Roast Rack of Lamb with Garlic and Herb Rub

roast rack of lamb
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  • 40 mins
  • Prep: 10 mins,
  • Cook: 30 mins
  • Yield: 8 servings
Ratings (6)

By Jen Hoy

Updated 05/06/18

This fragrant and tender roast rack of lamb with garlic and herb rub is a festive and elegant entrée for the holidays or a special occasion. Ask your butcher to “French” the racks for you (remove the fat and meat from the top couple of inches of bone) for a classic presentation. This roast is lovely served with Pinot Noir Red Wine Reduction Sauce or ​mint chutney.

What You'll Need

  • 3 racks of lamb (8 ribs each) (trimmed)
  • Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 3 tablespoons good quality olive oil
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 large shallot (chopped very fine)
  • 2 large cloves garlic (chopped very fine)

How to Make It

  1. Season the lamb racks with salt and pepper. Stir together 1 ½ tablespoons of the oil, parsley, rosemary, thyme, shallot and garlic into a thick paste. (Alternatively, blend in a mini food processor). Rub the racks all over with the paste and allow them to sit for 30 minutes.
  2. Preheat the oven to 425 F.
  3. Heat the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over high flame. Sear lamb on both sides until a brown crust begins to form, about 4 to 5 minutes on each side.
  1. Transfer the lamb racks to a baking pan, with the fat side up. Roast the lamb 20 to 25 minutes until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the rack reaches 130 F (medium-rare).
  2. Transfer racks to a cutting board. Allow the lamb to rest for 5 minutes. Slice between the bones to cut lamb into chops.

Note: Generally allow 3 chops per person, as they are quite small. The recipe can be increased or decreased accordingly.

Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
Calories 361
Total Fat 25 g
Saturated Fat 9 g
Unsaturated Fat 12 g
Cholesterol 97 mg
Sodium 122 mg
Carbohydrates 7 g
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Protein 27 g
(The nutrition information on our recipes is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. Individual results may vary.)