Air Fryer Leg of Lamb Recipe (2024)

Try this delicious, juicy leg of lamb recipe in your air fryer! The air fryer will lock in the flavor while cooking the lamb to perfection.

Air Frying a boneless leg of lamb is an easy way to have a flavorful and juicy lamb roast in less time than it takes in an oven. With this easy method, lamb doesn't have to be just for a special occasion. It's easy and quick enough to make anytime the desire hits you!

Due to the smaller space of an air fryer, there is less heat loss and therefore it cooks food quicker. The cooking time will vary depending on how you like your lamb cooked and what type of air fryer you are using.

Cooking to temperature and not time is so important for getting the results you want, so I do recommend having a meat thermometer for this recipe.

Once of the questions I get asked the most in my Ninja Foodi Facebook groups is, "What cooking method should I use for...."? It's also the hardest question to answer because there really isn't just one cooking method that "should" be used. It's more about determining what you want the end result to be.

For example, there are two popular cooking methods for a boneless leg of lamb that I've seen in the Facebook groups, Pressure Cooking and Air Frying (or using bake/roast). I decided to try both and do a little experiment which I will share with you in this article.

You can probably guess that air frying the lamb was my preferred method since that is the recipe I've posted, but sometimes it's important to know the why behind the decision because you may want a different result and to get that result pressure cooking might be a better method for you. When you break it down, cooking is all about personal preferences. So, if you are interested in the differences between pressure cooking and air frying a boneless leg of lamb, keep on reading. If not, use the table of contents to skip to the "How to Cook a Leg of Lamb in the Air Fryer" or use the "jump to recipe" at the top to go directly to my air fryer leg of lamb recipe.

The Experiment: Pressure Cooking Versus Air Frying Boneless Leg of Lamb

Set Up

I had two, 3½ pound (1.6 kg) boneless leg of lamb roasts. I seasoned them the exact same way and wrapped them in plastic wrap. They were both refrigerated in the dry seasoning mix for the same amount of time and both were removed from the refrigerator at the same time before air frying.

Air Fryer Set Up

I used my 6.5 quart Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker and Air Crisper as my air fryer. I put about 1 pound of potatoes on the bottom of the inner pot with a rack above them for the lamb. The rack is the same height as the reversible rack (in the low position) that comes with the Ninja Foodi.

Water was NOT added the to the inner pot for the air frying experiment.

The lamb was placed fat cap up on the rack. *See cooking for what occurred.

Pressure Cooker Set Up

I used my 6.5 quart Ninja Foodi Pressure and Air Crisper as my pressure cooker. I put 1 cup of water in the inner pot along with 1 pound of potatoes. The same rack was used for this test as was used for the air fryer test.

The lamb was put fat cap up on the rack.

Cooking

Air Fryer ONLY Cooking

The air fryer lamb leg was air fried (air crisped) on 400℉/200℃ for 20 minutes and then the heat was lowered to 325℉/160℃ and air fried for another 45 minutes.

The lamb was removed and allowed to rest for about 10 minutes.

Pressure Cooking & Air Crisping

The pressure cooker leg of lamb was cooked on high pressure for 20 minutes. The time to pressure was about 8 minutes. When the time was up, a full natural pressure release was done.

After pressure cooking, the internal temperature of the lamb was 122℉/50°C and was air crisped on 400℉/200℃ for 13 minutes. This was not enough time to really render the fat on top, but it was already at an internal temp of 140℉/60℃.

The lamb was removed and allowed to rest for about 10 minutes. Both were sliced thinly across the grain.

Outcome

There was a huge difference in the moistness and tenderness of the lamb. The pressure cooked lamb leg ended up being well done and the air crisped lamb leg was cooked to medium doneness, maybe even medium well.

They both were cut across the grain and you could visibly see the difference in the texture of the meat. The pressure cooked one was much dryer and tougher than the air fried one.

Conclusion

If you want a juicy leg of lamb that is cooked medium rare to medium, then the best way to achieve that is through a dry cooking method like air crisping or bake roast.

