Tender, juicy, and full of flavor, this roasted rack of lamb turns out perfectly every time. A quick roast in a hot oven keeps the meat succulent, while olive oil, garlic, rosemary, and thyme infuse it with wonderful flavor.

This easy rack of lamb recipe highlights the rich, distinctive flavor of lamb. I love all cuts - leg of lamb and lamb steaks included - but the rack stands out for its exceptionally tender meat and flavorful fat. This recipe is the perfect entree for a holiday or entertaining because it's flavorful, elegant, and easy. I love bringing the lamb to the table in all its glory before carving it.
Ingredients and Variations
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on the ingredients.
- Frenched rack of lamb: I usually get it at Whole Foods. It's also available in many supermarkets, usually in a convenient vacuum pack.
- Olive oil spray: By far my favorite oil to cook with, and it pairs beautifully with lamb. However, instead of coating the lamb with olive oil, you can brush it with melted butter or ghee.
- To season: In addition to salt and pepper, I use garlic powder, dried rosemary, and dried thyme. While you can use minced fresh garlic, I prefer garlic powder because it coats the lamb more evenly. Other seasonings that pair well with lamb are ground cumin and dried oregano. You can add ½ teaspoon of each.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Place the lamb on a baking sheet, fat side up. Score the fat by making small, shallow slits.
Coat the lamb with olive oil and sprinkle it with the seasonings. Allow it to come to room temperature, then roast it in a preheated 425°F oven for 25-30 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, cover with foil, and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
Using a sharp chef's knife, cut the rack into individual ribs by slicing between the bones. Serve immediately.
My grandson Damon and I love it soo much. This is our third time making it. So easy to make and so flavorful. Thanks for the recipe. Damon said your recipes are cool.
Sara
Read more comments
Recipe Tips
- As with most cuts of meat, including ribeye roast, tenderloin roast, and tri-tip roast, it's important to let the lamb rest for 10-15 minutes after removing it from the oven. This rest time allows the juices to settle and redistribute, preventing them from gushing out as soon as you cut into the meat.
- There's no need to sear the lamb before roasting. While searing would nicely brown the meat, especially the fat, the same result is achieved when cooking the lamb in a hot oven.
- Cutting shallow slits in the fat helps prevent the rack from curling as it roasts by allowing the fat to render evenly, and promotes more uniform cooking by letting heat penetrate the meat. The slits also allow seasonings to seep deeper into the lamb, enhancing its flavor, and help the fat brown and crisp, creating a golden, flavorful crust. It's important to keep the cuts shallow - just through the fat and not into the meat - to maintain juiciness.
Recipe FAQs
Turn the rack upside down, locate the bones, and carefully cut between them using a sharp chef's knife, as shown in the photo below. As long as your knife is freshly sharpened, this should be easy to do.
According to the USDA, it should be cooked to medium - an internal temperature of 145ºF with a 3-minute rest period. I prefer it medium-rare, but that's a personal choice.
"Frenched" means that the excess meat, fat, and cartilage were removed from the bones to expose them and make the rack appear neater and more elegant.
Yes! In fact, because the leftovers keep so well, I often double the recipe and roast two racks, as shown in the photo below - one for serving immediately and the other for tasty leftovers during the week.
Serving Suggestions
Since I roast the lamb in a 425°F oven, I like to serve it with side dishes I can cook in the same oven. So I often serve it with any of the following:
- Roasted Brussels sprouts
- Eggplant Parmesan
- Cauliflower casserole
- Roasted fennel
- Roasted cherry tomatoes
- Roasted cauliflower
- Roasted broccolini
The photo below shows a recent meal in which I served the lamb with roasted pumpkin and roasted radishes.
It's also good with salads, including arugula salad, spinach salad, Caesar salad, or the simple salad shown below that includes lettuce, tomatoes, and blue cheese dressing.
Storing and Using the Leftovers
The leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge (as shown in the photo below) for 3-4 days. To avoid drying them, reheat them covered in the microwave at 50% power. You can also freeze the cooled leftovers in freezer bags for up to three months.
For a truly effortless meal, I like to serve the leftovers with fresh-cut veggies, pickles, and Dijon mustard, as shown in the image below.
