This roasted lamb breast turns out tender and flavorful with just a little olive oil and a DIY homemade lamb rub. The lamb will be crispy on the outside but fall off-the-bone tender inside. If you're craving a gourmet lamb dinner, this recipe is a great choice because there is very little prep time, and the oven does all the work.
Serve with some simple vermicelli rice and a roasted vegetable medley. For more ideas, I have an entire page dedicated to what to serve with lamb.
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This oven-roasted lamb is so easy to prepare that you'll want lamb for dinner every week. It's a fool-proof recipe that turns out incredible every time.
Not to mention, this lamb recipe is high in protein and low-carb (keto), plus the seasoning is sugar-free. For a hearty and flavorful dinner that you can feel great about serving your family, roasted lamb is the way to go.
If you are new to cooking lamb, be sure to take a look at my Ultimate Guide To Cooking Lamb for tips, tricks, and more information!
If you love grilling, be sure to check out my grilled lamb breast too!
🥘 Ingredients
You only need 3 simple ingredients to prepare this roasted lamb. Lamb is a rich and flavorful meat on its own and needs very little to turn out tender and delicious.
- Split Lamb Breast - A 2-3 pound split lamb breast.
- Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
- Lamb Rub - 6 ½ tablespoons of lamb rub or 1 batch of my recipe.
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🌡️ LAMB COOKING TEMPERATURES
Below, I have included a chart on the desired levels of doneness for lamb and their corresponding internal temperatures. You can also take a look at my page on cooked lamb temperatures for more information. Per the USDA, the minimum internal temperature for lamb is 145°F (63°C). Keep in mind that the lamb will continue to cook another 5°F while resting.
| Doneness | Temperature Fahrenheit | Temperature Celsius |
| Rare | 140°F | 60°C |
| Medium Rare | 145°F | 63°C |
| Medium | 160°F | 71°C |
| Medium Well-Done | 165°F | 74°C |
| Well-Done | 170°F | 77°C |
🔪 How To Roast Lamb Breast
This recipe is super simple because your oven does all the work. You are going to need a cutting board, a meat thermometer, and a roasting pan.
A 2-3 pound lamb breast should serve about 6 people.
Roasted Lamb Breast
- Rinse the lamb. Rinse the split lamb breast (2-3 pounds) in cool water under the faucet, then set it on a platter, baking sheet, or cutting board and gently pat dry with paper towels.
- Coat with olive oil. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, coating the lamb lightly but entirely.
- Season. Massage 1 batch of my lamb rub (6 ½ tablespoons) into the meat vigorously, covering both sides and all of the edges. You want every bite to be full of flavor.
- Let the rub set. Allow the seasoning rub to set on the meat for at least an hour before grilling, if possible. This will get the flavors infused into the lamb breast.
After following steps 1-4 from the above instructions, use these steps to oven-roast the lamb breast:
- Preheat. Heat your oven to 325°F (163°C) and place your seasoned lamb into a roasting pan.
- Roast the lamb. Roast your lamb breast in the oven for 2 ½ to 3 hours or until the lamb temps out for your desired level of doneness, as read by a digital meat thermometer.
- Flip (optional). Flip the lamb over at about the midway point in your cooking time.
- Rest. Transfer the lamb breast to a cutting board or serving tray and loosely tent foil over the top. Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Notes
- I like to use a two-handed 'dry hand/wet hand' method to season the lamb. With your dry hand, sprinkle the lamb rub over the lamb breast. With your wet hand, spread the seasoning evenly all over the meat until fully coated.
- Alternatively, you can 'dry brine' your lamb by seasoning it and placing it uncovered in the fridge overnight. I think this provides maximum flavor, though it still turns out delicious if time doesn't allow it.
- Adding a small splash of sesame oil to the olive oil when preparing your lamb breast will help cut down on the gamey flavor of the lamb. (The robust, earthy flavor of lamb comes from the fat of the meat. If desired, you can trim off some of the fat to help with this.)
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Tightly wrap leftovers in foil or place it in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
To freeze your lamb, wrap it tightly in foil or plastic wrap and place it in a heavy-duty freezer bag or airtight container. Enjoy within 3 months and thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Be sure to check out all of my leftover lamb recipes for using up any leftovers!
Reheating
You can enjoy your lamb leftovers cold straight out of the fridge or reheat it in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 15 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
>>>See All Of My Tasty Recipes Here!<<<
❓ Recipe FAQs
There's no need to cover the lamb breast before you roast it. Place it in the roasting pan fat-side-up and the fat will render and run over the meat, keeping it from drying out.
