A roasted rack of lamb is the perfect hands-off, easy dinner that is so delicious it will impress anyone who tries it. It is beautifully seasoned with a combination of garlic and herbs and then roasted to perfection. Serve it alongside a homemade mint sauce for the most flavorful experience.
Top this dish with a homemade mint sauce and serve it with dauphinoise potatoes and honey-glazed carrots. For more side dish ideas, check out my post all about what to serve with lamb! Enjoy!
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This roasted rack of lamb is extra simple to make, as no searing is involved! It simply roasts in the oven after being seasoned.
This dish is impressively beautiful and tastes amazing, too. It is elegant enough for a special occasion but easy enough to make any day of the week.
🥘 Ingredients
You can find lamb rib racks at any standard grocery store or butcher. I highly recommend picking up some fresh herbs as well.
- Lamb - 2 racks of lamb weighing approximately 2.5 pounds total (*see note).
- Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
- Garlic - 1 tablespoon of minced garlic.
- Rosemary - 2 tablespoons of fresh rosemary, minced.
- Oregano - 1 tablespoon of fresh oregano, minced (or thyme).
- Parsley - 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, minced (plus more for garnish).
- Salt & Pepper - ½ teaspoon of both salt and pepper (to taste).
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make A Roasted Rack of Lamb
Since we aren't searing the lamb, this dish is incredibly easy.
Make sure you have a sheet pan, mixing bowl, and a meat thermometer to get started.
This recipe will yield 6 servings of lamb, perfect for the whole family.
- Combine herbs. Lightly coat a sheet pan with olive oil. Then, in a small mixing bowl, add 2 tablespoons each of olive oil and rosemary, 1 tablespoon each of minced garlic, oregano (or thyme), parsley, and ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Bring lamb to room temperature. Place the 2.5 pounds of lamb onto the foil-lined pan and rub the seasoning mixture all over both racks, ensuring that you coat all of the sides. After that, let the lamb rest at room temperature for 40-45 minutes.
- Preheat. Once your lamb has warmed to room temperature, preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Roast. Place the lamb into the preheated oven and roast for 20 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads an internal temperature of 120°F (49°C) for medium-rare (*see note).
- Rest. Once cooked, remove the lamb racks from the oven and loosely cover them with foil. Allow them to rest for 10 minutes.
- Serve. Slice the lamb between the bone, sprinkle with parsley, and serve with a mint sauce.
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- The weight of your racks may vary (which could affect the cooking time), my racks of lamb were about 1.33 pounds each.
- Racks can be leaned against each other, crossing the frenched bones, for a lovely holiday appearance.
- Remember that once you remove the lamb from the oven, the internal temperature will rise another 5°F while resting from 'carryover cooking'.
- To achieve your desired level of doneness, the internal temperature of the lamb should read as the following:
- Medium-rare: 125°F (52°C)
- Medium: 130°F (54°C)
- Medium-well: 145°F (63°C)
- Well: 150°F (66°C)
- Note that the CDC recommends that all lamb be cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C), which is medium-well.
- For more information on the internal temperatures of lamb, check out my comprehensive post about lamb cooking doneness.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Place any leftovers in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
If you want to freeze your cooked lamb, wrap the meat tightly and place it into a freezer bag once fully cooled. Freeze for up to 3 months, allowing to fully defrost before reheating.
Reheating
To reheat leftovers, place your lamb into a baking dish with a splash of water and cover it with foil. Bake it at 350°F (180°C) until heated through.
Check out these tasty leftover lamb recipes!
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❓ Recipe FAQs
When you have "Frenched" a rack of lamb, this simply means that all of the excess meat and fat have been removed from the ends of the bones (the tips) of the rack. This doesn't actually alter the flavor at all and is strictly for the purpose of having a beautiful presentation.
This cut of meat is just as easy to prepare as beef, pork, or chicken! Once you start to cook it and eat it more frequently, you'll wonder why it isn't as common as some of the previously mentioned meat options.
I recommend a rack of lamb be cooked to a beautiful medium-rare, which is 125°F (52°C). However, you may prefer to have your lamb cooked longer. However, the CDC recommends that lamb be cooked until it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F (63 °C).
🥩 The Best Lamb Recipes
- Grilled Lamb Steaks - A tender and flavorful lamb steak dinner perfect for date nights.
- Roasted Boneless Leg of Lamb - A meaty main course that's elegant and flavorful enough for any special holiday dinner.
- Roasted Leg of Lamb - A one-pan meal with fork-tender lamb meat and perfectly seasoned potatoes.
- Pan-Seared Lamb Shoulder Chops - These incredibly juicy, tender, and delicious shoulder chops are the perfect main course for any day of the week.
- Lamb Breast - This lamb breast recipe features a Mediterranean-inspired lamb rub that gives the meat a fantastic flavor.
- Roasted Lamb Shanks - These roasted lamb shanks are easy to make as they require little prep work, and the rest is hands-off.
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📖 Recipe Card
Roasted Rack of Lamb
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs lamb (2 racks of lamb, 8 bones each, *see note)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin)
- 1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoon fresh rosemary (minced)
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano (minced, or thyme)
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (minced, plus more for garnish)
- ½ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (to taste)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Lightly coat a sheet pan with olive oil. Then, in a small mixing bowl, add your 2 tablespoon olive oil, minced 1 tablespoon garlic, 2 tablespoon fresh rosemary, 1 tablespoon fresh oregano (or thyme), 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, ½ teaspoon each, salt & pepper. Stir to combine.
- Place the 2.5 lbs lamb onto the foil-lined pan and rub the seasoning mixture all over both racks, ensuring that you coat all of the sides. After that, let the lamb rest at room temperature for 40-45 minutes.
- Once your lamb has warmed to room temperature, preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Place the lamb into the preheated oven and roast for 20 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads an internal temperature of 120°F (49°C) for medium-rare (*see note).
- Once cooked, remove the lamb racks from the oven and loosely cover them with foil. Allow them to rest for 10 minutes.
- Slice the lamb between the bone, sprinkle with parsley, and serve with a mint sauce.
Notes
- The weight of your racks may vary (which could affect the cooking time), my racks of lamb were about 1.33 pounds each.
- Racks can be leaned against each other, crossing the frenched bones, for a lovely holiday appearance.
- Remember that once you remove the lamb from the oven, the internal temperature will rise another 5°F while resting from 'carryover cooking'.
- To achieve your desired level of doneness, the internal temperature of the lamb should read as the following:
- Medium-rare: 125°F (52°C)
- Medium: 130°F (54°C)
- Medium-well: 145°F (63°C)
- Well: 150°F (66°C)
- Note that the CDC recommends that all lamb be cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C), which is medium-well.
- To store: Place the lamb in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To freeze: Once fully cooled, wrap the meat tightly and place it into a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months, allowing to fully defrost before reheating.
- To reheat: Place your lamb into a baking dish with a splash of water and cover it with foil. Bake it at 350°F (180°C) until heated through.
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