Succulent Rack of Lamb Recipe is coming your way. Tender, oven roasted rack of lamb that’s so delicious and perfect for a special day! For this tasty lamb recipe, all you need is 20 – 25 mins start to finish, and you’re left with a hearty comforting dinner. Be sure to watch the video and go through the tips below 🙂
Another MUST MAKE of my Lamb Recipes is this Rack of Lamb. This particular cut is loaded with flavor, cooks super fast and is really tender. While this would the HIT at your Holiday table this year, you can make it for just about any special day as well.
If you’ve been reading here, you know we LOVE lamb. It’s super versatile, and American Lamb in particular is the freshest and tastiest we’ve found. You can make easy weeknight dinners like Lamb Tacos, Pita Bowl, Lamb Steaks, Lamb Stew and more.
Or you can go for a roast that will infuse your home with spice and make for a comfort hearty meal. Our recents include Braised Lamb Shanks , Lamb Shoulder Chop Recipe, Leg of Lamb Recipe, Boneless Leg of Lamb and more!
For now let’s get into our recipe and everything you need to know to make this a HIT like it deserves!
What is a Rack of Lamb?
According to the USDA, the rack is the unsplit primal rib which includes ribs 6 through 12. The rack is split to make two primal lamb rib roasts. A lamb crown roast is made by sewing two rib roasts together to form a circle or crown.
For us, a rack of lamb if the finest cut of lamb comparable to the prime rib of the beef. It’s a luxurious cut that’s super tender, packed with flavor as it surrounds the bone and has a decent layer of fat.
You can roast the rack of lamb as a whole, or sear it as a whole, or both together. You can also cut off the chops and make lamb lollipops (recipe coming soon!!!).
The marinades you can use are endless! From a simple Mediterranean herb and garlic, to a mustard rosemary French style lamb, to a Middle Eastern heavily spiced option. Today’s rack of lamb recipe is celebration of ease, simplicity and tremendous flavor!
Roasted Rack of Lamb Recipe Ingredients
- Rack of Lamb, of course we use American Lamb and we used two French cut racks for this recipe. More on French cut rack of lamb below in Tips section.
- Salt and Pepper
- Rosemary
- Butter to sear the lamb
- Mustard to brush over the lamb
- garlic
- Panko bread crumbs to make a coating over the lamb
- Olive oil
How to Cook Rack of Lamb
- The fist step is to season the lamb liberally with salt and pepper and on both sides. As noted, use French cut rack of lamb as they’re well trimmed.
- You’ll then move on to tasting the panko crust that goes on before roasting the rack of lamb. While it’s completely optional, we find that toasting the bread before coating, gives it a nuttier toastier and richer flavor.
- Just add the panko bread crumbs, olive oil, fresh garlic, herbs, seasoning and onion powder in a skillet and toast it for 3 minutes until lightly golden and it’s ready.
- Now we need to sear the racks of lamb in butter.
- This initial sear will seal in all the juices of the meat and makes it even more tender as it roasts in the oven. The flavor of butter also intensifies the buttery taste of lamb.
- You’ll need to have a really golden sear ALL over the rack of lamb, so use tongs and hold them up straight after searing the sides.
- This is the golden sear you’re looking for! A gorgeous and crisp sear on all sides of the meat. Now you’ll remove the racks from the skillet, place them on a cooling rack. Place a baking sheet under the cooling rack and preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
- Brush the top (fat side) of each rack with mustard. We used grainy mustard here, however you can use Dijon mustard, a spicy mustard if you prefer even honey mustard. The mustard brushing acts as a glue for the breadcrumbs to stick, and also infuses more flavor into the lamb.
- Now take the brushed rack of lamb, one at a time and dip it into the plate of breadcrumbs. Press it firmly to have as much as possible of the coating stick on it.
Oven Roasting The Rack of Lamb
- Repeat with the other piece of meat and keep them on the same baking rack over a baking sheet as they will be roasting right away.
- Roast the rack of lamb until an internal temperature is about 140 degrees F for medium rare. More on roasting times below in the tips section.
