer reads 130°F. Remove the lamb from the oven and let it rest for 15 to 30 minutes. You don't have to cover it.
  • Remove the string, and slice the roulade.

Nutrition

Calories: 823kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 39gFat: 73gSaturated Fat: 31gCholesterol: 154mgSodium: 235mgPotassium: 671mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1067IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 122mgIron: 5mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.

Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!
Recipe Rating




Susannah

Sunday 17th of April 2022

Made this for Easter! It turned out so well.

Julie Menghini

Monday 18th of April 2022

Thank you, Susannah! I'm sure your guests were wowed!

karen

Thursday 14th of April 2022

Could you prepare this a day ahead, and keep in the fridge?

Julie Menghini

Thursday 14th of April 2022

You could prepare it by rolling it with the internal ingredients the day before. Wrap it tightly and put it in the refrigerator. I would wait to cook it the day you need it, however. I just don't think any meat cooked in advance is as good as freshly cooked. Thanks for your comment, Karen!

Karen (Back Road Journal)

Tuesday 31st of December 2019

Looks delicious Julie, I've pinned to make soon. Have a wonderful and Happy New Year.

Julie Menghini

Thursday 2nd of January 2020

Thank you so much, Karen! Happy New Year to you too!

Erin

Tuesday 24th of December 2019

Real talk: I was terrified to make this Leg of Lamb Roulade because I've messed up many a roulade in the past (long story), but your tips, from butterflying technique to the variations on the filling (which we didn't change because this looked perfect) helped me WIN this dinner! Since it was for my husband's birthday, well, it was even better. :) Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Julie Menghini

Wednesday 25th of December 2019

Thank you Erin! I'm so glad it worked for you!

Michelle

Monday 23rd of December 2019

This was easier than I thought it would be! My family loved it!

Julie Menghini

Monday 23rd of December 2019

We really like this one too! Happy Holidays!

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