Boneless rosemary garlic herbed stuffed lamb loin roast recipe with a delicious sticky pomegranate wine sauce is the perfect less than 30-minute elegant Sunday Supper.
Don’t you just love when you make a recipe and your family and friends you have been slaving in the kitchen all day. Shhhh… We won’t tell a soul. This fancy looking lamb with pomegranate sauce is so easy you can make it for a weekday meal just like our Crab Stuffed Whitefish.
Table of contents
- Why You are Going to Love our Lamb Loin Roast Recipe
- Lamb Lover’s Sunday Suppers
- Where is the Loin on a Lamb?
- Herb Stuffing
- How to Remove the Seeds of a Pomegranate?
- Killer Good Pomegranate Sauce
- Ingredients
- Secret Hacks for Cooking the Best Lamb Loin
- What Temperature Should a Lamb Loin Roast be Cooked To?
- How to Cook a Boneless Lamb Loin in the Oven
- The Best Pomegranate Sauce
- Serve It Up in Style
- What to Serve with Lamb?
- Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ's)
Why You are Going to Love our Lamb Loin Roast Recipe
- Seriously delicious and tender lamb
- Less than 30-minute meal
- Fancy enough for guests but easy enough for weeknight meals
- Killer good homemade pomegranate glaze
- Gluten-free
- Oven roasted and perfect for the holidays
Lamb Lover’s Sunday Suppers
There is no denying it! We are huge lamb lovers. How about you?
If you have never tried it before, you are going to be shocked how much flavor and tenderness a properly cooked lamb dish can be. One of our top recipes is our Easy Moroccan Ground Lamb Stew. It is full of bright bold spices and takes less than 30 minutes on the stovetop.
If you are in to grilling and chilling, be sure to try our Herb Marinated Grilled Rack of Lamb. All we can say is buy 2 racks now as these little lamb lollies sure go fast. Our Middle Eastern Ground Lamb Kabobs are tender juicy grilled ground lamb on a stick infused with spices and herbs. If you pop a couple of these lamb kabobs in a flat bread with a little Traditional Baba Ghanoush and Easy Tabbouleh Lebanese Salad and you are in business.
Are you having a quiet afternoon at home? Be sure to try our Slow Roasted Moroccan Spiced Leg of Lamb. You have no idea what you are missing out on if you don’t give this a try. This recipe is a huge crowd pleaser. Fall off the bone tender lamb and a gravy that is to die for.
Where is the Loin on a Lamb?
The loin is one of the most tender and prized cuts of lamb. It is located in the hindsaddle of the lamb between the ribs and sirloin and above the flank. They can be either with the bone or boneless. For this Lamb Loin Roast recipe, we chose a boneless lamb loin that included the little medallion of tenderloin from the butcher.
Herb Stuffing
What fresh herbs do you have growing on your window seal? We stuffed our boneless lamb loin with rosemary, thyme and parsley. Of course, you can’t forget the garlic. Right?... and lots of it!
She is a pretty big roast. Season your roast with salt and fresh cracked pepper both inside and out. This step is a must. Fresh herbs like in our Savory Herb Roasted Whole Chicken and our Rosemary Herbed Pork Chops with Shallot Wine Sauce really makes a recipe extra delicious. However, you can also use dried herbs as well. Use what you have on hand is always our motto.
How to Remove the Seeds of a Pomegranate?
We love using seasonal ingredients. Fresh pomegranates fruits are in season right now. There are many different ways to extract the seeds from a pomegranate. We cut the pomegranates in half. Then, we break into quarters and use our gloved hands to remove the seeds. Reserve some of the seeds for a garnish. If you have extra pomegranate seeds, be sure to try our recipe for Baked Pomegranate Glazed Salmon. Check out our video below to watch the process.
Then, we used the food processor to puree the seeds with a small amount of water just to get it moving. Afterwards, we strain and have the freshest delicious pomegranate juice ever. However, you can use pomegranate juice in a bottle as well.