Lamb has a rich and earthy flavor that can tend to lean towards 'gamey.' Many people enjoy the natural flavor of lamb; however, you can always add a splash of sesame oil to the olive oil during preparation to cut down on the gamey flavor.
However, the USDA recommends the internal temperature of lamb reach 145°F (63°C) or medium-rare. However, like with beef, so long as the surface of the meat is heated enough to kill any harmful bacteria, it is typically safe to enjoy rare to medium-rare.
🥩 More Lamb Recipes
- Instant Pot Leg of Lamb - This tender and juicy leg of lamb is so easy to make in your Instant Pot!
- Irish Lamb Stew - A hearty stew loaded with buttery lamb meat and tender root vegetables.
- Smoked Leg of Lamb - The smokey flavor penetrates deep into the meat, which makes an irresistible lamb dinner!
- Grilled Lamb Steaks - Fire up the grill because these juicy lamb steaks are so easy to make!
- Leftover Lamb Curry - Turn your leftovers into a warm and hearty lamb curry made with simple ingredients!
- Pan-Seared Lamb Chops - These quick and easy seared lamb chops are great for dinner any day of the week!
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📖 Recipe Card
Roasted Lamb Breast
Ingredients
- 2-3 lbs split lamb breast
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 ½ tablespoon lamb rub (see recipe)
Instructions
- Rinse the split lamb breast (2-3 pounds) in cool water under the faucet then set it on a platter, baking sheet, or cutting board and gently pat dry with paper towels.
- Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, coating the lamb lightly but entirely.
- Massage the lamb rub seasoning into the meat vigorously, covering both sides and all of the edges. You want every bite to be full of flavor.
- Allow the seasoning rub to set on the meat for at least an hour before roasting, if possible. This will get the flavors infused into the lamb breast.
- Heat your oven to 325°F (163°C) and place your seasoned lamb into a roasting pan.
- Roast your lamb breast in the oven for 2 ½ to 3 hours or until the lamb temps out for your desired level of doneness, as read by a digital meat thermometer.
- (optional) Flip the lamb over at about the midway point in your cooking.
- Transfer the lamb breast to a cutting board or serving tray and loosely tent foil over the top. Let it rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- I like to use a two-handed 'dry hand/wet hand' method to season the lamb. With your dry hand, sprinkle the lamb rub over the lamb breast. With your wet hand, spread the seasoning evenly all over the meat until fully coated.
- Alternatively, you can 'dry brine' your lamb by seasoning it and placing it uncovered in the fridge overnight. I think this provides maximum flavor, though it still turns out delicious if time doesn't allow it.
- Adding a small splash of sesame oil to the olive oil when preparing your lamb breast will help cut down on the gamey flavor of the lamb. (The robust, earthy flavor of lamb comes from the fat of the meat. If desired, you can trim off some of the fat to help with this.)
- To store: Tightly wrap the lamb in foil or place it in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. To freeze your lamb, wrap it tightly in foil or plastic wrap and place it in a heavy-duty freezer bag or airtight container. Enjoy within 3 months and thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- To reheat: You can enjoy your lamb cold straight out of the fridge or reheat it in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 15 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
Jaselyn says
I made this roasted lamb breast recipe using a 3.5 lb split lamb breast and the lamb rub linked to in the recipe notes. The results were very tasty, but a bit too salty for my tastes. Next time, I would decrease the salt in the rub to about 1.5 Tbsp.
I did accidentally overcook my lamb a bit, and the crust ended up coming off in a separate layer. I just stuck it back on and ate it with the interior meat. It actually worked out well that way, though, since it made it easier to get softer bites that my two toddlers (ages 3 and 1.5) would be able to chew.
My family ate one of the breast plates at dinner and had one left over. We have two adults and two little ones.
I served the lamb with couscous, cucumbers, grapes, and a homemade garlic yogurt dipping sauce. Everything went really well together.
Thank you for the recipe and the instructions on how to cook this cut of lamb! It's my first foray into something other than leg of lamb, and it's something I'd like to try again!
Theresa Stover says
Delicious it came out very good, tender and juicy
The Carlsons says
I really enjoyed these lamb breast ribs. Our family absolutely loved the flavor and they were so juicy! Thank you for the recipe.
Melanie Behm says
In the recipe you say to add a bit of sesame oil with the olive oil to cut down on a gamey flavor. Do you mean toasted sesame oil or clear sesame oil that resembles olive oil?? Thank you
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Either will work, I tend to use the toasted sesame seed oil. Hope that helps!