Smoked Leg of Lamb on the Big Green Egg

By James Kimble January 18, 2026 14 mins read 5 Views

Easter is one of the most rewarding holidays to host. It marks the arrival of spring, a time for renewal, and an opportunity to gather friends and family around a table laden with tradition. But this year, I decided to take the traditional centerstage dish and give it a smoky, backyard twist.

While many reach for a glazed ham, the true icon of the Easter table is the Leg of Lamb. For this cook, I’m moving away from the kitchen oven and firing up the Big Green Egg. This recipe marries the unmatched “low and slow” capabilities of the Egg with a vibrant, Mediterranean flavor profile that cuts through the richness of the lamb perfectly.

The result? A tender, succulent roast infused with a subtle kiss of wood smoke that will have your guests rethinking their holiday traditions.

So, let’s prep the yard for spring, pour a bold glass of Shiraz, and enjoy this recipe for Smoked Leg of Lamb on the Big Green Egg.

Why Leg of Lamb is the Ultimate Easter Cook

The “Wow” Factor: There is nothing quite like the presentation of a beautifully crusted, smoked leg of lamb being sliced at the center of the table.

The Flavor Profile: Lamb has a robust, earthy flavor that stands up incredibly well to wood smoke… something you just can’t replicate in a conventional oven.

Feeding a Crowd: A whole leg of lamb is a “one-and-done” cook that can easily feed 8 to 10 hungry guests.

Selecting the Leg of Lamb

When you head to the butcher, you’ll find that a whole leg of lamb is a truly bounteous cut of meat, often tipping the scales between five and nine pounds. While you can certainly smoke a full leg, I find that the narrow shank (the lower portion of the leg) is the sweet spot for an Easter gathering.

The shank is a hardworking muscle, which means it is packed with connective tissue that, when cooked low and slow, transforms into incredible tenderness. More importantly, it has a higher bone-to-meat ratio. In the world of BBQ, bone equals flavor. As the lamb smokes, the marrow and bone heat up, seasoning the meat from the inside out and providing a richer, deeper “lamb” profile than a boneless roast ever could.

The Mediterranean Mise en Place

Lamb is a bold meat, so it requires bold companions. To balance the earthy richness of the smoke and the fat, I’ve put together a mise en place that leans heavily into Mediterranean aromatics. We aren’t just seasoning the surface; we are creating a flavor paste that will permeate the entire roast.

Fresh Rosemary: The piney, floral notes of rosemary are the quintessential pairing for lamb. Using fresh sprigs is non-negotiable here; the oils in fresh herbs stand up to the heat of the Egg much better than dried.
Garlic: We’ll be using plenty of it. Garlic and lamb are a match made in heaven, mellowing out as they roast into a sweet, savory butteriness.
Kalamata Olives: This is the “secret weapon.” The brininess of the olives provides a salty, acidic punch that cuts right through the fat of the lamb.
Butter: This acts as our vehicle. It carries the garlic, herbs, and olive flavors into every nook and cranny of the meat while helping to develop a gorgeous crust.

Preparation Tip: Know Your Lamb

When shopping, look for “American Lamb” if you prefer a milder, larger cut, or “New Zealand/Australian Lamb” if you want a smaller, more intensely flavored, grass-fed profile. For this recipe, a 4-5 lb narrow shank is exactly what you’re looking for to feed 4 to 6 people.

Prepping the Leg of Lamb

To truly infuse the lamb with those Mediterranean flavors, we aren’t just rubbing the surface, we are “studding” the meat. This technique ensures that as the lamb fat renders, it carries the essence of the garlic, herbs, and olives deep into the center of the roast.

The “Flavor Pocket” Technique

Using a sharp paring knife, I made 1/2″ deep slits every few inches across the entire surface of the narrow shank. Don’t be shy here; you want a consistent pattern of these pockets all over the meat.

Into each slit, I tucked a trio of flavor:

A thin slice of Garlic: As the lamb smokes, the garlic softens and loses its bite, becoming sweet and mellow.
A sprig of Fresh Rosemary: Tucking the herbs inside the meat protects them from burning, allowing the aromatic oils to perfume the meat from within.
A slice of Kalamata Olive: This is the game-changer. The salt and brine from the olive act like a “mini-brine” inside the pocket, seasoning the lamb where a surface rub can’t reach.

