Mechoui recipe — Moroccan roasted lamb on the BBQ
Deel
Mechoui is the celebratory lamb of the Maghreb — a whole lamb or leg of lamb slow-roasted with spiced butter of cumin, garlic, and coriander until the meat falls off the bone. Traditionally made in an earthen oven (tandir), but excellent to make on a large BBQ or in a home oven. This recipe provides both options.
What makes mechoui different from other lamb preparations?
The unique aspect of mechoui is the smen butter marinade — a mixture of melted butter (or smen, Moroccan fermented butter) with cumin, garlic, coriander, and paprika that is rubbed deep into the meat and also under the skin. The butter serves two purposes: it keeps the meat moist during the long cooking time and creates a crispy, golden-brown skin on the outside.
The second characteristic is its extreme slowness: mechoui cooks at a low temperature — 120–140°C — for four to six hours. There's no rush. That patience is part of the ritual.
Mechoui is traditionally served in Morocco at large family celebrations such as Eid al-Kebir. Read more about Moroccan grilling traditions: Moroccan Grilling — Mechoui, Ras el Hanout, and Kofta.
Ingredients for mechoui (leg of lamb version)
For the mechoui butter marinade:
- 1 leg of lamb, approx. 2 kg (bone-in)
- 100 g unsalted butter, melted
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped into a paste
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 0.5 tsp turmeric
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- 1.5 tsp salt
- Optional: 1 tsp ras el hanout
To serve:
- Coarse sea salt + cumin as a dipping spice
- Fresh coriander and mint
- Flatbread or Moroccan khoubz bread
- Harissa to taste
Mechoui recipe step by step
Using a sharp knife, make deep incisions in the leg of lamb — 8 to 10 cuts down to the bone. Mix the melted butter with all the spices until a smooth paste forms. Rub the marinade generously over the entire leg, into the incisions, and under the skin. Cover and let marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
For BBQ: set to indirect heat of 120–140°C with a water pan under the meat. Optionally add a few branches of oak or cherry wood for smoke flavor. For oven: 130°C convection, middle rack position.
Place the leg of lamb on the rack. Baste every 45–60 minutes with the rendered butter and pan juices. Maintain a constant temperature — mechoui cannot tolerate temperature fluctuations. After 4 hours for a smaller leg, after 5–6 hours for a larger one: the meat should easily fall off the bone when gently pulled.
Increase the temperature to 200°C or move to direct heat for the last 15 minutes. This creates the characteristic crispy, golden-brown skin. Keep a close eye on it — the difference between perfect and burnt is small here.
Let the leg of lamb rest for 15 minutes under aluminum foil. Serve traditionally with a small bowl of coarse sea salt mixed with cumin as a dipping spice — the guest picks the meat off the bone themselves.
Mechoui is one of the oldest low & slow techniques in the world. More about the technique: Lamb shoulder low & slow — autumn recipe and Lamb on the BBQ by Culture.
Which rub pairs well with mechoui?
The butter marinade for mechoui — cumin, coriander, turmeric, garlic — is almost identical to the flavor profile of our Shawarma BBQ Rub. You can replace the individual spices in the butter marinade with 2 tbsp of Shawarma Rub per 100g of butter. Add extra cumin if you want to enhance the classic mechoui profile.
See BBQ Spices by Country for how Moroccan spice traditions compare to other countries.
The taste of the Maghreb on your grill
Cumin, coriander, and golden-brown butter spices — the Shawarma Rub as a mechoui base.
Shawarma BBQ RubStarter Pack · 3 flavors