If you want to shred your lamb, then pressure cooking is a great option. I ended up putting the pressure cooked lamb back into the pressure cooker for 30 minutes and it was fall-apart tender. The meat was still a little dry, but that can be avoided by pressure cooking the lamb directly in the inner pot with the liquid.

As a bonus, you can turn the juices into a lamb stock or make a delicious gravy. I would add some garlic cloves, dried or fresh rosemary to the 1 cup of water and maybe even an onion. You can also substitute some of the water with white wine if you want to.

Cooking Suggestions for Various Cuts of Lamb

While you can certainly air fryer different cuts of lamb, your cooking times will vary based on the size and weight of the cut. Some cuts of lamb are better suited to a different cooking method. Below are the most popular lamb cuts and my cooking suggestions. These are simply suggestions, always cook your food the way you like it.

• Boneless Leg of Lamb: This is what I am using in this recipe and I recommend using either bake/roast or air fry starting with a high temperature to set the crust and then lowering the temperature to finish cooking to temp. A 3-pound boneless leg of lamb takes a total of about 60 minutes for medium rare.
• Lamb Chops: Whether they are lamb loin chops or Frenched lamb chops, air frying is a great choice. Because they cook much quicker than larger cuts of lamb, I recommend preheating the air fryer for a full 10 minutes on the highest setting before putting the chop into the basket so that it starts to create an outer crust immediately. Air fry on the highest temp for about 7 minutes, but remember to cook to temperature and not time.
• Lamb Shoulder: This cut does best when slow cooked or roasted at a low temperature with a braising liquid. It can also be pressure cooked above the liquid. The timing depends on the size of the shoulder and if it is boneless or bone-in.
• Lamb Shanks: One of the most flavorful and economical cuts of lamb you can find. Pressure cooking is a great choice for tender and succulent lamb. Lamb shanks make a great lamb stew. Here is my recipe: Irish Lamb Stew

How to Cook a Leg of Lamb in the Air Fryer

Air Fryer

I'm using the NInja Foodi Pressure Cooker & Air Crisper for this recipe. The Instant Pot Duo Crisp or Pro Crisp will also work just fine.

If you have a different air fryer, first make sure your leg of lamb will fit and isn't too close to the heating element. If your lamb is too big, you can cut it so you have smaller lamb pieces that will fit. The temperatures will stay the same, but the cook times will decrease depending on the size of the pieces. When cutting the lamb, I recommend trying to keep some of the fat on each piece so you can keep the fat size up and prevent drying out the lamb.

Prep

Netting

Most of the time your boneless leg of lamb will have a netting (or kitchen twine) on it. This is done to hold the lamb together while cooking. You want to keep the netting on during the cooking process.

Seasoning

In a small bowl, mix together the spices you want to use. I used a simple combination of salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and dried rosemary. I prefer using dried spices and herbs when air frying because fresh herbs tend to burn too easily under the direct heat of the air fryer.

To help the seasoning adhere, I like to spritz with a little olive oil prior to seasoning.

I recommend spritzing the lamb with oil, rubbing it all over with your spice mix, wrapping in plastic wrap and putting it in the refrigerator for at least two hours to allow the salt and seasonings to penetrate the meat. I find that this reduces the gamey flavor of the lamb and also helps with the flavorful crust. You can leave the lamb seasoned and wrapped in the fridge up to 2 days.

Prior to Air Frying

Take the lamb out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes prior to cooking so it starts to come to room temperature and this helps with even cooking.

Air Fryer Set Up

When you are ready to air fry your leg of lamb, remove the plastic wrap, but keep the netting on. If you want to make some air fryer roasted potatoes while you cook your lamb, place small potatoes in the bottom of the air fryer if you want to cook potatoes under the lamb, which I encourage you do to do if you have the room. Something magical happens to those little potatoes as the juices and fat from the lamb drip down on them.