Killer Good Pomegranate Sauce
Seriously killer good! We could do shots of just the sauce- it’s that good. Slightly sweet, slightly sour, savory, deep and rich flavors that take this lamb loin roast recipe to the next level. The taste from the rendered lamb and the aromatics as it reduces and gets glossy is so delicious.
In the same pan we cooked the lamb in, we added…
- shallots
- garlic
- red wine
- fresh pomegranate juice
- aged balsamic vinegar
- pinch of sugar
- salt and pepper
- butter
Getting all those delicious bits off the bottom allows the rich lamb flavors to permeate the pomegranate sauce.
Ingredients
In addition to the ingredients listed above for the pomegranate sauce, you need the following…
- boneless lamb loin
- olive oil
- rosemary
- thyme
- parsley
- extra garlic, of course
Secret Hacks for Cooking the Best Lamb Loin
There is nothing more disappointing that biting into a dry and tough piece of lamb. Your goal is a tender, succulent lamb that melts in your mouth. We like to cook our lamb to medium rare which is about 135 degrees F or 57 degrees F. Here are few of our tried-and-true culinary tricks.
- Tie up with butcher twine to hold in the herb stuffing and keep its shape.
- Take the lamb loin out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature. The purpose is so that the lamb cooks evenly
- One of the most important steps is to sear the loin on all sides well to render the fat. Don’t skimp on this step. Get your pan hot and sear well. Lamb, compared to other cuts of meat, has a higher ratio of fat. You can trim some of it off before cooking but be sure to leave some on as this keeps this cut of meat tender and delicious.
- Do not overcook lamb! Lamb is best at medium rare. Really, any more done than that and why bother as you will ruin a good cut of meat. The longer you cook the meat, the tougher the lamb will be.
- Allow the lamb to rest tented under aluminum foil for at least 10 minutes before carving.
What Temperature Should a Lamb Loin Roast be Cooked To?
Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. For best practices, please refer to USDA guidelines for lamb. Please note that the lamb will continue to cook and raise temperature even after you remove it from the oven.
- Rare – Blue bloody – 125 degrees F (51 degrees C)
- Med Rare – 135 degrees F (57 degrees C) Optimal – We like our lamb cooked to this temperature
- Medium – 145 degrees F (62 degrees C)
- Med Well – 155 degrees F (68 degrees C) Overcooked
- Well Done – 165 degrees F (73 degrees C) Overcooked
How to Cook a Boneless Lamb Loin in the Oven
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). Trim lamb of extra fat. Lay boneless lamb loin fat side down and meat side up of a cutting board. Season well with salt and pepper. Add chopped herbs and aromatics like rosemary, thyme, parsley and garlic.
- Roll up tightly and use butcher’s twine to secure tight. Season well on the outside with salt and pepper. At this point in time, you could refrigerate your lamb up to 3 days before cooking. Please make sure your store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
- Take the lamb out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Allowing it to come to come to room temperature first ensures that it cooks evenly.
- Sear lamb on all sides well in a little olive oil. This is an important step to render out all of the fat.
- Pop your seared stuffed lamb loin roast in the oven. Then, cook until it reaches your desired cook temperature or about 20 minutes. The cooking time for a boneless lamb loin is contingent on if you like your lamb rare, medium rare or medium well. We like ours medium rare which is 135 degrees F, or 57 degrees C. Use a meat thermometer and start checking the doneness at 10 minutes and add more time as needed. Our roast was a little less than 2 pounds. It took about 18 minutes to reach internal temperature of 135 degrees F (57 degrees C). Cooking time may vary from 15 minutes to 25 minutes to reach your goal.
- Remove from lamb roast from oven. Tent with aluminum foil while you make the pomegranate sauce.
- Don’t wash your cooking pan as those delicious drippings make a lovely pomegranate sauce.
The Best Pomegranate Sauce
- We chose to use fresh pomegranate seeds in the food processor with a little water to get it going to make fresh squeezed pomegranate juice. We strained out the seeds. However, you can also use bottle pomegranate juice like POM in this healthy recipe.
- Drain out a little of the oil left in the pan that you cooked the lamb in. You only need about 2 tablespoons.
