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 delicious.
Lamb is my favorite meat, and this simple rack of lamb 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.
This recipe is the perfect entree for a holiday or entertaining because it's delicious, elegant, and easy to make. I love bringing the lamb to the table in all its glory and returning it to the kitchen to carve it.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Frenched rack of lamb: I get it at Whole Foods. "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.
- Olive oil spray: By far my favorite oil to cook with, and it goes well with lamb. Extra-virgin olive oil should be OK to use even at high temperatures, but you can use avocado oil if you wish.
- To season: In addition to salt and pepper, I use garlic powder, dried rosemary, and dried thyme. I prefer garlic powder to fresh minced garlic in this recipe because 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 I tried and liked include onion powder, ground cumin, and paprika. You can add a teaspoon of each additional spice.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
An hour before you start cooking, line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray it with olive oil spray. Place the rack on the prepared baking sheet, fat side up. Score the fat by making small shallow slits in the fat.
Liberally spray both sides of the lamb with olive oil and sprinkle it with salt, pepper, garlic powder, rosemary, and thyme. Allow the lamb to come to room temperature.
Roast the lamb in a preheated 425°F oven for about 25 minutes until an instant-read thermometer reads 135°F (medium-rare). Transfer the lamb to a cutting board. Cover it with foil and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.
Using a sharp chef's knife, cut the rack into individual ribs by slicing between the bones. Serve immediately.
Expert Tip
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 you remove it from 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
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 to do.
This term simply means that the rack is cut so that the rib bones are exposed. The butcher cuts off the fat and meat that cover the bones to achieve this.
There's no need to do that. 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 145ºF 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 lamb in a 425°F oven, I 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
The leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. To avoid drying out, they should be reheated gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power.
Because the leftovers keep so well, I often double the recipe and make two of them - one for serving right away and the other for tasty lunches during the week.
You can also freeze the leftovers in freezer bags for up to three months.
More Lamb Recipes
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Recipe Card
Roasted Rack of Lamb
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
- 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.Â
- Place the lamb on the prepared baking sheet, fat side up. Score the fat by making small shallow slits 1 inch apart.Â
- Liberally spray 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.Â
- Preheat your 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.Â
- 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 where the bones are, and carefully cut between them using a sharp chef's knife.
- Serve immediately.Â
Video
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.
- "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.
- 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.
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
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. 
Hannah Taylor
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
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 review and for sharing the tip about the oven setting.
Meme
This recipe literally turns out perfect every single time and I have no idea how to make lamb. Easy, healthy and perfecto!
Vered DeLeeuw
Yay! I'm so glad you enjoy this recipe. Thank you for the review.
Melanie
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
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.