Description
Easy Rack of Lamb Recipe – This Garlic Roasted Rack of Lamb is the most elegant family holiday dinner ever! A simple rub and roasting method yield tender, flavorful lamb, perfect served with a butter dipping sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 rack of lamb, frenched (approx. 8 ribs)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon instant chicken stock powder/granules (or bouillon powder)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 10 cloves garlic, skin on
- 1 small bunch of fresh thyme sprigs
- 1/2 cup (1 stick, 113g) unsalted butter, cut into small dice
- 1/2 cup butter dipping sauce (recipe link needed, see notes), for serving
Instructions
- Prepare Lamb: Pat the rack of lamb dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, instant chicken stock powder, garlic powder, and onion powder. Rub this seasoning mixture evenly all over the rack of lamb. Allow the seasoned lamb to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before roasting.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Prepare Roasting Pan: Line the bottom of a roasting pan with the unpeeled, skin-on garlic cloves. Place the seasoned rack of lamb on top of the garlic cloves. Arrange the fresh thyme sprigs around the rack of lamb. Dot the top of the lamb evenly with the diced butter.
- Roast: Roast the rack of lamb in the preheated oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat (not touching the bone) reads 130-135°F (54-57°C) for medium-rare. This will take approximately 20-25 minutes, but cooking time will vary based on the size of the rack and your oven. Adjust cooking time for desired doneness (e.g., 125°F for rare, 140°F for medium).
- Rest Lamb (Crucial): Remove the roasted rack of lamb from the oven. Transfer it to a cutting board. Cover loosely with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes. Resting allows the juices to redistribute, resulting in more tender and flavorful meat.
- Carve Lamb: To cut the rack into individual chops (ribs), turn the rested rack of lamb so the bone side is facing up. Carefully slice between the rib bones using a sharp knife.
- Serve: Arrange the lamb chops on a serving platter along with the roasted garlic cloves (squeeze the softened garlic out of the skins to eat). Serve immediately with the butter dipping sauce on the side.
Notes
- Frenched Rack: “Frenched” means the meat has been scraped clean from the ends of the rib bones for a nicer presentation. You can ask your butcher to do this.
- Seasoning: Bringing the lamb to room temperature before roasting helps it cook more evenly.
- Garlic: Roasting the garlic with the skin on makes it soft, sweet, and easy to squeeze out after cooking.
- Doneness: Using an instant-read thermometer is the best way to ensure the lamb is cooked to your desired temperature. Remember the temperature will rise slightly during resting.
- Resting: Don’t skip the resting step! It’s essential for juicy lamb.
- Butter Dipping Sauce: This recipe mentions serving with a butter dipping sauce but doesn’t provide the recipe for it. You would need to link to or provide your preferred butter sauce recipe separately.
- Storage: Store leftover lamb tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently.