This Instant Pot leg of lamb is a delicious and tender main course. It takes practically no effort to prepare! The meat is juicy, flavorful, and so tasty that it is a completely holiday-worthy dinner! Not to mention, making it in the pressure cooker is a real time-saver, and it won't take up valuable oven space!
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Succulent Pressure Cooker Lamb
Lamb is one of my favorite proteins to prepare; it is so flavorful and simple to make! However, if the thought of cooking lamb intimidates you (which it shouldn't!), this recipe is extra simple as it uses your pressure cooker!
I'm not even kidding when I say that an Instant Pot is entirely worth every penny. It can make many things, from potatoes au gratin to mac and cheese and even ribs! It can truly do it all!
If you've never made lamb before or just want to know all of the best tips and tricks, take a look at my ultimate guide to cooking lamb!
🥘 Ingredients
Sometimes simple is best, and this recipe is a fantastic example! With just a handful of ingredients, you can make this wonderfully delicious lamb dinner!
- Leg of Lamb - One boneless, 5-pound leg of lamb.
- Salt & Pepper - 1 teaspoon each of both salt and pepper.
- Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
- Onion - 1 cup of sliced yellow or white onion (1 cup of sliced onion is about the same as 1 small onion).
- Garlic - 4 cloves of garlic that have been peeled and smashed.
- Beef Broth - 4 cups of beef broth.
- Rosemary - 2 teaspoons of dried rosemary.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Leg of Lamb In An Instant Pot
This recipe is practically effortless as your pressure cooker does all the hard work! You will need your Instant Pot, the metal trivet that came with it, a wooden spoon, and your measuring utensils.
A 5-pound boneless leg of lamb will yield about 10 servings.
- Season. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the Instant Pot and turn on the saute setting, then season your 5-pound leg of lamb with 1 teaspoon of both salt and pepper.
- Sear. Once your Instant Pot is heated, sear the seasoned leg of lamb for 4 minutes on each side. Then, remove the lamb from the pot and set it aside.
- Saute. While still on the saute setting, add the 1 cup of sliced onion to the Instant Pot. Saute for a 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add 4 garlic cloves and saute for an additional 30 seconds.
- Deglaze the pan. Deglaze the pan by pouring in 4 cups of beef broth and using a wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits off the bottom. Add the 2 teaspoons of dried rosemary and then turn off the saute setting.
- Place lamb in the pot. Place the trivet into the Instant Pot and set the seared leg of lamb on top of it.
- Cook. Close and seal the lid of the pot and set it to manual pressure. Cook for 45 minutes.
- Release pressure. Once the time is up, allow the Instant Pot to naturally release the pressure (NPR) for 20 minutes before performing a quick release.
- Transfer the lamb. Carefully open the lid of the pot and transfer the lamb to a serving tray or cutting board.
- Rest. Allow the lamb to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving with the broth poured over the top, or use it to make my lamb gravy.
🥗 Sides
Serve your leg of lamb with some homemade mint sauce and mashed potatoes! For some more ideas, take a look at what to serve with lamb. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Pressure Building Time: Remember, the Instant Pot timer starts only after reaching pressure. This process can take 10-15 minutes, so factor this into your cooking time.
- Cooking Time for Medium-Rare: For medium-rare lamb, a general guideline is to cook for 9 minutes per pound.
- Cooking Time for Medium: If you prefer your lamb medium, cook it for 11 minutes per pound.
- Adjustments for Bone-In Lamb: For bone-in leg of lamb, extend the cooking time. Cook for 10 minutes per pound for medium-rare and 13 minutes per pound for medium.
- Avoid Overcooking: To ensure your lamb remains juicy, flavorful, and tender, it's best not to cook it beyond medium.
- Natural Pressure Release: Allow the Instant Pot to release pressure naturally after cooking. This helps the lamb retain its juices and tenderness.
- Rest Before Serving: Once cooked, let the lamb rest for a few minutes before slicing. This allows the juices to redistribute, enhancing flavor and texture.
- Seasoning Tips: For added flavor, consider rubbing the lamb with a mix of herbs and spices before cooking. Garlic, rosemary, and thyme are excellent choices.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
There are tons of different recipes you can make with leftover lamb! Keep leftover lamb in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
To freeze, place the meat into a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 6 months, keeping the meat and broth separate. Allow it to thaw out overnight before reheating.