- When ready, remove from the oven, and allow the lamb to rest for 7-8 minutes before slicing. You can alternatively serve the whole rack as it is for a stunning centrepiece!
Rack of Lamb Recipe Tips and FAQ
- When buying lamb, ask your butcher and make sure you’re buying American lamb as it’s fresher and tastier than any!
- You’ll notice the meat is pinker in color and the the fat is firm and white rather than yellowish toned.
- It’s optimal to buy French cut which basically means the rack has been trimmed perfectly to highlight the intersection os bone and meat.
- You can season the meat in however many or few spices, we chose a salt and pepper seasoning as we wanted to highlight the lamb flavor!
- Toasting the breadcrumb coating is a SECRET to a tasty coating!
- You may sear in olive oil or avocado oil, however the flavor of butter is ideal with the lamb!
- For best results when roasting, use a meat thermometer.
- For roasting a rack of lamb, we highly recommend using a thermometer.
- Insert the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat to test the doneness.
- Do not attempt to slice the rack as soon as it’s out of the oven, do let it rest for at least 6 minutes as the juices need to redistribute.
How Many Does a Rack of Lamb Serve?
Each rack of lamb is about 8 ribs or lamb lollipops which can fairly serve 2-3 people. So today’s recipe serves 4 generously as we used two racks.
What is Frenched Rack of Lamb
This is a type of trim which you can ask your butcher to make for you. It involves removing excess fat and cartilage from the rack to allow for a beautiful presentation of the meat.
Rack of Lamb Temperature
Once the meat is in the oven, do check on the lamb using an oven thermometer inserted in the thickest side of the meat.
- The USDA recommends a temperature of 145 degrees F which is medium.
- Medium rare stands at 135 degrees F
- Rare stands at 125 degrees F.
What to Serve with Rack of Lamb?
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes so luscious ! Some Potato Pancakes or Air Fryer Baked Potato
- Panzanella Salad , Wedge Salad or Halloumi Cheese Salad
- Roasted Acorn Squash, Burrata Pasta, Pan Fried Potatoes
- Butternut Squash Soup Recipe or White Bean Soup Recipe
How to Store Leftovers
It’s best to store leftovers in fridge for up to 5 days. You can repurpose them into sandwiches or salads the next day, and you can even reheat them to take just as fresh.
How to Reheat Rack of Lamb
The best way to reheat the meat is to wrap in foil and place it in a 300 degrees F oven for about 10 minutes until warmed through. Be mindful that it will cook slightly to a different doneness compared to the first time, however it will taste just as fresh!
You can alternatively use your air fryer. Set to 350 degrees and heat up for 3-4 minutes only.
Can you Freeze Rack of Lamb?
You can freeze the cooked lamb rack wrapped tightly in foil and then placed in a ziploc bag. Reheat it the same way once thawed.
Oven Roast Lamb Recipes:
How to Cook Lamb With Moroccan Spice
Leg of Lamb with Mashed Potatoes
Rack of Lamb Recipe
Succulent Rack of Lamb Recipe is coming your way. Tender, oven roasted rack of lamb that's so delicious and perfect for a special day! For this tasty lamb recipe, all you need is 20 - 25 mins start to finish, and you're left with a hearty comforting dinner. Be sure to watch the video and go through the tips below 🙂
Ingredients
- 2 Racks of lamb Frenched
- 1 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper or taste
- 3 T Butter
Mustard
- 1/2 cup Dijon Mustard or grainy Mustard
Coating:
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 3/4 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon Rosemary leaves minced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
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Season the defrosted lamb on both sides liberally with the salt and pepper.
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Preheat a cast iron or heavy skillet over medium high heat.
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Add in the butter until melted.
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Place the lamb rack, skin side down on the butter.
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Cook for 6-7 minutes and then carefully flip to the other side.
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Cook another 5-7 minutes until golden.
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Move the rack of lamb to sear the back and edges of the rack as well.
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Rest the lamb on a rack over a baking sheet.
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Make the coating : Add all ingredients in a small skillet.
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Toast the breadcrumb coating over medium low heat for 3-4 minutes until lightly golden and fragrant.
