Roasted Rack of Lamb

Classic Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb Recipe

Our herb crusted rack of lamb is an elegant and delicious meal that is great for holidays like Christmas and Easter. With parmesan cheese, pork panko, garlic, and herbs and seasonings such as rosemary, cilantro, Dijon mustard, and parsley, this roasted rack of lamb recipe is packed with all sorts of flavors and spices. Simply serve it up with some mashed cauliflower or roasted brussels sprouts, and the dish is ready to be served. If you host dinner night with this recipe, your guests will be talking about your show-stopper dish for years to come.

What is Rack of Lamb?

A rack of lamb typically consists of eight unseparated lamb chops that can be cut into sections after cooking. This cut of meat is located behind the lamb’s shoulder and in front of the loin. The rib is a perfectly tender cut of meat to work with, and with our recipe, the meat will be softer than you have ever had before. Rack of lamb typically has a robust, grassy flavor that comes from the lamb’s fat, giving it a unique and crave-able taste.

How Many People Does a Rack of Lamb Serve?

A single rack of lamb has 8 chops, typically serving around 3-4 people depending on how hungry everyone will be. If you need more than 8 chops, you can also buy a ‘double rack of lamb,’ which has meat on both sides of the bones, giving you a total of sixteen lamb chops. If you tie 2 or more single racks of lamb together, the ribs will form the shape of a classic crown, fitting its description as a ‘crown roast of lamb.’

How to Cook Rack of Lamb in the Oven

• Prepare the Lamb
  Place the fat side of the lamb facing up on a cutting board and score the fat with a knife. Thoroughly season both sides of the lamb with salt and pepper. You can cut the rack of ribs in half or into sections depending on the number of ribs each person will be eating. To allow for perfect cooking, it’s best to have your rack of lamb come to room temperature or just slightly under. This will allow a perfect medium rare cook without having an overdone crust and a red interior.

• Cook the Lamb
  Take a cast-iron skillet or another oven-safe pan, and heat the oil on the stovetop. Pan sear each side of the rack of lambs for a few minutes. Once each side of the lamb rack has a nice seared crust, place the pan in the oven to do an initial bake.

• Prepare the Crust
  While you wait for the lamb rack to cook, prepare the crust by adding bread crumbs, minced garlic, parmesan, olive oil, parsley, cilantro, and rosemary to a food processor and pulse for 15 seconds. Pour the mixture onto a plate. Make sure to only add the leaves from the rosemary spring and parsley before adding them to the food processor – the stems can be a little tough and bitter in the case of rosemary.

• Coat the Lamb with the Crust
  Now it’s time to coast our crusted rack of lamb. Generously, brush Dijon mustard over the ribs until it is evenly coated. Then dip the lamb into the herb crust mixture and give a light tap the rack of ribs so that the excess crumbs fall off.

• Cook and Serve!
  Put the lamb back into the oven for 5 minutes, and once it is done, you will have a perfect roasted rack of lamb! Just slice it into sections and serve immediately.

Cooking Temperature for Rack of Lamb

Rack of lamb is a relatively easy cut of meat to cook without a thermometer, making it great for beginner cookers. This recipe will make the perfect medium-rare rack of lamb, but if you are going for a different level of doneness, I suggest you adjust the temperature of your oven accordingly. Here is an internal temperature guide for you to follow:

Rare: 120-130 degrees F

Medium-Rare: 130-140 degrees F (bright pink)

Medium: 140-145 degrees F (light pink)

Medium-Well: 145-150 degrees F

Well-Done: 150-160 degrees F

Remember, you ribs will need to rest to for 10 minutes after baking to allow the juice to set in. This will cause the temperature to go up by around another 5 degrees while resting.

Lamb Chops vs Rack of Lamb

There is a difference between lamb chops and rack of lamb. Although lamb chops are cut from the ribs of a lamb, they are cut from the loin or shoulder of the animal. The racks are from the rib section of the animal of course.