Effortlessly impressive to serve on special occasions, yet simple to prepare for everyday meal, you’ll never go wrong with this roasted rack of lamb infused with rosemary and garlic.
When you’re planning a menu for a special occasion, say New Year’s Eve, do you go with something elaborate, like lasagna? Or something quick and simple – and preferably make ahead – but still festive enough for celebration?
It’s no brainer for me. I always go with something quick and easy, but still special enough for holiday table.
That’s probably why, roasted rack of lamb has been our traditional New Year’s Eve dinner for the last 4 years. I mean it’s as simple as 1-2-3. Defrost. Marinade. Roast. And you get all the time to work on your fabulous dessert table, which is way more important, right?
The distinctive lamb taste (you know, the kind of game-y flavors) doesn’t require heavy seasoning. In fact, the simpler, the better. You don’t want to mask that amazing unique flavor of lamb with too much spices.
Out of many variations I’ve tried, I keep coming back to fresh rosemary and garlic with a touch of nutmeg and cayenne pepper. The flavors compliment each other well and add a nice kick to juicy tender lamb.
Good news: you practically can’t mess up this recipe. Well, unless you overcook it. Don’t overcook it! Medium rare is usually best for rack of lamb.
I promise, you won’t be disappointed with this meal on a special occasion. Give it a try!
Thanks for reading.
How to Roast a Perfect Rack of Lamb
Ingredients
- 2 lbs frenched rack of lambs about 2 racks with about 8 ribs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 rosemary sprigs
Instructions
- In a small dish, combine salt and spices. Sprinkle seasoning evenly all over the lamb.
- Add olive oil and minced garlic in a large zip lock bag and spread it evenly inside the bag.
- Put the racks of lamb into the bag and place the rosemary on each side.
- Squeeze out the air and zip the bag. Massage it slightly so that olive oil, garlic and all other spices are evenly distributed.
- Marinate the lamb for at least an hour, or overnight. Bring it to room temperature before cooking.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Place the lamb racks on a baking sheet lined with foil.
- Roast for 20-30 minutes depending how you like it done. The internal temperature should reach at least 130-140°F for medium rare. Broil for 2-3 minutes to add a little char before taking it out.
- Cover with foil and rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts:
This recipe was originally published on January 28th, 2014.
Morgan says
Thank you for posting this! Have always seared then put in oven to finish. Lots of smoke the old way, not your way. Lamb came out perfect medium rare and was a hit for Christmas. Thanks again, happy New Year!
Shinee says
So happy to hear that, Morgan! Thank you for sharing your feedback!
Kathleen says
20-30 minutes at 350? I don’t think so. My lamb was still baa-ing when it came out of the oven. Next time I’ll do 400′ for 40 mins minimum. Other wise, marinade was great.
Shinee says
Hi, Kathleen. Thanks for the feedback. I’m glad you liked the marinade and you’ve found the perfect time and temp for your oven.
Renee says
I don’t care for lamb but my husband does. I made this for his New Year Day supper. He said it is the best!
Shinee says
Yay, so happy your husband enjoyed it. Thank you for your feedback, Renee!!
Jen says
Loved this the first time. Thank you! My 3 1/2 year old loved it as well 🙂 Making for the second time tonight!
Shinee says
AWESOME! Thank you so much for your feedback, Jen!
Leslie Harrington says
Made this tonight. Marinated overnight. It was delicious. Cooked it for about 40 minutes for medium and it was SO tender. Flavor was great. I made a Rosemary mustard sauce to go with it. We will def make it again.
Tasha says
PERFECTION!! I made this for my husband for Father’s Day dinner. And he said verbatim, “this is a perfectly cooked rack of lamb”. He absolutely loved it!! Thanks!!
Shinee says
Yay, so happy you and your husband loved it!! Thank you for your feedback, Tasha!
Bernadette Batchelor says
Awesome awesome awesome will definitely be making it again!
Shinee says
Yay, thank you for your feedback, Bernadette! Glad you enjoyed the lamp chops. 🙂
Janice says
Two thumbs up! The herbs & seasonings complimented each other!
Shinee says
Yay, so glad you enjoyed it, Janice. Thank you for your feedback!
Josh says
Looking forward to trying this! If I want to add a crust by searing before roasting, any additional instructions you’d recommend? Thanks!
Shinee says
Hey, Josh. Do you mean you want to sear the roast before putting it in the oven? If so, I don’t recommend it. The whole point is to roast at low temp first and then sear at the end. I promise, you’ll get a great crust at the end.
Josh says
I followed your recommendation and did the roast + sear and it turned out AMAZING. My specs for a single rack: roast for 24 minutes at 375 + 4 minutes broil on high made for a perfect medium rare with an excellent crust.
Thanks Shinee!
Shinee says
Awesome! Thanks for your feedback, Josh!
Heather says
Made this the other day for my hubs and I after the kiddies went to bed and it was Delicious! perfectly seasoned and super tender! definitely going to keep this recipe for future use. 🙂
Shinee says
Hi, Heather. So happy to hear you and your husband enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for your feedback.
Firewolf1960 says
Delicious! I couldn’t find fresh rosemary so I just rubbed into the meat dried rosemary and it came out perfect. Cooked it for 30 minutes and it was right at 130F Everyone totally enjoyed it and will make it again. My first time making a rack of lamb. Thank you for the recipe!
Thomas K says
Defrost?!?! Never, ever defrost.. That defeats the whole purpose of good food…
Shinee says
Hi, Thomas. So are you suggesting to cook it frozen?
Thomas Kaarup says
🙂 No absolutely not
Things are just so much better when they’re fresh. We all know that.
You have so great produce in America and when cooking for as you say, a special occasion, we need to start of with the better alternative.
Go to a local butcher or a supermarket where they have fresh produce. The taste are so much better when the meat, the fibers, haven’t been frozen.
Shinee says
Oh, I see. Thanks for clarification, Thomas. 🙂 Unfortunately, some of us live in a rural area where you can’t always get the best fresh meat. And as we butcher our own beef, we have to freeze them to properly store the meat, and I have to say it’s totally fine.
Cheegii says
Sain uu Shinee yamar goy jor tavia ve nuhur ohin 2-too hiij ugnuu.bi urgelj chinii blogoor zochilj shine joriig chin dagaj hiih durtai.Ih bayarlalaa 🙂
Shinee says
Sain, sain bn uu Cheegii! Minii blogoor zochilj bdagt mash ih bayarlalaa, mun minii joruud taalgdaj bgaad mash ih bayartai bn. Setgegdelee uldeesend bayarlalaa! 🙂
Ali @ Inspiralized says
I just found your site through FoodGawker and I love this recipe! I’ve been looking for a good rack of lamb recipe and I’m so happy you popped up! Thanks for sharing.
Shinee says
Hi, Ali! I’m so glad you found what you were looking for on my blog! 🙂 I do love this recipe, so effortless, yet delicious. Good luck!