Recipe Roundup

40 Easter Ham and Lamb Roast Recipes

For spring holiday gatherings (and midnight sandwich–stuffers), it doesn't get much better than these top recipes.
Roasted ham on a platter with cherries and charred citrus rings. One of our best ham recipes for the holidays.
Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
  • Shredded leg of lamb topped with herbs on a white oval platter next to a platter of baby potatoes and lemon wedges.
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    1/40

    Spring Lamb in Herbs

    Any tender herb or green can be used in this riff on a traditional Georgian spring dish, but cilantro and dill make an exceptional, traditional pairing.

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  • Photo by Johnny Miller
    2/40

    Spiral Ham in the Slow Cooker

    The process for this spiral ham is all about imparting flavor. Once finished, the meat will be super-tender and you’ll have a great cooking liquid that can be sopped up with rice, tortillas, potatoes, bread…or egg noodles.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Simon Andrews
    3/40

    Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb

    A three-herb coating keeps this quick lamb roast tasting light and lively. If you can find it, use spring garlic, which often comes with the greens attached (similar to green onions).

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog
    4/40

    Brown Sugar–Mustard Glazed Ham

    A long-time favorite of Epicurious reviewers, this impressive roast is perfect for the holidays and so easy to make.

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  • Photo by Andrew Purcell, Prop Styling by Paige Hicks, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell
    5/40

    Leg of Lamb With Garlic and Rosemary

    This old Gourmet recipe has reviews from 126 users, almost all of whom love it. So take it from them: even if it's your “first time cooking lamb,” you'll be “hooked.”

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  • Photo by Marcus Nilsson
    6/40

    Spicy Tamarind-and-Honey–Glazed Spiral Ham

    This recipe is a sweet, sour, and spicy take on the classic centerpiece ham. Plus: the leftovers taste amazing on a mini potato roll.

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  • Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott, Prop Styling by Amy Wilson, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    7/40

    Cold Roast Lamb with Marinated Eggplant

    Pop the garlic-and-rosemary-rubbed leg of lamb and the eggplant spears into the oven together and they’ll be done at the same time.

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  • Photo by Andrew Purcell, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell
    8/40

    Cider-Brined, Mustard-Glazed Pork Loin

    With an apple cider brine and maple-mustard glaze, this pork loin has all the flavors of a classic ham wrapped in more a tender and juicy package.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    9/40

    Pineapple-Glazed Ham

    We spiked the glaze for our retro-chic ham with hot sauce and apple cider vinegar to cut through the cloying sweetness of the original.

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  • Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott
    10/40

    Slow-Roast Spiced Lamb Shoulder with Sumac Onions

    At Maydān the lamb shoulder is cooked sous vide until meltingly tender and then finished in the hearth until crisp and golden brown. We adapted their recipe for the oven to similar effect.

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  • Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott
    11/40

    Set-It-and-Forget-It Roast Pork Shoulder

    True this is a pork shoulder, not a ham; but it's so easy and make such an impressive holiday main.

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  • Lara Ferroni
    12/40

    Glazed Ham

    The spiced citrus glaze for this flavorful ham is made with guava or apple jelly, but apricot jelly can be substituted in a pinch.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Simon Andrews
    13/40

    Grilled Leg of Lamb With Garlic and Lemon

    Not all roasts are destined for the oven. If it's nice enough to cook al fresco where you're celebrating Easter, this dish—brightly flavored with lemon and oregano—is an excellent choice.

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  • Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott
    14/40

    Braised Lamb With Rosemary and Garlic

    If you really want to go all out, you can brown the lamb in a wood-burning oven (erm, if you've got one handy) where it could absorb smoky flavors. For the rest of us mere mortals, that step for this recipe can be done in a hot oven.

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  • Photo by Elizabeth Van Lierde and Abagail Halstead
    15/40

    Rosemary-Bourbon Glazed Ham

    Filled with rich bourbon notes and glazed with rosemary, brown sugar, mustard, and bourbon, this festive ham makes for a delicious and stunning holiday centerpiece.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, prop styling by Brian Heiser, food styling by Rhoda Boone
    16/40

    Holiday Ham, Three Ways

    One simple base recipe plus three different ways to season your holiday ham: smoky barbecue, sweet-and-spicy jerk, and tangy peach-mustard.

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  • Ditte Isager
    23/40

    Roasted Fresh Ham with Citrus and Rye

    Unlike traditional holiday ham, fresh ham is uncured and unsmoked. Here it's packed in an herb cure for several days to add flavor and juiciness. When roasted, the skin transforms into addictive, crispy-sweet cracklings.

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  • Photo by Eva Kolenko, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski
    24/40

    Stuffed Lamb Breast With Lemon, Ricotta, And Oregano

    This Italian-inspired lamb braise is filled with a rich, ricotta-Parmesan-olive stuffing, plus plenty of fresh herbs.

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  • Photo by Chris Court and William Meppem
    29/40

    Herb and Garlic Lamb With Green Olive Salad

    Ask your butcher for quick-cooking lamb backstraps—an interior cut from the loin that is lean and exceedingly tender—for this easy and elegant preparation.

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  • Sivan Lewin
    30/40

    Honey-and-Rye-Glazed Ham

    Ham without a glaze isn’t a ham. Use rye and molasses for a boozy stickiness and give that sweetness a little heat with red pepper flakes.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, food styling by Rhoda Boone
    31/40

    Lamb Chops with Pistachio Salsa Verde

    In this dish, the nuts add richness to a riff on a classic salsa verde. The bright, herby sauce is the perfect accompaniment to easy grilled lamb chops.

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  • John Kernick
    32/40

    Grilled Yogurt-Marinated Leg of Lamb

    For a quicker-cooking roast—as in this recipe—look for a small, butterflied boneless leg of lamb at your supermarket, or ask your butcher to butterfly one for you.

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  • Lara Ferroni
    39/40

    Arugula-Stuffed Leg of Lamb with Roasted Spring Vegetables

    The secret to smart lamb shopping: if you buy a boneless lamb for roasting, make sure that it's butterflied. Then stuff it with plenty of garlicky wilted arugula and roll it up.

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  • 40/40

    Pineapple Glazed Ham

    To make this classic holiday ham, lacquer a smoked Virginia ham with mustard and brown sugar, dot its surface with pineapple rings and maraschino cherries, and coat with a garlicky pineapple sauce before baking.

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