Air Fryer Roast Lamb

There’s nothing quite like a beautifully roasted lamb joint, and now you can enjoy it without all the hassle, thanks to your air fryer. This recipe for air fryer roast lamb is a quick and easy way to perfectly roasted lamb that’s juicy and full of flavor. Season with fresh rosemary and thyme for a lamb roast worthy of any holiday feast.

Why you’ll love this recipe

Cooking roast lamb in an air fryer is a great option when you are short on time. It is quick and easy, and because there are no messy roasting pans to deal with, it makes a great fuss-free roast for the weekend or for a holiday celebration.

Air frying is such a great way to roast meat. It gets that delicious crust to develop on the outside quickly so that the inside of the meat remains succulent and juicy. Also, it’s much quicker than oven roasting.

And as a bonus, because you don’t have the meat sitting right in the fat, absorbing it while it cooks, air fryer lamb is a healthier option for your family. The air fryer that I have* even claims to remove some of the saturated fat from food during cooking, making it even healthier!

For some more air fryer roast recipes, check out: air fryer rack of lamb, air fryer roast beef, or air fryer pork roast.

Scroll down for the printable card for this air fryer roast lamb recipe, or read on for all the details!

What do you need?

What cut of lamb to use

The recipe uses a butterflied leg of lamb, which you can ask your local butcher to prepare for you, or you can just cut it open yourself using a sharp knife.

If you can, buy a boneless leg roast, as this will make the process much easier as the bone has already been removed.

One of the great things about this recipe is that you can actually use any type of lamb roast. We usually have boneless leg of lamb, but lamb rump roast, and lamb loin roast are also great options.

As long as it is around 2 inches thick, the cook times in the recipe below should be right, though the exact cook time will also depend on how powerful your air fryer is (more on this below).

If your lamb roast is thicker or thinner than 2-inches, you will need to adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Lamb rack is exceptional cooked in an air fryer, but the cook times are slightly different so check out my air fryer rack of lamb recipe for all the details.

Seasoning

Air fried roast lamb has a lovely rich flavor, which is really enhanced by the classic seasoning of rosemary and thyme. This recipe uses fresh rosemary and thyme, however, you can substitute dried herbs if that is what you have.

Feel free to substitute any other herbs or spices that you like with lamb, you can add a little garlic powder for some extra flavor, or use a pre-made seasoning mix like Moroccan or Greek spices.

How to roast lamb in an air fryer

Step 1: Prepare lamb

First, preheat the air fryer to 360°F/ 180°C.

Then pat the lamb roast dry with paper towels before seasoning. This step is important because it helps the meat to start browning quickly.

Drizzle oil over the lamb, then add the salt, pepper, and herbs, and rub into the lamb.

If you are using fresh rosemary, pick the leaves off and chop them up quite finely before using them. You can also add some whole sprigs on top of the lamb for extra flavor.

Step 2: Air fry lamb

Place lamb roast in the air fryer basket. Add some extra sprigs of rosemary if you like. Air fry lamb roast at 360°F/ 180°C for 15-20 minutes until cooked to your liking.

See the section below on how long to air fry lamb for more details and for other sized lamb roasts.

Step 3: Rest lamb.

Remove lamb from the air fryer to a plate or cutting board, cover with aluminum foil, and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

This allows the juices to reabsorb into the meat before you cut it, ensuring it stays moist.

How long to air fry lamb?

If you have a different sized lamb roast from the recipe below, you can work out how long to air fry it by using the following rule of thumb.

Air fry lamb for 20 minutes per lb for rare, then add two minutes per lb for each degree of doneness that you like.

The exact cooking times depend on a few factors including how powerful your air fryer is. The cook times in the recipe below are for my Philips XXL Airfryer. If you have another powerful brand of air fryer like the Nuwave or a Ninja Foodi then expect cook times to be similar.

The best way to tell whether your lamb roast is cooked is to use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature.

For roast lamb it should be 145°F / 63°C for medium, which is the minimum safe temperature for lamb according to the USDA.

Serving roast lamb

I love to serve a classic roast with gravy, Dijon mustard, roasted potatoes, and fresh microwave steamed vegetables.

For a simple dressing, you can make an easy homemade mint sauce by mixing finely chopped fresh mint leaves with a sprinkle of sugar and a splash of vinegar (adjusting both to taste). It looks a little rustic, but tastes fantastic!

Alternatively, for a quick and easy gravy, try this recipe for making brown gravy from stock cubes.

If you also want to cook side dishes in the air fryer, you can cook the lamb and vegetables in the air fryer at the same time (if your air fryer is big enough).

You just need to work out which takes longer to cook, and remember that the veges can cook on their own for ten minutes at the end while the lamb is resting.

Alternatively, you can precook the sides for part of the cooking time before the lamb, then put them back in the air fryer to finish cooking for 10 minutes while the lamb is resting.

Storing and reheating

Store any leftover lamb roast in an air-tight container in the refrigerator, and use within 3 days.

You can reheat lamb roast in the air fryer, air fry for 3-4 minutes until warmed through.

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