The Finish: A Seasoned Butter Slather

Once the lamb was fully studded, I took the remaining chopped rosemary and garlic, mixed them into softened butter, and slathered it over the entire exterior.

This butter serves two purposes:

It acts as a binder for any additional salt and pepper you want to sprinkle on top.
It aids in the Maillard reaction, helping the Big Green Egg create a crusty, flavorful “bark” that contrasts beautifully with the tender meat inside.

Pro Tip: Room Temp is Key

After you’ve finished prepping and studding the leg, let it sit on the counter for about 30 to 45 minutes while you prep the Egg. Taking the “chill” off the meat ensures it cooks more evenly and prevents the butter slather from seizing up immediately, allowing it to better adhere to the meat.

Making the Compound Butter

To take this crust to the next level, we aren’t just using plain butter. We’re creating a savory compound butter that acts as both a flavor bomb and a protective barrier, keeping that lean lamb succulent throughout the smoking process.

The “Holy Cow” Compound Butter

Once the leg was studded with the garlic, rosemary, and olives, I took a stick of softened unsalted butter and combined it with a few heavy hitters:

Meat Church Holy Cow: This rub is a Texas-style brisket favorite for a reason—it’s heavy on the black pepper, which pairs perfectly with the gamey richness of the lamb.
Fresh Chopped Rosemary: Adding even more rosemary to the butter ensures the aromatic scent hits you the moment you open the Big Green Egg.
A Pinch of Sea Salt: Even with the olives and the rub, a little extra coarse salt helps build that irresistible exterior crust.

I slathered this mixture over every square inch of the narrow shank. As the butter melts during the cook, it “self-bastes” the meat, carrying the spices into every crevice.

The Importance of the “Rest” Before the Heat

After the lamb was fully coated, I let it sit on the counter for about 45 minutes to an hour to come up to room temperature.

This is a critical step for a large, dense cut like the leg of lamb. If you put an ice-cold leg onto a hot grill, the outside will overcook and turn grey before the center ever reaches a perfect medium-rare. By letting the meat “relax” at room temperature, you ensure a much more even edge-to-edge pinkness once it’s sliced.

Alternative Rub Suggestions

If you don’t have Holy Cow on hand, you can still achieve a “heavy hitter” crust with these alternatives:

The “Simple Mediterranean”: A heavy dose of coarse black pepper, dried oregano, and onion powder works wonders.

Lane’s BBQ “Blackened”: For a darker, crustier exterior with a bit more herb-forward complexity.

Setting Up the Big Green Egg

While the lamb was resting and absorbing that compound butter, it was time to dial in the Big Green Egg. For a cut like the leg of lamb, precision is everything. You want a steady, gentle heat that allows the internal fat to render slowly without drying out the lean muscle.

The Indirect Foundation

I set the Egg up for indirect cooking by installing the ConvEGGtor (Plate Setter) in the “legs up” position. This creates a heat shield, turning the Big Green Egg into a ceramic convection oven. This is essential for a large roast; you want the lamb to cook via circulating air, not by direct contact with the flames, which would char the butter slather too quickly.

The Perfect Smoke Profile

Once the dome thermometer stabilized at 250°F, it was time to introduce the smoke. For this Easter cook, I chose a specific “Power Couple” of wood chunks:

Hickory: This provides the “backbone” of the smoke. It’s bold and traditional, which stands up well to the robust flavor of the lamb.
Pecan: I added pecan to round out the edges. It offers a sweeter, nuttier finish that prevents the hickory from becoming too aggressive.

By using chunks instead of chips, you ensure a steady, “thin blue” smoke that will last the entire duration of the cook.

Achieving “Clean” Smoke

Before placing the meat on the grate, I waited for the smoke to transition. When you first add wood chunks, the smoke is often thick and white. You want to wait about 15 to 20 minutes until the smoke becomes almost translucent… that “whispy blue” look. This ensures your lamb has a clean, savory smoked flavor rather than a bitter, ashy one.