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Remove the toasted crumbs on to a shallow plate.
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Brush the rested lamb racks with mustard on the skin side/tops only.
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Take each rack and press it firmly over the toasted crumb mixture to make sure the coating sticks.
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Place the lamb back over the baking rack that’s over a baking sheet. Place the lamb topping side up.
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Roast in the oven until the temperature of the lamb is anywhere between 125 degrees F-135 degrees F for rare to medium-rare.
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This takes about 15 minutes.
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Remove the lamb and allow it to rest for 8 minutes before slicing it.
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Slice and serve the lamb lollipops over a bed of mashed potatoes and a side if sautéed green beans.
-
ENJOY
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Rack of Lamb Recipe Tips and FAQ
- When buying lamb, ask your butcher and make sure you're buying American lamb as it's fresher and tastier than any!
- You'll notice the meat is pinker in color and the the fat is firm and white rather than yellowish toned.
- It's optimal to buy French cut which basically means the rack has been trimmed perfectly to highlight the intersection os bone and meat.
- You can season the meat in however many or few spices, we chose a salt and pepper seasoning as we wanted to highlight the lamb flavor!
- Toasting the breadcrumb coating is a SECRET to a tasty coating!
- You may sear in olive oil or avocado oil, however the flavor of butter is ideal with the lamb!
- For best results when roasting, use a meat thermometer.
- For roasting a rack of lamb, we highly recommend using a thermometer.
- Insert the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat to test the doneness.
- Do not attempt to slice the rack as soon as it's out of the oven, do let it rest for at least 6 minutes as the juices need to redistribute.
How Many Does a Rack of Lamb Serve?
Each rack of lamb is about 8 ribs or lamb lollipops which can fairly serve 2-3 people. So today's recipe serves 4 generously as we used two racks.
What is Frenched Rack of Lamb
This is a type of trim which you can ask your butcher to make for you. It involves removing excess fat and cartilage from the rack to allow for a beautiful presentation of the meat.
Rack of Lamb Temperature
Once the meat is in the oven, do check on the lamb using an oven thermometer inserted in the thickest side of the meat.
- The USDA recommends a temperature of 145 degrees F which is medium.
- Medium rare stands at 135 degrees F
- Rare stands at 125 degrees F.
What to Serve with Rack of Lamb?
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes so luscious ! Some Potato Pancakes or Air Fryer Baked Potato
- Panzanella Salad , Wedge Salad or Halloumi Cheese Salad
- Roasted Acorn Squash, Burrata Pasta, Pan Fried Potatoes
- Butternut Squash Soup Recipe or White Bean Soup Recipe
How to Store Leftovers
It's best to store leftovers in fridge for up to 5 days. You can repurpose them into sandwiches or salads the next day, and you can even reheat them to take just as fresh.
How to Reheat Rack of Lamb
The best way to reheat the meat is to wrap in foil and place it in a 300 degrees F oven for about 10 minutes until warmed through. Be mindful that it will cook slightly to a different doneness compared to the first time, however it will taste just as fresh!
You can alternatively use your air fryer. Set to 350 degrees and heat up for 3-4 minutes only.
Can you Freeze Rack of Lamb?
You can freeze the cooked lamb rack wrapped tightly in foil and then placed in a ziploc bag. Reheat it the same way once thawed.
We love all the photos and step by step guide. What a great user experience. Can not wait to make ours this weekend!
I’m in awe at how easy and quick this rack of lamb recipe is. The video and pictures are very helpful. I can’t wait to sink my teeth into this fabulous lamb.
I made this rack of lamb for dinner over the weekend and it was fantastic! So flavorful and perfect for a special occasion!
This looks so good! Nothing beats a really good rack of lamb.
This looks absolutely incredible. I can’t wait to try it!
This was so tender, juicy, and flavorful! It was the perfect Sunday dinner for my family.
I love that you used the mustard on this! It adds such a nice little kick and some tang to the meat. So good!
I hadn’t ever tried lamb until a recent wedding where they served them as lamb lollipops and now I’m hooked! This is such an easy recipe to follow and the lamb comes out truly succulent!