Pork Leg Roast is a succulent and juicy roast perfect for dinner. Simple and easy to make and using minimal ingredients this effortless roast pork will fast become a family favorite. This boneless pork leg roast has crispy crackling, tender meat and a winning aroma to match.
Recipes like the Roast Pork Shoulder, Pork Mince Fried Rice, Thai Minced Pork and the Pork Osso Bucco offer a variety of ways to cook different cuts of pork meat.
The Greek Leg Of Lamb, Greek Lamb Shanks, Greek Ribs and the Sticky Pork Ribs are oven baked dishes that the whole family can enjoy.
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🤍 Recipe Highlights
I have summarised everything that you will come to know and love (LOVE ❤) about the roasted pork leg recipe in the points below:
- Everyday ingredients: whilst a pork leg roast might not be called an 'everyday ingredient' it is easy to get your hands on at any local grocery store. The rest of the ingredients are pantry staples that you might already have on hand.
- Simple and easy: they might look fancy, but pork roasts are very easy to cook! With a few tips up your sleeve you will be nailing the crunchy crackling and tender meat in no time.
- Family favorite: everyone from the young to the young at heart can enjoy this succulent roast. Serve it with a selection of vegetables that are right up their alley and you will be having requests to make it again and again!
- Sunday roast: there is a reason why Sunday roasts are so popular across homes here, there and everywhere! The smell as the dish cooks, the delight when everyone sees the cooked results and the taste all work in favor of a weekly cook up.
🥗 Ingredients
The photo below is to show you everything you need to make the pork leg roast recipe. Please refer to the printable recipe card for specific ingredient measurements as well as detailed instructions.
As you can see the recipe calls for:
- Salt and pepper: we use salt and a little bit of black pepper to season the pork before we cook it.
- Garlic powder: we use a little bit of garlic powder and onion powder as seasoning for the meat.
- Onion powder: as above. These 2 are excellent pantry staples to have on hand and work with a wide variety of recipes.
- Salt: there are 2 key ingredients to getting the crispy crackling. They are oil and salt. They work in combination and won't work without each other. Sea salt or cooking salt (kosher salt) are your best choices, not table salt which has a much finer grain.
- Olive oil: this is the 2nd of the ingredients used to perfect the crackling. Depending on your baking tray (non stick) you might not able able to use extra virgin olive oil.
- Pork leg: I like to use a boneless leg of pork for this recipe. You can do the same or use bone in pork leg.
Tasty Tip: I like to provide you with a number of substitutions and variations giving you an array of options when making the recipe. If in doubt of any of the above ingredients, or wanting alternatives, read this section (further below) before jumping into the instructions on how to make the recipe which are coming next 😉👌.
🍳 Instructions
Here are the step by step instructions to make the recipe. We start by seasoning the underside (non skin side) of the meat.
- Flip the meat underside up and season with salt and pepper (Photo 1)
- Then sprinkle with garlic and onion powders (Photo 2)
- Dry the pork skin using paper towel (Photo 3)
- Cover with olive oil (Photo 4)
👩🍳 How to Make Pork Leg Roast
To make the pork leg roast, we want to initially ensure that the skin has been given a chance to dry out. The best way to achieve this is to remove any packaging and place the pork on a plate in the fridge (uncovered) over night.
If you don't have that much time, you can place it on a plate on the bench to allow it to come to room temperature as the starting point.
Next, flip the pork so that the underside is facing up. Season the meat with salt and black pepper.
Once done use both the garlic and onion powders on top of the salt and pepper, then rub these into the pork with your fingers.
🥩 Boneless Pork Roast
Next flip the pork so that the skin side is facing up and use a folded sheet of paper towel to thoroughly dry the skin like you see me doing in the photo above.
When the skin is dry pour olive oil over the top and use a basting brush to spread the olive oil over the skin.
- Sprinkle salt over the top of the olive oil (Photo 5)
Next sprinkle salt all over the skin as you see me about to do in the photo above.
- Add water to the base of the roasting pan (Photo 6)
Next pour 2 cups of water into the base of the roasting tray as shown in the photo above.
Once done, you can place the salted pork leg into the tray onto the rack as shown in the photo below.
- Transfer the pork into the baking tray (Photo 7)
Next we want to roast the pork leg using a combination of high heat (to get the crackling going) and moderate heat (to ensure the pork meat is cooked) and these temperatures are listed in the recipe card with time frames below.
You can also use the time at which you are changing over temperatures to top up the water in the base of the pan. This helps to stop the pork from drying out as it cooks.