- Heat the pan up to medium and add shallots and garlic. Then, add the red wine to deglaze the pan. Scrape the delicious bits and bobs off the bottom of the pan. Add the pomegranate juice, aged balsamic vinegar, a pinch of sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat until the sauce reduces by half and starts to thicken or coats the back of a spoon. Remove the pomegranate sauce off the burner and add a dab of butter to the sauce.
Serve It Up in Style
Did you know that we first eat with our eyes? Presentation is everything.
- Remove the butchers string from the loin.
- Slice lamb in about ½ inch slices against the grain.
- Ladle the delicious pomegranate sauce on the bottom of a serving plate.
- Add the sliced lamb loin over the pomegranate sauce.
- Garnish with fresh herbs and fresh pomegranate seeds
What to Serve with Lamb?
Balsamic Roasted Fennel and Carrots
Crispy Roasted Cauliflower Bites
Crispy Roasted Red Potatoes and Cabbage
Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ's)
An average boneless lamb loin is a little less than 2 pounds. After searing lamb loin well on all sides, bake for approximately 20 minutes or until it reaches the internal temperature of 135 degrees F (57 degrees C).
There is no need to cover the lamb while roasting in the oven. In fact, leaving your lamb uncovered helps the browning and cooking process.
The optimal cooking temperature for lamb to cook to medium rare or 135 degrees F (57 degrees F). The lamb will continue cook even after you take it out of the oven as it rests. At this temperature, your lamb will still be pink on the inside and this is normal and how it is traditionally served.
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Lamb Loin Roast Recipe (Pomegranate Sauce)
Equipment
- butcher's twine
- oven proof skillet
Ingredients
Herb Stuffed Lamb Loin
- 2 pounds boneless lamb loin
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 sprigs rosemary fresh or 1 tablespoon dried crushed rosemary
- ¼ cup thyme fresh or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 cup parsley chopped
- 5 cloves garlic peeled and chopped (reserve 2 to pomegranate sauce)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Pomegranate Sauce
- 2 shallots peeled and chopped
- ½ cup red wine
- ½ cup pomegranate juice
- 2 tablespoon barrel aged balsamic vinegar We used FM03 Barrel Aged Organic Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
- 1 teaspoon sugar or sugar alternative
- 1 tablespoon butter
Garnishes
- 2 tablespoon fresh pomegranate seeds
- fresh herbs
Instructions
Prepare Boneless Lamb Loin
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). Trim lamb of extra fat. (Leave some fat on as when this render it makes the lamb flavorful and tender) Lay boneless lamb loin fat side down and meat side up on a cutting board. Season well with salt and pepper. Add chopped herbs and aromatics like rosemary, thyme, parsley and garlic.
- Roll up lamb loin tightly and use butcher’s twine to secure tight. Season well on the outside with salt and pepper. At this point in time, you could refrigerate your lamb up to 3 days before cooking if wrapped tightly or stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
- Take the lamb out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Allowing it to come to come to room temperature first ensures that it cooks evenly.
- In an oven proof skillet, sear lamb on all sides well in a little olive oil. This is an important step to render out all of the fat. This step takes about 5 minutes in a hot skillet.
- Place your seared stuffed lamb loin roast in the oven and cook until it reaches your desired cook temperature or about 20 minutes. The cooking time for a boneless lamb loin is contingent on if you like your lamb rare, medium rare or medium well. We like ours medium rare which is 135 degrees F, or 57 degrees C. Use a meat thermometer and start checking the doneness at 10 minutes and add more time as needed. Our roast was a little less than 2 pounds and it took about 18 minutes to reach internal temperature of 135 degrees F (57 degrees C). Cooking time may vary from 15 minutes to 25 minutes to reach your goal. See notes below for more detailed cooking times.
- Remove from lamb roast from oven and place in a dish or cutting board tented with aluminum foil while you make the pomegranate sauce.
Make Pomegranate Sauce
- Don’t wash your cooking pan as those delicious drippings make a lovely pomegranate sauce.
