Mutton Raan
A covered slow roast for the whole table.
- Marinade
- 8 to 24 hours
- Prep + cook
- 30 + 240 min
- Safe temp
- 63°C + 3 min rest
- Yield
- 2 kg bone-in leg, about 6 to 8 servings with sides
A yoghurt-and-spice leg of mutton, roasted covered until the connective tissue softens, then uncovered for colour. This recipe uses a 2 kg bone-in leg of goat or mature sheep. A younger lamb leg may become tender sooner; weight, age and thickness matter more than a fixed finish time.
Cook mode
Tick off ingredients and steps beside the grill. Tries to keep your screen awake.
Marinade timer
Recipe range: 8 to 24 hours, in the fridge. Defaults to the recipe minimum. A timer is a reminder, not a check of food safety or doneness.
Runs only in this browser. It will not ring or notify you, and phones may pause background tabs; the deadline is kept on this device so reopening the page shows the right time. Always marinate in the fridge, never on the counter.
Method
- 1
Thaw the leg fully in the fridge. Weigh it, trim tough surface silver skin and make shallow slashes into the thick meat with a clean knife. The ingredient list is for a 2 kg leg; use the calculator in kg mode for a different weight.
- 2
Mix every ingredient except the water into a marinade. Rub into the slashes and over the leg. Cover and refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours at 4°C or below; marinating does not reset the meat’s use-by date.
- 3
Preheat the oven to 180°C conventional or 160°C fan. Put the leg in a deep roasting tray with the 250 ml water around, not over, the meat. Cover the tray tightly with a lid or foil.
- 4
Roast covered for about 3 to 4 hours, starting checks around 2½ hours. Carefully lift the cover away from your face to avoid steam. Check the tray has not dried out; add a little hot water if needed. Older or thicker mutton may need longer.
- 5
Check several thick parts away from bone with a probe. The minimum for an intact goat or lamb roast is 63°C plus a 3-minute rest, but this slow-roast style needs further cooking until a skewer enters with little resistance. Tenderness is often reached around 90 to 95°C; that is a texture guide, not a new safety minimum.
- 6
When tender, uncover, raise the oven to 220°C conventional or 200°C fan and brown for about 10 to 15 minutes while watching closely. Rest at least 15 minutes on a clean board, loosely covered, before carving across the grain.
- 7
Outdoor-grill option: use a lidded grill large enough for the covered tray, indirect heat and a maintained cooking temperature near 180°C. Keep the tray away from direct flames, replenish fuel only as the appliance instructions allow and use the same temperature and tenderness checks. Never move the grill or coals indoors.
63°C
Safe internal temperature
An intact goat or lamb roast must reach at least 63°C followed by a minimum 3-minute rest. This covered, slow-roast method usually goes well beyond that minimum for tenderness; a safe roast can still be tough. Times above are estimates; a probe thermometer is the only reliable check.
USDA safe temperature chartPitmaster notes
- The recipe base is 2 kg, not the 1 kg used by most tikka recipes. Select kg mode and enter the leg’s actual raw weight when scaling.
- Water is cooking liquid, not a serving sauce. Tray size and evaporation change how much you need; do not let the pan dry out.
- Do not part-roast the leg the night before and finish it later. Either marinate ahead or finish cooking fully, chill promptly and reheat thoroughly to 74°C.
- The 6 to 8 servings estimate includes generous sides and a bone-in leg; adjust for appetite rather than treating it as a guarantee.
On the table
- Naan or sheermal
- Onion and lemon salad
- Raita
- Rice
Questions people ask
Why is raan still tough after reaching 63°C?
That temperature followed by a 3-minute rest is the safety minimum for an intact goat or lamb roast, not a tenderness promise. Older leg meat often needs longer covered cooking until a skewer enters easily.
How do I scale the marinade for a 3 kg leg?
This recipe starts with a 2 kg leg. Select Mutton Raan in the calculator, choose kilograms and enter 3. The ingredients scale by 1.5; cooking time still depends on the leg’s thickness and age.
Can I roast it outdoors?
Yes, in a suitable covered grill with indirect heat and enough room for the covered tray. Maintain the cooking temperature, check the meat with a probe and never bring the grill or coals indoors.
Complete the menu
Goes well with
Naan for tikka and kebabs
Explore naan to serve alongside your BBQ on our sister site, doubleroti.si.