Instant Pot Leg of Lamb gives you the best of both worlds-fork tender lamb in half the time of traditional recipes. This Greek-style recipe is flavored with oregano and lemon, and is the perfect main course to serve alongside Greek Roasted Potatoes for Easter dinner or any special occasion.
You may have noticed here on the blog that I have a slight obsession with Greek food. Recently I was perusing a used bookstore and found a Greek recipe book from the 1950s written by a Ladies' Society from the Greek Orthodox church in Charleston, SC.
This Greek Leg of Lamb with Potatoes was the first recipe I tried from it, but I adapted it for the Instant Pot to make it even faster! It is the perfect easy recipe to simplify your special occasions.
This lamb turns out fork-tender and perfectly seasoned the Greek way-full of oregano, lemon, and garlic!
Lamb leg roasts are usually slow-roasted in the oven over many hours, making it perfect for adapting for pressure cooking.
Ingredients
You don't need a ton of ingredients for this pressure cooker lamb, everything is pretty basic other than the lamb itself.
- olive oil
- 4-5 lb boneless leg of lamb roast
- minced garlic cloves
- 2 lemons
- oregano
- white wine or chicken broth
- potatoes
- salt and ground black pepper
How to choose a leg of lamb
Here in the United States, most grocery stores will only sell boneless leg of lamb, which is what we call for in this recipe. It is a lamb leg that is already de-boned, rolled, and tied (BLT) so it is ready to go when you bring it home. Look for a lamb with darker, not lighter, meat.
If you are shopping at a butcher ask them if they have a boneless leg of lamb or if they will "BLT"(bone, roll, tie) it for you.
Step by step
- The lamb is seared on all sides in Sauté mode to lock in the juices, then removed from the Instant Pot.
- White wine (or chicken broth) deglazes the bottom of the pot and creates a lovely flavor to the pan juices.
- Potatoes are added to the bottom of the pan if desired, and the lamb is placed on top.
- Add the seasonings, close the lid, and cook under pressure for about 90 minutes. Allow a natural pressure release before serving.
- Transfer the lamb meat to a cutting board and slice. Use a slotted spoon to scoop up the potatoes from the inner pot of the Instant Pot and top it all with the delicious gravy at the bottom of the pot.
The result is fork-tender lamb in about half the time as normal!
Variations
- add in onion slices
- experiment with adding other fresh herbs such as thyme, bay leaves, or fresh rosemary
- I like my Greek Lamb and Potatoes topped with this thin sauce at the bottom of the Instant Pot but if you like you can remove the sauce from the pot to a sauce pan and thicken it with a cornstarch slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch with ¼ cup cold water. Bring to a simmer and add the slurry, stirring until the lamb gravy is thickened.
FAQs
Yes, because we are using the pressure cooker, there is no adjustment to the cooking time if your roast is bone-in instead of boneless.
I highly recommend you sear the lamb before pressure cooking. Skipping this step will affect the juiciness of the finished lamb.
I recommend you do at least a 20-minute natural release before doing a quick release for the remaining pressure.
Roasted potatoes and green beans are my favorite side for lamb but root vegetables like carrots are also wonderful. You could also pair this with a Greek salad, roasted cauliflower, or get creative with leftovers and serve them up gyro-style on pita bread with homemade tzatziki sauce!
Yes! Try this slow cooker leg of lamb recipe for an easy alternative.
Storage
Store leftover lamb in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Freeze lamb in a freezer-safe container (affiliate link) for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
If you try this recipe, please comment and rate it below, I love hearing from you!
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Instant Pot Greek Leg of Lamb
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Greek
Description
Greek Leg of Lamb made in the Instant Pot gives you the best of both worlds-fork tender lamb in half the time of traditional recipes. Flavored with oregano and lemon, this is the perfect recipe for Easter, Sunday dinner, or any occasion!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4-5 lb boneless leg of lamb roast
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- salt and pepper
- juice of 2 lemons
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 sprigs fresh oregano
- 1 cup white wine or chicken broth
- 4-5 large potatoes, cut into eighths
Instructions
- Remove leg of lamb from netting if necessary. Add olive oil to the Instant Pot and set to Sauté mode.
- Season the lamb with salt and pepper and oregano. Sear the lamb on all sides, about 4 minutes per side.
- Remove lamb and turn off sauté mode. Add half of the wine or broth and deglaze the bottom of the pan, by scraping any brown bits into the liquid.
- Add potatoes to the Instant Pot.
- Place the lamb on top the potatoes and pour the remaining wine/broth and lemon juice over the top. Cover lamb with fresh oregano and garlic.
- Seal the Instant Pot and set to high pressure for 90 minutes. Allow to naturally release pressure after cooking, this usually takes about 25 minutes.
Keywords: Greek leg of Lamb, Instant Pot leg of lamb, pressure cook leg of lamb
Shauna says
Can you make it with a frozen leg of lamb?
Melissa Riker says
It should work Shauna, if you can't sear it in step 2 you could alternatively season it and roast it for 20 minutes at 500 degrees to brown it then transfer it to the Instant Pot and continue as written.
Harleigh says
My favorite easter recipe, thank you!
★★★★★
Dori Richardson says
Wondering how much less time for a 2.5 lb leg of lamb?
Raleigh says
so good, and convenient with the instant pot
★★★★★