Rack of Lamb is a main dish that’s impressive enough for a holiday meal, but it’s just as easy to cook as any other weeknight dinner! A simple marinade brings out the best in the tender, juicy lamb without overpowering it.
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Why You’ll Love This Roast Rack of Lamb Recipe
- A Show-Stopping Main Dish. When you want something a little fancier than Roast Turkey and Crockpot Ham, rack of lamb is perfect. It has that high-end appeal that’s worthy of any celebration—and rack of lamb has a milder flavor than some other cuts of lamb, so it has more mass appeal. For another show-stopping holiday favorite, check out Standing Rib Roast.
- Mouthwatering Flavor. The lamb itself is juicy and tender, and the marinade complements without dominating. Bright lemon, garlic, and rosemary add all the right notes—it’s similar to the marinade I use in Lamb Chops.
- Easier Than You Think. Rack of lamb might look like a production, but it requires just 20 minutes of prep time and 20 minutes of cooking! The bulk of the time needed for this herb-crusted rack of lamb recipe is the hour it spends marinating.
How to Cook Rack of Lamb
The Ingredients
- Fresh Rosemary Leaves. Rosemary is a frequent pairing with lamb; its woodsy flavor pairs well with the meat. Use fresh rosemary for the best flavor.
- Garlic. Garlic is another stellar pairing with lamb, and it’s divine with the rosemary.
- Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper. Salt isn’t just for flavor! It tenderizes the lamb meat too. This recipe call for a lot, because it’s a lot of meat.
- Lemon. You’ll need both the zest and the juice. Zest the lemon first, then juice it.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil. This, along with the lemon juice, forms the liquid base of the rack of lamb marinade.
- Racks of Lamb. The meat should be pink or rosy red and firm. If it’s darker, it won’t be as tender.
The Directions
- Start the Marinade. Pulse the rosemary, garlic, zest, salt, and pepper in a food processor until finely chopped.
- Blend. Add the lemon juice and olive oil and process to combine.
- Prepare. Set the racks of lamb on a roasting or sheet pan with the fat side up and the ribs pointing down and outwards.
- Marinate. Rub the meat with the marinade and let sit at room temperature for an hour.
- Roast. Bake rack of lamb at 450 degrees F for about 25 minutes; tent and rest for 15 minutes, then arrange on a platter whole or cut into individual ribs and serve.
Storage Tips
- To Store. Refrigerate leftover rack of lamb wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat. Cut the rack of lamb into individual ribs and place them in a baking dish. Add a splash of broth, cover with foil, and reheat in a 325 degree F oven until warmed through.
- To Freeze. Store leftovers in an airtight container or zip-top bag for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator before reheating according to the instructions above. Note that freezing is not ideal; it’s safe, but it won’t taste as good after thawing and reheating.
Meal Prep Tip
Make the marinade up to 2 days in advance and refrigerate it in an airtight container until you’re ready to use it.
What to Serve with Rack of Lamb
- Potatoes. Potatoes are a classic side dish for rack of lamb. Try Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Oven Roasted Potatoes, or Crockpot Scalloped Potatoes.
- Vegetables. Lamb pairs well with Roasted Carrots, Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic, and Sautéed Green Beans.
- Risotto. Rich lamb is often served alongside (or atop) creamy risotto for double the decadence. My Farro Risotto, Mushroom Risotto, or Butternut Squash Risotto would be perfect!
- Holiday Favorites. If you’re making roast rack of lamb for a holiday, it’s fantastic with other holiday dishes like Chestnut Stuffing, Brussels Sprouts Casserole, and Mashed Sweet Potatoes.
- Sauce or Gravy. Creamy Mushroom Sauce would be fantastic with lamb.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Instant Read Thermometer. A meat thermometer is the best way to know when rack of lamb is ready.
- Mini Food Processor. I like using a small food processor for blending the marinade ingredients.
