I adapted my mom’s Greek oven roasted lamb with potatoes (Αρνί στο φούρνο με πατάτες) recipe for the air fryer and my goodness it is so tasty!

The air fryer is an excellent way to roast a leg of lamb, sealing in all the flavor while cooking quickly (compared to oven roasting) and economically. Of course a whole leg of lamb is far too big to fit in an air fryer so I opted for a half leg.

You don’t need to sear the lamb before cooking in the air fryer either. The initial roasting with the lamb covered in foil will keep the meat tender and the air fryer will brown it beautifully once the foil is removed. And as for the roast potatoes… OMG I could eat them every day and never tire of them!

drizzling half leg of lamb with olive oil

Ingredients for Air Fryer Lamb

This recipe is only suitable for large or extra large capacity air fryers. I used my Instant Vortex air fryer in the video. Let’s take a look at what you will need to make this recipe:

Half leg of lamb, bone in – check whether this fits into your air fryer basket
For the marinade: garlic, rosemary, olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper, dried oregano, garlic granules, beef stock cube
Potatoes – any variety suitable for roasting can be used here such as Maris Piper in the UK or Yukon Gold in the US
Lemon juice
Fresh thyme, to serve

How to Make Air Fryer Lamb Leg

↓ For the full ingredients and detailed method, jump to the recipe card.

Make the Marinade

Blitz the garlic cloves, rosemary, olive oil, vinegar, stock cube, salt, herbs and seasonings in a mini chopper. Add a little warm water, if needed to loosen the marinade.

Prepare the Lamb

Lay two large pieces of foil on your worktop. Place the half leg of lamb in the middle and pour the marinade over it, turning over to cover both sides. Tightly wrap the foil to encase the lamb.

Roast Lamb in the Air Fryer

Preheat the air fryer to 190°C (375°F). Place the foil-wrapped lamb in the air fryer basket and roast for 40 minutes, turning over halfway through. Remove the lamb from the air fryer and set aside.

Foil-wrapped half leg of lamb in an air fryer basket

Add Potatoes and Finish Roasting the Lamb

Add the cubed potatoes into the air fryer basket. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with dried oregano and drizzle with the lemon juice. Shake to coat.
Unwrap the leg of lamb and position in the basket, nestling it among the potatoes (move the potatoes aside to make space for it).

potatoes and half leg of lamb in the basket of an air fryer

Roast for a further 30 minutes or until the lamb is cooked to your liking. I recommend roasting until medium, 70-75°C (157-167°F) when checked with a meat thermometer at the thickest part, avoiding the bone.

Greek leg of lamb cooked in the air fryer with roast potatoes

Rest the Meat and Serve

Place the lamb on a butcher’s block and cover loosely with foil. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing to allow for the juices to redistribute. Collect any juices released during resting (and accumulated in the basket) to drizzle over the lamb when serving.
Pierce the potatoes with a knife to check whether they are cooked through. They might need a little extra time after the lamb is done and while it is resting. Add 5-10 minutes to the cooking time, or as needed.
Carve the lamb and serve it with the roast potatoes and a Greek salad on the side.

roast half leg of lamb with potatoes on a platter

How Long Does a Leg of Lamb Take to Cook in an Air Fryer?

This will depend on the weight of your lamb leg, the type of air fryer you use and the cooking temperature. The best way to check is to use a meat thermometer. Take a look at the table below for the recommended internal temperature for roast lamb leg.

ROAST LAMB INTERNAL TEMPERATURE GUIDELINES
Insert the probe in the thickest part of the joint, avoiding the bone. The guidelines below are for the UK, it is possible that these recommendations are slightly different in other countries.
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Medium: Internal temp. 70-75°C (157-167°F)
Well-done: Internal temp. approx 75-80°C (167-176°F)