Tender, succulent, and flavorful, this roasted rack of lamb comes out reliably perfect every time.
The high-heat oven produces crispy fat and juicy meat, and the seasonings - olive oil, garlic, rosemary, and thyme - are wonderful.
This recipe is so easy, yet so elegant. It's the perfect entree for a holiday or for entertaining because it's so delicious and impressive, yet so very simple to make.
I love bringing the lamb out to the table in all its glory, then taking it back to the kitchen to carve it.
Lamb is my favorite meat, and this simple recipe beautifully highlights its rich, bold flavor. I enjoy all cuts of lamb, but the rack is especially delicious, with its tender meat and hot, crispy fat.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty entree. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Rack of lamb: I get it either at the supermarket or at Whole Foods. I never had trouble finding it in either of these places.
- Olive oil spray: By far my favorite oil to cook with, and it goes really well with lamb. However, if you'd rather use an oil with a higher smoke point, avocado oil is another good option.
- To season: In addition to salt and pepper, I like to use garlic powder, dried rosemary, and dried thyme. I prefer garlic powder to fresh minced garlic in this recipe because I feel it better coats the meat.
Variations
- Instead of spraying the lamb with olive oil, you can brush it with melted butter or ghee. Both options are delicious!
- You can vary the spices you use. Good options that I tried and liked include onion powder, ground cumin, and paprika.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
- An hour before you start cooking, line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray it with olive oil spray.
- Place the meat on the prepared baking sheet, fat side up. Score the fat by making small shallow slits in the fat. (Photo 1).
- Liberally spray both sides of the lamb with olive oil and sprinkle it with salt, pepper, garlic powder, rosemary, and thyme. Allow the meat to come to room temperature. (Photo 2).
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Roast the lamb in the preheated oven until an instant-read thermometer reads 135°F (medium-rare), about 25 minutes. (Photo 3).
- Transfer the lamb to a cutting board. Cover it with foil and allow it to rest for 10 minutes. (Photo 4).
- Using a sharp chef's knife, cut the rack into individual ribs by slicing between the bones. Serve immediately. (Photos 5-6).
Expert Tip
As with most cuts of meat, including ribeye roast, tenderloin roast, and tri-tip roast, it's very important to let the lamb rest for 10-15 minutes after you pull it out of the oven.
This rest time allows the juices to settle and redistribute and prevents them from gushing out as soon as you cut into the meat.
Recipe FAQs
Simply turn the rack upside down, locate where the bones are, and carefully cut between them using a sharp chef's knife. As long as your knife is freshly sharpened, this should be easy enough to do.
This term simply means that the rack is cut so that the rib bones are exposed. This is achieved by the butcher cutting off the fat and meat that covers the bones.
There's no need to. While searing would nicely brown the meat, especially the fat, the same result is achieved when cooking the lamb in a hot oven. The fat comes out wonderfully browned and crispy.
According to the USDA, it should be cooked to medium - an internal temperature of 145 ºF with a 3-minute rest period. I prefer it medium-rare, but that's a personal choice.
Serving Suggestions
Anything goes with this recipe. It's a truly versatile entree. But since I roast the meat in a 425°F oven, I do like to serve it with side dishes that I can cook in the same oven. So I often serve it with any of the following sides:
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power to avoid drying them out.
You can also freeze the leftovers in freezer bags. In fact, leftovers keep so well, that I often double the recipe and make two of them - one for serving right away, the other for tasty lunches during the week.
More Lamb Recipes
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Recipe Card
Roasted Rack of Lamb
Ingredients
- 1 rack of lamb Frenched (cut so that the rib bones are exposed), 1 ½ lb, 8 ribs
- Olive oil spray
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal 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 and spray it with olive oil spray.
- Place the rack of lamb on the prepared baking sheet, fat side up. Score the fat by making small shallow slits 1 inch apart.
- Liberally spray both sides of the lamb with olive oil and sprinkle it with salt, pepper, garlic powder, rosemary, and thyme. Allow the meat to rest on the counter for about an hour and come to room temperature.
- Preheat your oven to 425°F.
- Roast the meat in the preheated oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part (and 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 with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
- To cut the rack into individual ribs, turn it upside down, locate where the bones are, and carefully cut between them using a sharp chef's knife. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- The USDA says we should cook roasts to an internal temperature of 145 ºF with a three-minute rest time.
- The nutrition info is from the USDA database.
- A small, 1-pound rack (like the one shown in the video) will need about 20 minutes in the oven to reach medium-rare doneness.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power to avoid drying them out.
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition per Serving
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
Regina
This is the kind of dish that I would normally eat at a restaurant, complaining that it was too dry. Now I can make it at home, perfectly! Thank you for this foolproof recipe.
Vered DeLeeuw
You're most welcome, Regina!