- Lemon Juicer. This one is my absolute favorite! It catches the seeds and it squeezes every bit of juice out.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Make Sure the Rack of Lamb Is Frenched. A Frenched rack of lamb means the meat is cut off the ribs, exposing the bones. Most racks of lamb are sold Frenched, but if your butcher is selling untrimmed racks, you can ask them to trim it for you. The meat looks nicer, and the bits on the bones tend to burn anyway.
- Know When It’s Done. Rack of lamb is best served medium-rare, which should take about 25 minutes. Don’t just set a timer and go by that, though! The best way to know when lamb (or Crockpot Turkey Breast or Baked Pork Tenderloin—or basically any meat) is done is to use an instant-read thermometer. It should be 135 degrees F for medium-rare, but because the temperature will continue to rise during the resting time, you can take the lamb out of the oven once it reaches 130 degrees F.
- Don’t Skip the Rest. Tent the rack of lamb and let it rest for the full 15 minutes. During this time, the juices will reabsorb into the meat. Cutting into it right away will result in the juices flowing out onto the cutting board—which means dry, tough lamb.
Rack of Lamb
How to cook rack of lamb in the oven to juicy perfection. With a garlic rosemary rub, it is an impressive dish that takes a quick 20 minutes to prep!
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 1 hour 55 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
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Ingredients
- 1/4 cup fresh rosemary leaves
- 4 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Zest of 1 medium lemon
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 racks of lamb “frenched*” (about 1 3/4 to 2 pounds per rack)
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade** (I find a mini food processor works best), add the rosemary, garlic, salt, pepper, and lemon zest (zest the lemon right over the bowl). Blend until they are as finely chopped as possible. Add the lemon juice and olive oil and blend until evenly combined.
- Place the lamb in a roasting pan or on a rimmed baking sheet pan, with the fat side up and ribs curving down (I place the racks so the ribs are pointing outward and the rack meat runs down the center). Rub all over with the garlic-rosemary mixture. Let at room temperature for 1 hour prior to roasting.
- About 30 minutes before you are ready to cook, place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 450°F (you want the oven to stay heated for at least 10 minutes after it beeps to make sure it’s good and firey hot).
- Roast the rack of lamb for 25 minutes for medium rare (rack of lamb should not be medium or well-done or it will taste dry). If your oven bakes unevenly, rotate the pan 180° halfway through. Remove from the oven and tent with aluminum foil. Let rest for 15 minutes. When ready to serve, use a sharp chef’s knife to cut into individual ribs and serve (you can arrange them on a platter, or let guests serve themselves from the cutting board). If you’d like a wow moment, you can stand the ribs up on a platter prior to cutting them apart. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Video
Notes
- *When choosing lamb, look for meat that is pink or rosy red with firm white meat. Darker red meat is older and won’t be as tender.
- *”Frenched” means the extra meat and fat has been trimmed off the tips of the bones so the rib bones are exposed. It makes a nicer presentation, and the meat/fat on the tips of the bones won’t burn. Ask your butcher to French them for you and to leave 1/8 inch of fat on the meat to help insulate it. (If you are feeling ambitious, you can also buy a whole rack and try Frenching it yourself.)
- **If you prefer to skip the food processor, you can mince the rosemary and garlic as finely as possible, mash them together with the side of your knife on a cutting board, then combine them with the other ingredients (I find the food processor very much worth it here).
- TO STORE: Refrigerate leftover rack of lamb wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- TO REHEAT: Cut the rack of lamb into individual ribs and place them in a baking dish. Add a splash of broth, cover with foil, and reheat in a 325 degree F oven until warmed through.
- TO FREEZE: Store leftovers in an airtight container or zip-top bag for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator before reheating according to the instructions above. Note that freezing is not ideal; it’s safe, but it won’t taste as good after thawing and reheating.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 6)Calories: 683kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 24gFat: 64gSaturated Fat: 26gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 29gCholesterol: 126mgPotassium: 337mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 35IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 2mg
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