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Roast Lamb with Mint Sauce

Name: Roast Lamb with Mint Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 3 lb leg of lamb; 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 tsp salt; 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped; 4 potatoes, quartered; 2 kumara (sweet potatoes), cut into chunks; 3 carrots, cut into chunks; 1 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped; 2 tbsp sugar; 1/4 cup white vinegar and 1/4 cup boiling water

New Zealand roast lamb recipe with rosemary and garlic, pink and juicy, served with mint sauce and roast kumara. The ultimate classic kiwi Sunday dinner.

⏱ 15 minPrep time

🔥 30 minCook time

🍽 4Servings

🏷 DinnerCategory

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Sheep have outnumbered people in New Zealand for over a century, and roast lamb is the country’s definitive home-cooked dinner. Since colonial days it has anchored Sunday family meals, Christmas tables, and ceremonial occasions, usually served with sharp homemade mint sauce and plenty of roast potatoes and kumara.

A proper Kiwi roast has crisp, well-salted fat, a blush of pink at the center, and a pile of vegetables roasted in the lamb’s own juices. The bright, sweet mint sauce cuts through the richness — and the leftovers make the world’s best sandwiches the next day.

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Step by stepInstructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Cut small slits all over the lamb and tuck in the garlic slices. Rub all over with the oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary.
Roast for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F and roast for 1 hour 15 minutes (about 20 minutes per pound) until cooked to your liking.
Meanwhile, parboil the potatoes and kumara for 5 minutes, drain, and add to the roasting pan with the carrots for the final 45 minutes.
For the mint sauce, stir together the mint, sugar, vinegar, and boiling water and set aside.
Rest the lamb for 20 minutes before carving.
Serve thick slices with the roast vegetables and mint sauce.

💡 Chef tips & storage

Rest the lamb for at least 20 minutes so the juices stay in the meat. Add the vegetables halfway through so they soak up the lamb fat without burning.

Recipe details

Prep15 min

Cook30 min

Servings4

CategoryDinner

PublishedAugust 17, 2026

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

Roast Lamb with Mint Sauce

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Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

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Roast Lamb with Mint Sauce

Step by stepInstructions

💡 Chef tips & storage

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Recipe details

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

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