When a smoked boneless leg of lamb hits the pellet grill for a low-and-slow wood-fired roast, magic happens on the grates! We dry-brined this cut overnight with kosher salt for maximum juiciness, rubbed it down with warm spices, and reverse-seared it to build a beautiful crust with an edge-to-edge pink interior. Topped with a bright, tart pomegranate-mint relish to cut through all that rich flavour, this is pure outdoor cooking at its finest! Simple, bold, and made to share straight off the platter!
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Why We Love This Recipe
- Targeted Dry-Brine Technique: Dry-brining with kosher salt seasons the meat deeply and locks in natural juices, while creating a drier surface for a deeply browned crust.
- Two-Zone Reverse Sear: Slow roasting at low temperatures ensures edge-to-edge even doneness, while a high-heat finish creates a deeply browned exterior.
- Balanced Flavour Profile: Warm spices like cumin, coriander, and rosemary pair directly with the sharp, bright tartness of the fresh pomegranate-mint relish.
- Predictable Carving: Tying the boneless leg into a uniform cylinder guarantees flat, clean slices across changing muscle grains.
What is Reverse Searing?
Reverse searing is a two-step cooking technique where meat is slowly brought up to temperature under gentle, indirect low heat before being finished over high heat to form a crisp, deeply browned crust. This method provides maximum control, minimizes the overcooked grey ring under the fat layer, and yields edge-to-edge doneness.
Ingredients
Lamb
- Boneless leg of lamb
- Kosher salt
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Ground coriander
- Ground cumin
- Sweet paprika
- Granulated garlic
- Fresh rosemary
- Lemon zest
- Black pepper
Pomegranate-Mint Relish
- Pomegranate arils
- Fresh mint leaves
- Flat-leaf parsley leaves
- Red onion
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Pomegranate molasses
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
To Finish
- Fresh mint leaves
- Extra pomegranate arils
- Flaky sea salt
- Lemon wedges
See recipe card below for quantities.
Equipment
- Weber Searwood Pellet Grill (or equivalent pellet smoker)
- Leave-in digital meat thermometer / probe
- Instant-read thermometer
- Large, rimmed sheet pan or grill-safe tray
- Carving board with a juice groove
Internal Temperature Guide: Smoked Boneless Leg Of Lamb
| Desired Doneness | Pull from Low Heat (275°F / 135°C) | Finish Sear Target (550°F / 288°C) | Final Temperature After Rest |
| Medium-Rare (Chef Preferred) | 115°F to 118°F (46°C to 48°C) | 128°F to 130°F (53°C to 54°C) | 135°F (57°C) |
| Medium-Rare (Health Canada Target) | 120°F to 122°F (49°C to 50°C) | 138°F to 140°F (59°C to 60°C) | 145°F (63°C) |
| Medium | 125°F to 128°F (52°C to 53°C) | 143°F to 145°F (62°C to 63°C) | 150°F (66°C) |
Instructions
Dry-Brine the Lamb
Inspect the boneless leg of lamb and trim away thick, hard exterior fat or tough silver skin, leaving a thin layer of soft fat for protection and browning.
Lightly score the outer surface of the lamb. Run your knife diagonally across the surface of the lamb, in a diamond pattern. Make the slices about ¼-inch deep, and space them roughly 1-inch apart.
Roll the lamb tightly into an even cylinder and tie with butcher’s twine at 1 ½-inch intervals.
Season the entire surface with the kosher salt. Place the tied roast on a wire rack set inside a sheet pan and refrigerate uncovered for 12 to 24 hours.
Season the Lamb
Remove the lamb from the refrigerator 45 minutes prior to cooking to reduce the chill.
In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, ground coriander, ground cumin, sweet paprika, granulated garlic, chopped rosemary, lemon zest, and black pepper.
Pat the surface of the lamb dry with paper towels if moisture is present. Rub the spice mixture evenly across all sides of the roast.
Set Up the Pellet Grill
Fill the hopper with mild or medium hardwood pellets (such as apple, cherry, oak, or a balanced grill master blend).
Preheat the pellet grill to 275°F (135°C) with the lid closed.
Slow Roast
Insert a digital meat thermometer horizontally into the thickest section of the lamb, ensuring the tip sits in the center without resting in an open internal seam.
Place the lamb in the center of the cooking grate, fat side up.