Placement

Place the leg of lamb in the center of the grate. If your shank has a particularly thick side and a tapered side, try to position the thickest part toward the back of the Egg, which often runs just a few degrees hotter. Close the dome, lock in your vents, and let the Big Green Egg work its magic.

Cooking the Leg of Lamb

The “Flavor Saver” Drip Pan

One of the best ways to elevate a smoked leg of lamb from a simple BBQ dish to a sophisticated Easter centerpiece is to capture the “liquid gold” that renders off during the cook.

Before placing the lamb on the grate, I set a disposable drip pan directly onto the ConvEGGtor (underneath the cooking grate). But I didn’t leave it empty. To create a base for a world-class jus, I added:

2 cups of Chicken Stock: This provides the liquid volume and prevents the drippings from scorching on the hot ceramic.
Sliced Garlic & Fresh Rosemary: These aromatics mirror the flavors we “studded” into the lamb, reinforcing that Mediterranean profile.

As the lamb smokes at 250°F, the compound butter melts and the lamb fat renders, dripping directly into this pan. The stock reduces slowly, absorbing the hickory and pecan smoke along with the essence of the seasoned meat.

Creating the Smoked Jus

Once the lamb reached its target temperature and was removed from the Egg to rest, I carefully pulled the drip pan. The liquid inside was a rich, dark mahogany color, packed with incredible depth.

Strain: I poured the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a small saucepan to remove the spent garlic, rosemary, and any small bits of char.
Degrease: If there is a lot of fat on top, you can skim it off with a spoon or use a fat separator.
Simmer: Give it a quick simmer on the stove to concentrate the flavors.

The result is a light, savory Smoked Lamb Jus that is far superior to any store-bought gravy. When you serve the lamb, pour this jus into a boat for the table or drizzle it directly over the sliced meat. It adds a final punch of moisture and salt that ties the whole meal together.

The Target Temperature

For a leg of lamb, you are looking for a perfect medium-rare to medium finish.

The Rest: During a 20-minute rest under a loose foil tent, the temperature will carry over to a final 140°F-145°F. This ensures the center is a beautiful, rosy pink while the smaller, tapered end of the shank provides some “medium” pieces for those who prefer their meat more well-done.

Pull Temp: Remove the lamb from the Egg when the internal temperature hits 130°F to 135°F.

Finish the Leg of Lamb

The Reverse Sear: Building the Perfect Crust

After about 1.5 hours of gentle smoking, the internal temperature of the lamb hit 130°F. While the meat was perfectly cooked and tender on the inside, it lacked that signature, crispy exterior “crunch” that makes a holiday roast truly stand out. It was time for the final act: The Sear.

I removed the lamb from the Egg and set it aside on a platter, loosely tenting it with foil. Then, using heat-resistant gloves, I carefully pulled out the ConvEGGtor (Plate Setter) and carefully removed the drip pan. This pan is now filled with “liquid gold”, a combination of the chicken stock, rendered lamb fat, and melted compound butter infused with pecan smoke. Set this aside to rest; we will strain it in a moment to create that incredible smoky jus. With the heat shield and the pan removed, the Egg was now wide open, and the lamb was about to go from a “low and slow” smoke to a high-heat finish.

Cracking the Vents

To get that fire roaring, I opened the top and bottom vents all the way. The Big Green Egg is a beast when it comes to airflow; within minutes, the temperature climbed from 250°F to a searing 600°F.

The 2-Minute Finish

Once the Egg was screaming hot, I placed the leg of lamb back onto the cast iron grate directly over the glowing coals.

The Timing: I seared the lamb for just 2 minutes per side.
The Goal: You aren’t trying to cook the middle anymore; you are simply caramelizing that “Holy Cow” compound butter and the natural fats in the lamb.

The roar of the fire combined with the smell of the searing rosemary and garlic is absolutely incredible. This step creates a deep, mahogany crust (the “bark”) that provides a texture contrast to the succulent, pink meat inside.