Recipe Card
Roasted Rack of Lamb
Video
Ingredients
- 1 rack of lamb - Frenched, 1 ½ pound, 8 ribs
- Olive oil spray
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ½ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper - freshly ground
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- An hour before you start roasting the lamb, line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and coat it with olive oil spray.
- Place the lamb on the prepared baking sheet, fat side up. Score the fat by making small, shallow slits 1 inch apart. Keep the cuts shallow - just through the fat and not into the meat - to maintain juiciness.
- Liberally coat both sides of the lamb with olive oil and sprinkle it with salt, pepper, garlic powder, rosemary, and thyme. Allow the lamb to rest on the counter for about an hour and come to room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Roast the lamb in the preheated oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part (not touching the bone) reads 135°F (medium-rare), about 25 minutes.
- Remove the lamb from the oven. Transfer it to a cutting board, cover it with foil, and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- To cut the rack into individual ribs, turn it upside down, locate the bones, and carefully cut between them using a sharp chef's knife.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- The USDA says we should cook roasts to an internal temperature of 145ºF with a three-minute rest time.
- The nutrition info is from the USDA database.
- There's no need to sear the lamb before roasting.
- "Frenched" means the rack is cut so that the rib bones are exposed.
- A small, 1-pound rack (like the one shown in the process shots and video) will need about 20 minutes in the oven to reach medium-rare doneness.
- The leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. To avoid drying them, reheat them covered in the microwave at 50% power. You can also freeze the cooled leftovers in freezer bags for up to three months.
Nutrition per Serving
Save this Recipe!
We will also add you to our weekly newsletter. Unsubscribe anytime. See healthyrecipesblogs.com/privacy/ to learn how we use your email.
Disclaimers
Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Kathleen Findlay says
The lamb turned out perfectly! It's a keeper for sure!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Wonderful, Kathleen! I'm so glad to hear. Thank you very much for the review.
Sandy Skover says
Fantastic recipe! It turned out perfect and I loved the spice mix- I did add the paprika!
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad this was a success, Sandy! Thank you very much for the review.
Sara J Rose says
my grandson Damon, and I love it soo much. This is our 3rd time making it. So easy to make and so flavorful. Thanks for the recipe. Damon said your recipes are cool.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Awww! Thank you so much, Sara and Damon. ❤️
Elizabeth Morrell says
This recipe is perfect. It's simple yet flavorful and my lamb turned out beautifully! Thank you.
Vered DeLeeuw says
You're very welcome, Elizabeth! Thank you for the review.
Sheila wolff says
Perfect. I did 30 min like mine just a bit more cooked. It was still med rare beautiful. I used no oil added onion powder n paprika. Served with tiny red potatoes with rosemary garlic thyme n butter, green beans. Thank. First 5 star for any recipe. Perfect!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Wonderful, Sheila! I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Your dinner sounds amazing!
Elizabeth says
Easy, perfect recipe!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Thank you so much, Elizabeth! Glad you enjoyed it.
Hannah Taylor says
After using your slow cooker lamb shanks recipe which turns out amazing every time, I bought a lamb rack for the first time and so decided to use your lamb rack recipe as I have no idea how to cook a rack! My husband was blown away and said it was ‘restaurant quality’. It was absolutely amazing and so easy too. THANK YOU for such simple yet effective recipes!!! 10/10
I’d like to note, for those of us in other countries (NZ for me), I put the oven on ‘fan bake’ instead of standard ‘bake’ setting and it turned out perfect.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Yay! I'm so glad this recipe was such a hit, Hannah! It's one of my favorites and I cook it often.
Thank you for the comment and for sharing the tip about the oven setting.
Meme says
This recipe literally turns out perfect every single time and I have no idea how to make lamb. Easy, healthy and perfecto!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Yay! I'm so glad you enjoy this recipe. Thank you for the comment.
Melanie says
Best recipe we’ve ever found for roasted lamb!!! Even better as leftovers from fridge OR freezer! Just refresh the seasonings a bit before reheating - Superb and Many Thank-Yous for such an easy recipe (even I can’t screw it up)!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Yay! I'm so glad this was a success, Melanie! Thank you for taking the time to write a comment and for the tip about reheating this dish.