Something to keep in mind is the recommended temperatures for cooked pork and these are getting the meat to an internal temperature of 70°C (juicy and moist) and 75°C (for firmer cooked meat). A digital thermometer is the way to achieve this and highly recommended 😉👌.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
When it comes to serving your roasted leg of pork, you have plenty of options to choose from! Potatoes are naturally a great choice.
The Creamy Garlic Potatoes, Potato Cauliflower Bake, Salmon Potato Salad, Potato Broccoli Bake or Potato Onion Bake are complimentary with flavor galore. For a double dose of potatoes, try pairing the pork with the Potato And Sweet Potato Bake.
If more crispy potatoes are your jam, then try the Skin on Roast Potatoes, Duck Fat Roast Potatoes or the Air Fryer Potato Cubes.
For a non potato side try the Bacon Wrapped Asparagus or the Roasted Capsicums.
If you like some bread on the side of your roast pork, try the Tortilla Garlic Bread, Garlic Pizza Bread, Ciabatta Garlic Bread or the Turkish Garlic Bread.
Or you can simply steam some greens like broccolini and beans and pop them on a plate like you see in the photos throughout the post.
For wine pairings, try a chilled glass of rose, or for white wine a crisp pinot gris or smooth red like a pinot noir.
Many choices will go down a treat and it is a dinner to be delighted in!
It would be remiss of me not to mention the sauce...how could we forget the roast pork sauce! If you like a sweet sauce the homemade Apple Sauce will be right up your alley. Or for an alternative try gravy. There will be some who love one type and some the other. You choose your favorite. Or cater to all types and have both!
👍 How to Guide
How to Store
Ensure that leftover pork is carved into thin slices. Then place these into a sealed airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Some people will love the idea of a cold roast meat sandwich (you do you) but if not leftovers are best reheated before being consumed.
How to Freeze
Ensure that any roast meat has fully cooled. Then place slices of the roast meat into zip lock bags. Push the air out and seal. Then lay these flat in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How to Reheat
For best results, remove any frozen meat and let it fully thaw before reheating.
This will ensure that you don't overheat the heat which results in tough and chewy pork.
Once the leftover pork meat has fully thawed, place it on a plate and cover it with cling wrap. Then reheat in the microwave using high heat for 1 minute increments until heated through. Even if it takes 3 minutes to reheat the meat, I don't recommend started with '3 minutes on high' as this can have a tendency to be too hot and overdo the meat. So building slowly up to your preferred temperature to the touch is my top tip 😉👌.
😉 Substitutions and Variations
Here are my sub ins and outs that you might be thinking about as you read the post and I will tell you if I think they will work or why they won't:
- If you want to add a dried herb when seasoning the meat, fennel seeds are a good choice. 1 teaspoon will be plenty.
- If you have seasoned olive oil, such as rosemary infused, you can use that to cover the pork leg.
- If you want to use a bone in leg of pork in place of the boneless leg you can. In which case a meat thermometer will be your most handy asset. Cooking times can vary across the 2 cuts of meat and the thermometer will allow you the greatest accuracy.
- For a super simple serving idea, you can microwave some frozen peas and have them as your vegetable on the side. I am talking easy 'Winner winner pork dinner' 😂 with this suggestion!
💡 Tasty Tips
Here are my top tips and tricks that I want to share with you so that you master the recipe from the get go:
- I don't score the skin. If using a grocery store bought pork leg often it has some cuts. I go with this and keep it as is. If you want scored pork, you can ask your butcher to do this for you. Yes, it will be more expensive than the grocery store option, so go for whichever suits your budget.
- With the garlic and onion powders they can dry out if the bottle is open but not used regularly. For that reason, check the bottle before you go to the shops to make sure that when you want to use it the powder hasn't dried in the bottle.
- No need for an oven bag or aluminium foil, we want the roast to be uncovered throughout the cooking time.
- The oven temperature is key to success with the recipe. We use hot heat, then a moderate oven, then hot heat again. This combination is how we get the crispy skin with tender pork meat.
- You don't have to use a rack in oven rack. You can simply use a large baking dish. A couple of points with this...I don't then recommend using the water in the pan as you don't want the pork to sit in liquids as it cooks. Some pans are best not use to extra virgin olive oil (regular olive oil is fine) due to the type of coating in the pan. If in doubt, simply use regular olive oil.
- Be a little bit careful when opening the oven door. There is a whole lot of heat coming at you when you do and this is not everyone's favorite way to get a steam facial 😂.
- If you love cooking with pork then you might also like the Honey Soy Pork Ribs, Pork Meatballs, Honey Glazed Pork Chops, Pork Belly Fried Rice, Dutch Oven Pulled Pork or the Pork Mince Noodles 😉👌.
🤓 Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my pork leg tough?
Overcooked pork leg will be dry and tough.
