Lamb leg meat (LLM) was marinated using solution of sodium chloride (NaCl) concentrations (0.04 g/g) for 15 min under high pressure (HP) treatment (100–400 MPa, 25°C) to investigate meat characteristics, volatile components and microstructure. HP treatment increased process yields during marinating, especially at 200 MPa, the shearing force and hardness reached their minimum value, which indicated that HP treatment (200 MPa) can effectively improve the tenderness of LLM. The electron microscopy revealed that HP modified the myofibrillar structure in the leg muscles. With the rise of pressure, the lightness (L*) value increased significantly. The red/green hue (a*) reached the maximum value at 200 MPa. HP influenced the formation of some key volatile compounds in LLM. LLM pressurized at 200–400 MPa had lower levels of furfural than control group, LLM pressurized at 200 MPa had higher levels of N‐nonanal and N‐octanal, lower levels of palmitic acid, but oleic acid and stearic acid was not detected. Only at 200–400 MPa, 2,3‐octanedione and 2‐octanone were detected in HP‐treated LLM. Practical applications High‐pressure (HP) is an effective technology as a pretreatment to postslaughter meat. Advantages include opportunities to improve tenderness and other characteristics of processed meat products by appropriate use of this technique. This study showed that application of high‐pressure premarinated treatment (200 MPa, 15 min, 25°C and 0.04 g/g salt content) could effectively improve the muscle fiber structure of lamb leg, several major volatile substances and tenderness. This work verifies the potential of HP for improving LLM characteristics and volatile components. These results can be beneficial for the applications of pressurized mutton in the mutton industry.