Reheating
Place your lamb into a baking dish with some broth and cover it with foil. Bake in the oven at 300°F (150°C) until heated all the way through.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
This really depends on the cut of meat! Lamb shanks or stew meat, for example, become amazingly tender and delicious when cooked for longer periods of time. However, lamb chops or leg of lamb (as well as most other cuts of lamb) are already incredibly tender cuts of meat and can easily become tough or chewy when overcooked.
Leg of lamb is best enjoyed when it is medium-rare to medium as it can become tough if overcooked. You'll want to cook your boneless leg of lamb in the pressure cooker for 9 minutes per pound for medium-rare or 11 minutes per pound for medium.
I highly recommend searing your lamb for the best flavor. If you skip this step, the meat won't be as juicy or flavorful.
Yes, you can add vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and onions. Place them at the bottom of the pot, and set the lamb on top. Keep in mind that the vegetables will be very tender due to the cooking time required for the lamb.
Absolutely! After removing the lamb, you can use the sauté function to simmer the drippings with a bit of flour or cornstarch to thicken it into a gravy. Also, see my lamb gravy recipe for more details!
🥩 More Lamb Recipes
- Grilled Lamb Shanks - Marinated lamb shanks are grilled to perfection for an easy meal!
- Smoked Leg of Lamb - The lamb is rubbed with a homemade dry rub and then smoked until tender and flavorful!
- Roasted Rack of Lamb - This impressive hands-off dinner is perfect for any occasion!
- Grilled Lamb Steaks - You're just 3 ingredients away from a tender and flavorful steak dinner!
- Air Fryer Lamb Chops - Prepare your chops in the air fryer for a quick and simple meal!
- Lamb Breast - You can choose to either grill or roast this delicious lamb breast.
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📖 Recipe Card
Instant Pot Leg of Lamb
Ingredients
- 5 lb leg of lamb (boneless)
- 1 teaspoon each, salt & pepper
- 2 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin)
- 1 cup yellow onion (1 small yellow or white onion, peeled and sliced)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced, peeled and smashed)
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 teaspoon dried rosemary
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Add 2 tablespoon olive oil to the Instant Pot and turn on the saute setting, then season your 5 lb leg of lamb with 1 teaspoon each, salt & pepper.
- Once your Instant Pot is heated, sear the seasoned leg of lamb for 4 minutes on each side. Then, remove the lamb from the pot and set it aside.
- While still on the saute setting, add the sliced 1 cup yellow onion to the Instant Pot. Saute for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add the minced 4 cloves garlic and saute for an additional 30 seconds.
- Deglaze the pan by pouring in the 4 cups beef broth and using a wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits off the bottom. Add the 2 teaspoon dried rosemary and then turn off the saute setting.
- Place the trivet into the Instant Pot and set the seared leg of lamb on top of it.
- Close and seal the lid of the pot and set it to manual pressure cook for 45 minutes.
- Once the time is up, allow the Instant Pot to naturally release the pressure (NPR) for 20 minutes before performing a quick release.
- Carefully open the lid of the pot and transfer the lamb to a serving tray or cutting board.
- Allow the lamb to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving with the broth poured over the top or used to make my lamb gravy.
Notes
- The Instant Pot will not start the timer until it has reached pressure, which could take 10-15 minutes.
- A good rule of thumb is to cook your lamb for 9 minutes per pound for medium-rare or 11 minutes per pound for medium.
- If you are using a bone-in leg of lamb, your meat will need to cook longer. Cook for 10 minutes per pound for medium-rare or 13 minutes per pound for medium.
- I don't recommend cooking your lamb past medium in order to enjoy juicy, flavorful, and tender meat!
- To store: Keep leftover lamb in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
- To freeze: Place meat into a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 6 months, keeping the meat and broth separate. Allow it to thaw out overnight before reheating.
- To reheat: Place your lamb into a baking dish with some broth and cover it with foil. Bake in the oven at 300°F (150°C) until heated all the way through.
Regina says
Finally! A site where they break down the cooking time by weight! I have a small two-pound leg of lamb, and this is the first site that broke down the Instant Pot cooking time by weight. Thank you! I haven't prepped it yet, so wish me luck!