Should I cook my pork leg roast covered or uncovered?
Pork leg roast should be cooked uncovered the entire time. It is also best when resting the cooked meat to leave it uncovered.
How long should I rest my roasted pork leg before carving?
Rest the pork leg for at least 15 minutes once removed from the oven to give a chance for the juices to be reabsorbed by the meat.
Do I need to score the skin on the pork leg before cooking?
No. It is not essential to score the skin on the pork leg before cooking it. Whilst you can, you can achieve fantastic results without doing so.
😍 More Easy Dinner Recipes
Sunday roasts are heartwarming and soul brightening! For the other days of the week we need similar joy evoking recipes of which I offer you some to choose from:
- Dumpling Noodle Soup
- Tuna And Rice Casserole
- Garlic Chicken Parmesan Pasta
- Sausages With Caramelised Onions
- Mince Pasta Bake
- Chorizo and Prawn Linguine
- Lamb Fried Rice
- Chorizo Pasta Bake
- Cajun Prawns
- Chorizo Fried Rice
It is time to get our roasted pork leg on my friend! You can also find all of my popular recipes or dinner recipes in the one spot.
Adrianne
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📖 Recipe
Pork Leg Roast
Ingredients
- 2-2.5 kg/4.4 pound, 5.5 pound boneless pork leg Note 1
- ¼ teaspoon salt Note 2
- ½ teaspoon black pepper also Note 2
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder Note 3
- 1 teaspoon onion powder Note 4
- ¼ cup/80 ml olive oil Note 5
- salt amount as needed, Note 6
Instructions
- Pork leg: remove any packaging from the pork and leave it uncovered on a plate in the fridge overnight to dry out the skin.
- Preheat the oven: preheat the oven to 220°C/ 425°F / Gas Mark 7.
- Season: flip the pork so that the meat side is facing up and place it onto a chopping board. Season this side with salt and black pepper. Then sprinkle the garlic powder over the top, followed by the onion powder. Use your fingers to massage this into the meat.
- Skin: once you have seasoned the pork, flip it back to skin side up. Fold a piece of paper towel into a square and use this to pat dry the meat.
- Olive and salt: next pour olive oil over the surface of the skin and use a basting brush to spread it across the skin. Then sprinkle salt directly onto the oil, ensuring an even coverage.
- Oven bake: pour 2 cups of tap water into a rack in roasting tin. Then place the pork leg onto the rack. Oven bake it for 50 minutes at the temperature listed in step 2. After this cooking time is up, reduce the oven temperature to 180°C / 350-375°F / Gas Mark 4-5. Let the pork then cook for 1 hour, then use oven mitts to remove the roasting tray and place it onto a heatproof surface. Insert a thermometer into the thickest part of the meat and ensure that it reads at least 70°C (158°F). Or return to oven and test again after 5-10 minutes. Once the pork has reached this temperature, turn the oven back up to the original cooking temperature of 220°C/ 425°F / Gas Mark 7 and cook it for a final 5 minutes to get the crackling one final hot heat blast. Then use oven mitts to remove the pork and place the roasting tray on a heat proof surface.
- Rest: let the pork rest (uncovered) for 15 minutes so that the juices are reabsorbed into the meat.
- To serve: when ready, use a carving fork, sharp knife and chopping board to slice the meat and crackling. Then transfer to a serving plate. Serve with potatoes and steamed greens (optional).
Notes
- Note 1- Pork leg: I like to use a boneless leg of pork for this recipe. You can do the same or use bone in pork leg. No need to score the skin, but if you purchase your pork roast from a grocery store and it has some score marks that is fine. Or you can ask the butcher to score the leg roast.
- Note 2 - Salt and pepper: we use salt and a little bit of black pepper to season the pork before we cook it.
- Note 3 - Garlic powder: we use a little bit of garlic powder and onion powder as seasoning for the meat.
- Note 4 Onion powder: as above. These 2 are excellent pantry staples to have on hand and work with a wide variety of recipes.
- Note 5 - Olive oil: this is the 2nd of the ingredients used to perfect the crackling. Depending on your baking tray (non stick) you might not able able to use extra virgin olive oil.
- Note 6 - Salt: there are 2 key ingredients to getting the crispy crackling. They are oil and salt. They work in combination and won't work without each other. Sea salt or cooking salt (kosher salt) are your best choices, not table salt which has a much finer grain.
Rebecca says
This looks like our type of recipe! Look forward to trying it.
Adrianne says
Thanks Rebecca 😄.
Heather L says
Amazing! We did this for our roast dinner last night. So good. The cracking was perfect. Can't wait (already) to make it again soon.
Adrianne says
Thanks Heather 😄.