Roasted Rotisserie lamb recipe [Greek-Style Rotisserie Lamb] (2024)

FAQs

How long does it take to cook lamb on a rotisserie? ›

Once your lamb is on the spit, spit roast lamb can take between 4-6 hours depending on size. The lamb has to be roasted at a low temperature so that the interior and exterior are cooked at the same time. Too high a temperature and the outside will cook first and burn before the inside is done.

Good choices include leg of lamb, rolled shoulder, and whole lamb. Lamb cooked on a rotisserie can be positioned to allow for direct cooking or indirect cooking. Placing the meat directly over the heat source results in direct cooking and a grilled quality, although this usually works best for small cuts of lamb.

Contrary to some stories, searing is less about locking in moisture, and all about improving the flavour! By allowing the seasoned outside of the meat to sizzle and the amino acids and sugars to change when heated (a process known as the Maillard reaction), a wonderful depth of flavour can be added to the meat.

Place the lamb on the spit and start cooking over high heat – it's around 400–450°C (750–840°F) at this stage. You will slowly reduce the temperature over the next 6 hours. Start to baste after 30 minutes, then again every 30 minutes or so until the lamb is cooked.

20-25 minutes per pound of roast for medium doneness).

Secure the roast on a spit and roast over direct heat, lid closed, at 325F (at the dome), for about 1 1/2 hours, until desired doneness. I pulled my roast at 130F internal temperature for medium well doneness. Add a couple of chunks of wood for some color and smoky flavor in your grill.

Apply a liberal coating of SPG seasoning (or salt, pepper, garlic) all over the lamb, ensuring all the fat and meat is covered. Preheat the grill to around 300f and prepare the spit. Place the leg of lamb on the skewer of the spit and secure it tightly. Be sure the fire/coals are on one side of the spit roast only.

Neck fillets – A boneless fillet of meat that is best quickly pan-fried or roasted then sliced. A single neck fillet serves two. Rack of lamb – This is a trimmed rack of six chops that can either be roasted whole and carved, or cut into chops from raw and then quick-cooked.

Easy carve shoulder is a boneless roast derived from the shoulder of lamb. This cut is typically tender and succulent when slow cooked or roasted.

Roast leaner cuts of lamb in a hotter oven (450°F) to get a lovely brown crust and a well-cooked center; cook fattier cuts of lamb low and slow (325°F) to render all the fat and allow the lamb to cook in its juices. Due to residual heat, your lamb will continue to cook even after you pull it out of the oven.

Do you need to seal lamb before roasting? ›

Roasting a leg of lamb can be as easy as putting it into an oven and turn on the heat, however, there is a trick to make it super tasty and this trick is to seal the meal. Sealing the meat means to quickly cook the outside of it so that it gets golden and tasty, even before the rest is cooked at all.

Admittedly, searing isn't strictly necessary for the cooking process. Technically speaking. The meat will cook just fine without searing. (And any surface bacteria will die during cooking anyway.)

A rare, or pink, lamb chop that has been seared well on the outside should be fine because any bacteria on the outer surface will have been killed by the heat. But minced or diced lamb or mutton should never be served pink. It needs to be thoroughly cooked and browned. The same goes for burgers.

To give you an idea a 15 kg lamb which is normally the entry level size for whole spitbraai lambs can feed between 30 – 35 guests comfortably. A lamb weighing between 25 kg – 27 kg can feed up to 50 – 60 guests comfortably.

It is safe to eat lamb rare or mutton as long as the outer surface is thoroughly seared. Similar to beef, harmful bacteria like E. Coli are typically found on the meat's exterior. That said, you should still be mindful and use a handy meat thermometer when cooking the lamb to rare doneness to guarantee your safety.

Preheat grill to medium heat. Insert meat thermometer into center of beef roast. Cook on rotisserie over drip pan in closed grill over INDIRECT HEAT for about 1 1/2 hours (rare = internal temperature of 140ºF or medium = internal temperature of 160ºF).

Cooking the lamb with a rotisserie attachment ensure the roast is nicely bronzed on the surface and cooks through evenly. Building a three-zone split fire and setting a disposable aluminum roasting pan below the rotisserie spit eliminates flareups and keeps the grill clean.

On the low end, a 4-pound roast will take roughly 50 minutes. On the high end, a 7-pound roast will go for about 70 minutes.

Remember, it's essential to monitor the cooking process and avoid overcooking lamb, as it can become dry and tough. Using a meat thermometer to ensure the desired level of doneness is reached is recommended [3].