Garlic Butter lamb leg on the griddle

There’s something completely craveworthy about lamb leg hitting a ripping hot griddle, especially when the recipe is this quick and easy.

The sizzle alone feels like an announcement: this isn’t just dinner, this is an occasion. With its rich flavor, golden fat cap, and a finishing drizzle of rosemary-garlic butter, this recipe turns a simple cut of lamb into a show-stopping centerpiece that feels both rustic and refined.

What makes this lamb leg on a griddle recipe special is the way it balances boldness and simplicity. The lamb leg is already packed with natural flavor- deep, slightly sweet and unmistakably savory. All it needs is a generous seasoning of kosher salt to get it started, and the garlic and butter are used during the cook to enhance the beautifully caramelized crust. The fat cap, crosshatched and rendered on a hot flat top, transforms into crisp, golden edges that contrast perfectly with the tender interior.

I love this recipe because it tastes restaurant-worthy but uses only a few simple ingredients with little fuss. There’s no complicated marinade, no overnight prep, no elaborate sauce. In about 20 minutes of active cooking time, you have a main course that can anchor a dinner party, a holiday table, or a laid-back weekend feast. This recipe is for a griddle, but you could easily use the oven, smoker, or grill for similar results.

Because the lamb is butterflied, it cooks evenly and quickly. Each slice offers a contrast of crispy, rendered fat and juicy, rosy meat. It’s the kind of dish that invites you to slice it thick and pile it high. The juices mingle with whatever sides you’ve chosen. I suggest charred veggies, crusty bread, and a pile of potatoes.

So in 20 minutes, you can have this impressive tasty roast sitting on your table. How’s that for weeknight excellence?

Lamb Leg on the Griddle

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• Author: Jess Pryles

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Ingredients

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1 x butterflied Aussie lamb leg (about 2.5–3 lb)

2.5 teaspoons Kosher salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup butter, salted

8 cloves fresh garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped

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Instructions

1. Preheat a griddle or flat top grill for high heat searing. 
2. Pat the lamb dry with paper towels. 
3. Optional – remove any large chunks of thick/hard fat from the lamb, and use a sharp knife to shave down any fat caps to ¼ inch thickness.
4. Cut a crosshatch in the fat cap, scoring the fat only (don’t cut into the meat!). 
5. Season the lamb with salt generously on both sides. 
6. Once the griddle is pre-heated to at least 400F, pour over the olive oil then immediately set the lamb fat-side down, pressing firmly to establish contact with the griddle surface. Allow to cook, undisturbed, for 5 minutes. 
7. Flip and cook a further 5 minutes on the other side. 
8. While the lamb is initially searing, place a small saucepan on the griddle top, and add the butter, garlic and rosemary until melted. 
9. Spoon half the mixture over the top of the lamb, and then flip once again and cook a further 5 minutes. 
10. Spoon the remaining mixture over the seared side, the flip one final time and cook for 5 minutes or until the thickest part of the lamb reads 135f on a meat thermometer. This is a total of at least 4 flips and about 20 minutes of cooking time. 
11. Rest the lamb for 5-10 minutes, loosely tented with foil, and slice to serve.