If you don't want to cook the potatoes, try to find something to elevate the leg of lamb just slightly off the bottom of the air fryer. Most of the time, your air fryer basket will work great. However, you want to make sure the lamb roast isn't stuffed in the basket which will prevent the hot air from circulating and cooking your lamb evenly.

I started off using a rack, but quickly realized the top of my lamb was too close to the heating element when I smelled the netting burning! What you use to elevate the lamb will vary depending on the size of your air fryer and the size of you lamb. You can always use some aluminum foil to make some foil balls and place those under the lamb roast to mimic a roasting pan.

Air Frying the Leg of Lamb

When you are ready to air fryer your lamb leg roast, place the lamb with the fat side up into the air fryer and set the temperature to 400℉/200℃ and air fryer for 15-20 minutes. I did 20 minutes when I filmed the video, but I would recommend the high heat for 15 minutes and then flip the lamb over and air fry on 400℉/200℃ for another 5 minutes. This high temperature at first will start to form the crust and results in a juicier lamb.

After the 15-20 minutes are up, reduce the temperature to 325℉/160℃ and continue to air fryer for an additional 35-45 minutes or until the lamb is cooked to your liking.

The USDA recommends lamb be cooked to an internal temperature of 145℉/63℃ which is considered cooked to medium doneness. For me, it's way too done at 145°F/63℃.

This is where personal preferences come into play. You cook your lamb the way you like it. Here are the various temperatures based on desired doneness. Remember, there isn't any "right temperature," cook it how you like it. One thing I will say is if you like your lamb rare, consider sous vide cooking. To read more about lower temperature pasteurization for safety, see this article on Sous Vide Chicken Breast.

• Rare: 125°F/ 52℃ (very pink inside)
• Medium Rare: 130-135℉/54-57℃
• Medium: 140-145℉/60-63℃
• Well Done: 150-165℉/65-74℃
• Shreddable: 180-200℉/82-93℃

When determining what temperature to cook your lamb to, always keep in mind that carryover cooking does occur and it's often more than just 5-10 degrees when it comes to roasts like this boneless leg of lamb. The density and surface area play a huge roll in carryover cooking, so while a steak or chicken breast may only rise in temp by 5-10 degrees, a thicker roast can rise in temperature 15 degrees or more while it rests. This can take your perfectly cooked roast to overcooked very fast.

So, take your lamb roast out of the air fryer when it reaches about 10 degrees below your target temp and let the lamb rest 10-15 minutes.

Remove the netting or string with scissors. Using a sharp knife, slice the lamb against the grain in thin slices for the most tender lamb.

Sometimes it can be difficult to know which way the grain is going on a leg of lamb, so don't be afraid to slice off a piece and, if you don't see what looks like cross hatch marks on the meat, chances are you're not cutting against the grain.

My pressure cooked roast was cut starting at the short end and it was against the grain, but my air fryer lamb roast needed to be cut from the longer side to be against the grain. So, it will vary from roast to roast. You can definitely tell the difference in texture when it is cut correctly. If you can't determine by looking at it, take a slice from both the short end and the long end and see which one is more tender. The tender one is most likely being cut against the grain.

Side Dishes to Serve with Lamb

One of the traditional side dishes to serve with lamb is a mint sauce or mint jelly. Another simple side dish is green beans.

Here are some of my favorite sides to pair with leg of lamb.

ABOUT THE RECIPE AUTHOR, LOUISE LONG

Louise is a full-time recipe creator and food blogger @ The Salted Pepper. She has over 30 years ofexperience with cooking and recipe development. She owned a restaurant for several years and was a full-time RN until retiring to blog full-time.

She published her first cookbook in the Fall of 2018 and is very interested in writing several more.

Louise is also the creator of an online Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooking Course with over 100 instructional step-by-step videos. People absolutely rave about the course and all the value they have received from it.

Louise has several very active Facebook groups that help people with the basics of cooking and getting the most out of the Ninja Foodi.

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Louise is also a YouTube creator and you can find most of her recipes in video format onThe Salted Pepper YouTube channel.

She is very responsive to messages and eager to help in any way she can.

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