Description
Flavorful and tender, this easy roasted rack of lamb is the perfect main dish for the holidays or any special occasion. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes or green beans for hearty dinner. Totally gluten-free and dairy-free too.
Ingredients
- 1 rack of lamb (approximately 2 pounds in weight, with 8 chops)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine Oil, Herbs & Garlic: In a bowl, combine olive oil, fresh chopped thyme, rosemary and minced garlic.
- Marinate Lamb Rack: Spread the herb and olive oil mixture all over the rack of lamb until it’s covered on all sides. Place the lamb with the marinade in a zip-lock bag, then refrigerate it for at least 5-6 hours or overnight.
- Prepare Lamb Rack and Preheat Oven: Remove the lamb an hour before roasting to allow it to warm up to room temperature. Make diagonal cuts on top, then season the meat with salt and pepper. Place the rack of lamb on a roasting pan lined with aluminum foil. Preheat the oven to 425F.
- Roast the Lamb Rack: Place the rack of lamb in a roasting pan, fat side up, and roast for 12-13 minutes in the preheated oven. Then reduce heat to 300F and roast for another 15 minutes. Internal temperature of lamb should be 125F for rare and 135F for medium rare.
- Let Rest Before Slicing and Serving: Remove the rack of lamb from the oven and wrap in foil for 10-15 minutes to rest (this allows the juices to redistribute within the meat, making it more juicy).
- Slice, Garnish and Serve: Once rested, cut the lamb chops in between the bones and serve with sauce and herbs.
Notes
Lamb Rack: I recommend getting a well-marbled lamb rack as the fat will help to retain moisture and flavor.
Olive Oil: I like using extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor. Alternatively, you may also use other types of vegetable oils (such as a canola oil, sunflower oil, avocado oil, etc).
Garlic: Fresh garlic adds so much flavor to the meat, so I highly recommend you use fresh (as opposed to dried garlic). If you are a big fan of garlic, you can even add one or two additional cloves.
Herbs: I used fresh thyme and fresh rosemary to season the meat. However, if you don’t have excess to fresh herbs, you can just use 1 teaspoon of dried thyme and 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary instead.
Seasonings: For seasoning the meat once it’s marinated, I used salt and ground black pepper. However, feel free to also use garlic powder, onion powder or Italian seasoning if you prefer.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Marinating & Cooling Time: 6 hours 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Western