- How to make fresh pomegranate juice from scratch: Add seeds from one whole pomegranate in the food processor. Next add 2 tablespoons of little water to get it going. To make fresh squeezed pomegranate juice, strain out the seeds. Now you have fresh delicious pomegranate juice. If you desire, you can also use bottle pomegranate juice like POM in this healthy recipe.
- Drain out a little of the oil left in the pan that you cooked the lamb in. You only need about 2 tablespoons.
- Heat the pan up to medium and add shallots and garlic.Then add the red wine to deglaze the pan. Scrape the delicious bits and bobs off the bottom of the pan. Add the pomegranate juice, aged balsamic vinegar, a pinch of sugar and salt and pepper to taste. We used a really good barrel aged balsamic from Italy from Mie Radici. If you are using a cheaper version of balsamic vinegar, you will need to reduce the amount of balsamic vinegar to 1 tablespoon and increase sugar to 2 teaspoons. Cook over medium heat until the sauce reduces by half and starts to thicken or coats the back of a spoon. Remove the pomegranate sauce off the burner and add a dab of butter to the sauce and mix well.
- Remove the butchers string from the cooked lamb loin. Slice lamb in about ½ inch slices against the grain.
- Ladle the delicious pomegranate sauce on the bottom of a serving plate. Add the sliced lamb loin over the pomegranate sauce. Garnish with fresh herbs and fresh pomegranate seeds. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Tie up the roast with butcher twine to hold in the herb stuffing and keep its shape.
- Take the lamb loin out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature. The purpose is so that the lamb cooks evenly
- One of the most important steps is to sear the loin on all sides well to render the fat. Don’t skimp on this step. Get your pan hot and sear well. Lamb, compared to other cuts of meat, has a higher ratio of fat. You can trim some of it off before cooking but be sure to leave some on as this keeps this cut of meat tender and delicious.
- Do not overcook lamb! Lamb is best at medium rare. Really any more done than that and why bother as you will ruin a good cut of meat. The longer you cook the meat, the tougher the lamb will be.
- Allow the lamb to rest tented under aluminum foil for at least 10 minutes before carving.
- Rare – Blue bloody – 125 degrees F (51 degrees C)
- Med Rare – 135 degrees F (57 degrees C) Optimal – We like our lamb cooked to this temperature
- Medium – 145 degrees F (62 degrees C)
- Med Well – 155 degrees F (68 degrees C) Overcooked
- Well Done – 165 degrees F (73 degrees C) Overcooked
rsmacaalay says
That lamb looks juicy and tender, makes me wanna have a slice
Healthy World Cuisine says
Ray, there is always an extra space at Bam's kitchen table, your invited any time. Have a super day.BAM
thatskinnychickcanbake says
I just ordered my leg of lamb for Easter...i was so happy to see a lamb post from you! It looks wonderful!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Dear Liz, That is a great advanced planning on your part. Thanks for the inspiration. I need to really think about doing some pre-ordering as many things go out of stock quickly here in Hong Kong and are never restocked. Take Care, BAM
yummychunklet says
Your lamb turned out very juicy looking!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks I am really happy with how it turned out. It was really tender as well and you could cut it with a fork or spoon.
Mich Piece of Cake says
I love the flavours on your rack of lamb. I am especially amazed by rosemary and how it goes with meats... I am sure your meat would have tasted amazing with that.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Rosemary and lamb go together beautifully. As you know, lamb has a stronger taste than other cuts of meat so it can stand up to the strong flavors of the rosemary and they balance out well. Wishing you a super week. BAM
petit4chocolatier says
I am salivating right now. This is the most beautiful lamb I have ever seen. I love the flavours; especially rosemary. I love this 🙂
The addition of possibly beer is an amazing fit. You are incredible!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you for your very kind comment. I don't know it if the most beautiful one I have seen but maybe one of the most tender ones I have had in a very long time. Slow cooking is the way to go with this.
Ashley @thedrivencook says
What a lovely lamb dish. Stunning presentation!
