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Ideal for holiday menus but easy enough for Sunday dinner every week, my 3-ingredient Roast Rack of Lamb Recipe is one of the best main dish ideas when you want to impress. Try this Roast Rack of Lamb for Easter, Christmas, or Passover.
A Roast Rack of Lamb Recipe is at the center of the table always signals “celebration” to me. Whether at a friend’s Passover Seder or as part of my family’s Easter menu (when I was a child and to this day), rack of lamb looks elegant and intimidating. Only you need to know how easy this Roast Rack of Lamb Recipe is!
Ask for your rack of lamb to be trimmed and Frenched (more on this shortly), and the only thing standing between the showy protein and your oven is a quick soak in a rosemary-garlic oil lamb marinade. From there, this easy rack of lamb recipe takes just 30 minutes to sear in the oven. Allow the meat to rest, then slice, add some side dishes, and prepare your acceptance speech for your definite win as “host with the most.”
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Fresh rosemary: I blitz ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) of the leaves from this sturdy herb with garlic and olive oil for an ultra-easy marinade. If you prefer different herbs, feel free to swap in fresh thyme, sage, oregano, tarragon, or marjoram.
- Rack of lamb: This recipe calls for about 2 lamb racks, about 4 pounds or 14 to 16 bones. For the best presentation (but no effect on flavor), ask your butcher to “French” the lamb which means to trim away all the meat, fat, and cartilage from the bones. Or, you can do create Frenched racks of lamb yourself by following this tutorial on Serious Eats.
Step-by-step instructions
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. In a food processor, pulse garlic and rosemary until finely chopped. With the motor running, drizzle in oil.
- Pat lamb dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper. Rub all over with garlic-rosemary mixture. Set on prepared baking sheet, fat cap side up, and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Adjust oven racks to the upper middle position and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roast the lamb for 15 minutes, then rotate the baking sheet. Continue roasting until the lamb reaches 145 degrees on a meat thermometer, about 10 to 15 minutes longer.
- Transfer the racks of lamb to a carving board, stand upright, and let rest for 10 minutes. Carve the racks in between the rib bones and transfer to a serving platter.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This Roast Rack of Lamb Recipe creates 8 main dish servings, each with 2 lamb chops.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: The lamb can marinade up to one day in advance.
- More flavors: Tweak your marinade with your favorite flavors like Dijon mustard, lemon zest and juice, fresh thyme, mint, and parsley, fresh tomatoes, wine, and onions. Or sprinkle with lamb-friendly spices like cinnamon, coriander, cumin, fennel, oregano, and paprika. Mix your favorites in a small bowl and rub the rack of lamb before roasting.
- Preserved lemons: Serve your roasted lamb with a side dish of preserved lemons, dried apricots, and toasted walnuts.
- Lamb Chops: Ideal for holiday menus and weeknight dinners alike, this skillet Lamb Chops Recipe can be on the table in 20 minutes flat (complete with garlic-herb pan sauce).
Frequently Asked Questions
“Frenched” means that the bones of the roast have been trimmed of any meat, fat, and membranes for a cleaner look. You can ask your butcher to do this, or if you’re feeling ambitious, follow the Serious Eats how-to guide or watch a tutorial by Gordon Ramsay if you’re a more visual learner.
Cooking times vary based on the size of your roast and the exact lamb doneness you’re aiming for. I recommend cooking the rack of lamb to an internal temperature of 145 degrees (measure this using an internal or instant-read thermometer), which will score you medium-rare results.
You bet. Preheat your grill to 450 degrees (the low end of “high heat” on most grills that measure it in that way). Start with the lamb fat side down, then flip after 10 to 15 minutes, and cook another 10 minutes. Be sure to monitor this carefully, however, because lamb has more fat and could catch fire while grilling. As in the recipe, allow the lamb to rest before carving.
This is a wise move for any roast you’re preparing. Placing the meat in a pan with the fat side on top means that as the fat melts, it drips down the meat, essentially basting itself in deliciousness.
I typically estimate two bone-in slices per person, but feel free to make more if your guests tend to have heartier appetites.
Allowing this Roast Rack of Lamb Recipe (or any cut of meat) rest gives the protein time to come up to our desired maximum temperature without overcooking. This also allows the juices to be absorbed back into the meat so they don’t spill out onto the cutting board.
Add a side dish
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Roast Rack of Lamb Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 bulb garlic cloves separated and peeled
- 1/4 cup fresh rosemary stemmed (see note 1)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 racks of lamb trimmed and frenched (about 4 pounds or 14 to 16 bones, see note 2)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. In a food processor, pulse garlic and rosemary until finely chopped. With the motor running, drizzle in oil.
- Pat lamb dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper. Rub all over with garlic-rosemary mixture. Set on prepared baking sheet, fat side up, and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Adjust oven racks to the upper middle position and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roast the lamb for 15 minutes, then rotate the baking sheet. Continue roasting until the lamb reaches 145 degrees on an internal thermometer, about 10 to 15 minutes longer.
- Transfer the racks of lamb to a carving board, stand upright, and let rest for 10 minutes. Carve the racks in between the rib bones and serve.
Notes
- Fresh rosemary: I blitz ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) of the leaves from this sturdy herb with garlic and olive oil for an ultra-easy marinade. If you prefer different herbs, feel free to swap in fresh thyme, sage, oregano, tarragon, or marjoram.
- Rack of lamb: This recipe calls for about 2 racks of lamb, about 4 pounds or 14 to 16 bones. For the best presentation (but no effect on flavor), ask your butcher to “French” the lamb which means to trim away all the meat, fat, and cartilage from the bones. Or, you can do it yourself by following this tutorial on Serious Eats.
- Yield: This Roast Rack of Lamb Recipe creates 8 main dish servings, each with 2 lamb chops.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.