Close the lid and roast at 275°F (135°C) until the internal temperature reaches your target pull mark from the reference table (115°F to 118°F / 46°C to 48°C for chef-preferred 135°F medium-rare, or 120°F to 122°F / 49°C to 50°C for Health Canada 145°F medium-rare).
Begin checking temperature after 75 minutes. Expect total low-heat cooking time to take between 1 ½ to 2 hours, depending on ambient weather and roast thickness. Always cook to temperature, not time.
High-Heat Sear
Transfer the lamb to a tray once your low-heat target is reached.
Increase the grill temperature to 550°F (288°C) and close the lid to preheat fully.
Return the lamb to the hot grill grates.
Cook at 550°F (288°C), turning every 2 to 3 minutes, until a deep crust forms on all sides and the internal temperature reaches your finish target (128°F to 130°F / 53°C to 54°C for chef medium-rare; 138°F to 140°F / 59°C to 60°C for Health Canada medium-rare). This takes approximately 8 to 12 minutes.
Transfer the roast to a carving board with a juice groove and tent loosely with foil. Rest for 20 minutes to allow carryover cooking to raise the internal temperature to its final resting point.
Prepare the Pomegranate-Mint Relish
While the lamb rests, stir together the pomegranate arils, flat-leaf parsley, red onion, olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, salt, and black pepper in a medium bowl.
Roughly chop the fresh mint leaves, then gently mix them into the relish right before serving to maintain their vibrant colour.
Let the mixture stand for 15 to 20 minutes at room temperature so the onions soften slightly and flavours integrate.
Carve and Assemble the Smoked Boneless Leg Of Lamb
Snip and remove the butcher’s twine.
Slice the lamb across the muscle grain into ¼-inch thick slices. Adjust your cutting angle as you move across different muscle groups on the leg cut.
Pour any accumulated juices from the carving board back over the meat.
Arrange sliced lamb on a serving platter surrounded by roasted or grilled side vegetables (such as charred eggplant, roasted carrots, or grilled romaine).
Spoon two-thirds of the pomegranate-mint relish over the lamb, serving the remaining portion in a bowl alongside.
Garnish with fresh mint, lemon wedges, and a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
Tips, Substitutions & Serving Suggestions
- Granulated Garlic vs. Fresh Garlic: Granulated garlic is deliberately specified for the rub. Minced fresh garlic burns rapidly during the high-heat 550°F (288°C) sear phase, creating bitter notes.
- Why Relish Isn’t Applied as a Glaze: Pomegranate molasses contains high sugar content. Applying it directly to the meat before or during the sear will cause scorching. Keep the relish as a fresh topping added at plating.
- Vegetable Pairing Tip: Group side vegetables separately on the outer border of the platter rather than tossing them with the lamb. This maintains individual textures and keeps colour distinct.
- Leftover Handling: Store leftover carved lamb in an airtight container with its juices for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a warm skillet with a splash of broth to avoid overcooking the interior.
Love This Smoked Boneless Leg Of Lamb? Try These Recipes Next:
- Charred Citrus & Turmeric Yogurt Marinated Lamb with Roasted Garlic Citrus Drizzle
- Herb Stuffed Boneless Leg of Lamb
- Rotisserie Boneless Leg of Lamb
- Sticky Hot Honey Lamb Lettuce Wraps
📖 Recipe
Smoked Boneless Leg Of Lamb With Pomegranate Mint Relish
Equipment
- 1 Weber Searwood Pellet Grill (or equivalent pellet smoker)
- 1 Leave-in digital meat thermometer / probe
- 1 Instant-read thermometer
- 1 Large, rimmed sheet pan or grill-safe tray
- 1 Carving board with a juice groove
Ingredients
➡️Note About Scaling the Recipe: When scaling to 2X or 3X, the light grey ingredient notes and the instructions remain unchanged. Please adjust as needed.
Lamb
- 1 boneless leg of lamb 4 ½ to 5 ½ lbs (2 to 2.5 kg), rolled and tied securely
- 1 ¾ teaspoon Windsor or Morton kosher salt or 2 ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pomegranate-Mint Relish
- 1 cup pomegranate arils
- ½ cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves *Roughly chop the mint just before you are going to serve it, to preserve the bright green colour.
- ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoon finely diced red onion
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
To Finish
- Fresh mint leaves
- Extra pomegranate arils
- Flaky sea salt
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
Dry-Brine the Lamb
- Inspect the boneless leg of lamb and trim away thick, hard exterior fat or tough silver skin, leaving a thin layer of soft fat for protection and browning.
- Lightly score the outside surface of the lamb. Run your knife diagonally across the surface of the lamb, in a diamond pattern. Make the slices about ¼-inch deep, and space them roughly 1 inch apart.
- Roll the lamb tightly into an even cylinder and tie with butcher’s twine at 1 ½-inch intervals.
- Season the entire surface with the kosher salt. Place the tied roast on a wire rack set inside a sheet pan and refrigerate uncovered for 12 to 24 hours.
Season the Lamb
- Remove the lamb from the refrigerator 45 minutes prior to cooking to reduce the chill.
- In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, ground coriander, ground cumin, sweet paprika, granulated garlic, chopped rosemary, lemon zest, and black pepper.
- Pat the surface of the lamb dry with paper towels if moisture is present. Rub the spice mixture evenly across all sides of the roast.
Set Up the Pellet Grill
- Fill the hopper with mild or medium hardwood pellets (such as apple, cherry, oak, or a balanced grill master blend).
- Preheat the pellet grill to 275°F (135°C) with the lid closed.
Slow Roast
- Insert a digital meat thermometer horizontally into the thickest section of the lamb, ensuring the tip sits in the center without resting in an open internal seam.
- Place the lamb in the center of the cooking grate, fat side up.
- Close the lid and roast at 275°F (135°C) until the internal temperature reaches your target pull mark from the reference table (115°F to 118°F / 46°C to 48°C for chef-preferred 135°F medium-rare, or 120°F to 122°F / 49°C to 50°C for Health Canada 145°F medium-rare).
- Begin checking temperature after 75 minutes. Expect total low-heat cooking time to take between 1 ½ to 2 hours, depending on ambient weather and roast thickness. Always cook to temperature, not time.
High-Heat Sear
- Transfer the lamb to a tray once your low-heat target is reached.
- Increase the grill temperature to 550°F (288°C) and close the lid to preheat fully.
- Return the lamb to the hot grill grates.
- Cook at 550°F (288°C), turning every 2 to 3 minutes, until a deep crust forms on all sides and the internal temperature reaches your finish target (128°F to 130°F / 53°C to 54°C for chef medium-rare; 138°F to 140°F / 59°C to 60°C for Health Canada medium-rare). This takes approximately 8 to 12 minutes.
- Transfer the roast to a carving board with a juice groove and tent loosely with foil. Rest for 20 minutes to allow carryover cooking to raise the internal temperature to its final resting point.
Prepare the Pomegranate-Mint Relish
- While the lamb rests, stir together the pomegranate arils, flat-leaf parsley, red onion, olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, salt, and black pepper in a medium bowl.
- Roughly chop the fresh mint leaves, then gently mix them into the relish right before serving to maintain their vibrant colour.
- Let the mixture stand for 15 to 20 minutes at room temperature so the onions soften slightly and flavours integrate.
Carve and Assemble
- Snip and remove the butcher’s twine.
- Slice the lamb across the muscle grain into ¼-inch thick slices. Adjust your cutting angle as you move across different muscle groups on the leg cut.
- Pour any accumulated juices from the carving board back over the meat.
- Arrange sliced lamb on a serving platter surrounded by roasted or grilled side vegetables (such as charred eggplant, roasted carrots, or grilled romaine).
- Spoon two-thirds of the pomegranate-mint relish over the lamb, serving the remaining portion in a bowl alongside.
- Garnish with fresh mint, lemon wedges, and a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
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Video
Notes
Tips, Substitutions & Serving Suggestions
- Granulated Garlic vs. Fresh Garlic: Granulated garlic is deliberately specified for the rub. Minced fresh garlic burns rapidly during the high-heat 550°F (288°C) sear phase, creating bitter notes.
- Why Relish Isn't Applied as a Glaze: Pomegranate molasses contains high sugar content. Applying it directly to the meat before or during the sear will cause scorching. Keep the relish as a fresh topping added at plating.
- Vegetable Pairing Tip: Group side vegetables separately on the outer border of the platter rather than tossing them with the lamb. This maintains individual textures and keeps colour distinct.
- Leftover Handling: Store leftover carved lamb in an airtight container with its juices for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a warm skillet with a splash of broth to avoid overcooking the interior.
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