Barb Bamber (@justasmidgen1) says
Oh, my gosh those Sunday homework days.. we had so many dreadful ones where Science Fair projects had to be assembled at the last minute! I was never so happy when Science Fair ended, lol. I can just imagine the wonderful scent of this dish baking while your family was working away in the kitchen. What a great mom you are! xx
Healthy World Cuisine says
Hi Barbara, So happy to have you visit. I still have quite a few more years of Sunday homework bliss ahead but glad to see others like your self had made it through this phase relatively unharmed. Maybe there is hope for me. Happy Cooking
Carolyn Chan says
I love that gravy !
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks Carolyn. The boys loved it and it was put on the you can make this dish again mom list.
Georgina says
This looks absolutely delicious! Roast lamb is my favourite meat, and I'm sure that your wonderful caramelized gravy is a perfect accompaniment.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Really? You know it is a mixed crowd when it comes to lamb. I think the spices and the caramelized onion gravy would be perfect on many different types of meat like pork or beef roast as well. Have a super day. BAM
Anne ~ Uni Homemaker says
Oh my, that lamb is so succulent! I would too ask "Is it done yet? Is it done yet?" 😉 Delicious post Bobbi.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you Anne. Slow cooking with little fuss is my kind of cooking. Pop on over there is always room at Healthy World Cuisine table but you have to fight the boys off for a helping... Take care, BAM
Balvinder says
i eat goat meat more than lamb but I absolutely love it, only the cost prevents me from buying it as much as I would like. Bobby, I would say, this is a mouthwatering recipe with simple mint sauce ( which I would prefer more than onion gravy).
Healthy World Cuisine says
I understand the cost factor is the biggest issue, especially when it has to be imported to Asia. However, many larger roasts could be cooked this way and it would be beautiful. My boys like the gravy and I loved the mint sauce. I even made a little salad dressing with the mint sauce and it was quite nice.
Annie says
Lamb and mint sauce are just meant for each other...we just love this meal in our household, even though, I feel, I smell like lambs after stuffing myself with it 😛
Healthy World Cuisine says
Hello Annie, thanks for stopping by. Lamb and mint are beautiful together. I think it needs that little fresh flavor the break the richness of the lamb. Have a super weekend. BAM
Amy Tong says
I grew up in Hong Kong and know exactly the heat that you're referring to! The humidity really makes it worse! Anyway, I agree with you now it's the time to bake more. 😉 Your Roasted lamb looks gorgeous and the gravy sounds delicious as well. My kids are still young before they really have any serious projects due from school. But I'm taking your advise and be on the look out on the "Homework Hell" day! 😛
Healthy World Cuisine says
Hello Amy, So nice to meet you. I have the windows open and enjoying the last couple of weeks before I have to run aircon on full time. I hope you are enjoying sunny California and looking forward to keeping in touch. Take care, BAM
ChgoJohn says
Buona Sera, BAM! This roast has all of the Mediterranean flavors that I'm familiar with but that's only the beginning. Our roasts were never slow-roasted and surely caramelized onions were never used. I don't recall anything being roasted with it, either. Those onions and rosemary in the pan juices, waiting to be strained and reduced, are a thing of beauty. I saw your reply to Eha about leftover. C'mon, BAM. That gorgeous roast doesn't stand a chance for leftovers with your teenagers in the house! I'm surprised that a 4 pounder was enough!
This was a wonderful post, BAM, beautifully photographed. I couldn't pin it fast enough. Thanks for sharing.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Bonjourno John, thank you for your very kind comment. I must admit on this day the only reason why I had a morsel of leftovers was that I was down by one teenager for the weekend. Now the math all makes sense....(wink , wink) It seemed almost sinful to make a roast as here in HK, it is very difficult to find and generally very expensive but this time I found a perfect one. I know those reserved pan juices are so heavenly. I actually did not leave a thing go to waste as the remaining onions I tossed into the food processor and made a delicious soup. I hope this weekend mother nature is kind to you and no snow in Michigan. Take care, BAM
Kristi @ My San Francisco Kitchen says
I just love rosemary! Your lamb looks so juicy and delicious!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Hello Kristi and thanks. Rosemary is one of those beautiful aromatics that just makes the whole house smell wonderful.