The Final Rest

After the sear, the internal temperature will have jumped up to about 135°F-140°F. Do not cut into the lamb immediately! Transfer the leg to a carving board and let it rest for at least 15 to 20 minutes. This allows the juices, which were pushed to the center by the 600°F heat, to redistribute throughout the roast. If you carve too soon, that delicious jus will end up on the board instead of in the meat.

The Result

When you finally slice into it, you’ll see a perfect edge-to-edge pink interior with a thin, crispy, flavorful crust on the outside. Serve it alongside that strained smoky jus, and you have an Easter meal that your friends and family will be talking about until next year.

Slicing & Serving the Leg of Lamb

The Final Presentation: Slicing and Serving

After the lamb has had its mandatory 20-minute rest, it’s time for the moment of truth. Because we used the narrow shank, carving is straightforward. I like to slice against the grain into thick, succulent medallions. As you cut through that crust we built at 600°F, you’ll find the garlic and olive “studs” we tucked inside have practically melted into the meat, creating little pockets of intense flavor in every bite.

To truly honor the Mediterranean roots of this dish, the choice of sides is key. This isn’t your standard “meat and potatoes” meal; we want bright, acidic, and textured accompaniments to balance the rich, smoky lamb.

The Easter Spread

The Medley: I served the lamb alongside a vibrant Israeli couscous. The pearl-like pasta was tossed with fresh spinach, smoky roasted red peppers, and more chopped Kalamata olives to tie back to the flavors in the meat.
The Cool Factor: No Mediterranean lamb dish is complete without homemade Tzatziki. The cool cucumber and tangy Greek yogurt provide a refreshing contrast to the warm, spicy “Holy Cow” bark.
The Finishing Touch: Remember that smoky jus we saved from the drip pan? Give it one last stir and drizzle it generously over the sliced lamb right before it hits the table.

This meal was absolutely fantastic! The Big Green Egg proved once again why it’s the ultimate tool for holiday entertaining. Between the “kiss” of pecan smoke, the savory compound butter, and the burst of flavor from the garlic-and-olive-studded meat, this was a legendary Easter feast that won’t soon be forgotten.

Easter Lamb Quick-Guide

The Secret: Don’t toss those drippings! That smoked jus is the best sauce you’ll ever taste.

Total Cook Time: Approx. 1.5 hours (plus 10 mins for searing/rest).

Wood Choice: Hickory and Pecan for a balanced, robust smoke.

Internal Target: Pull at 130°F, sear to 135°F-140°F, rest to a perfect 145°F.

Smoked Leg of Lamb on the Big Green Egg

This recipe for Smoked Leg of Lamb on the Big Green Egg is a perfect meal to serve for the holidays!

Course Lamb

Cuisine Mediterranean

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 2

Total Time 2 30

Servings -6

Author The BBQ Buddha

Ingredients

4-5 pounds Narrow shank of the leg of lamb
3 Sprigs Fresh rosemary
4 Cloves Garlic sliced
6 whole Kalamata olives sliced pitted
3 tbsp Butter
1 tbsp Meat Church Holy Cow
2 cups Chicken Stock

Instructions

To season the Leg of Lamb for the long cook I put 1/2″ slits all through the narrow shank and filled each with a slice of garlic, fresh rosemary, and sliced Kalamata olives.
Soften the butter and mix that with Meat Church Holy Cow seasoning, chopped rosemary, and salt.
Rub the butter mixture all over the Leg of Lamb and let it come up to room temperature.
While the meat is coming up to room temperature set up the BGE to cook indirect using a Plate Setter and to hold the temp at 250°.
Place chunks of wood onto the hot coals allowing the smoke to start.
Place a drip pan with 2 cups of chicken stock, sliced garlic, and fresh rosemary.
When the lamb slowly cooks the drippings fall into the stock mixture making for a delicious jus when strained and served with the lamb.
After 1.5 hours (or when the internal temp of the Lamb hits 130°) it is time to sear it.
Remove the plate setter and crank open the vents to get the BGE up to 600°.
Place the Leg of Lamb back on the BGE (2 minutes per side) to get that nice crust and beautiful flavor.
Take the Leg of Lamb off the BGE and let it rest for 10 minutes so the internal temp raises up to 140° before slicing and serving.