Tender, oven roasted rack of lamb is elegant and easy to prepare. You’ll love this lamb rack covered in a simple Mediterranean garlic and herb marinade and cooked for a quick 15 to 20 minutes in a high-heated oven.
Be sure to read through for tips and watch the video below for how to cook rack of lamb.
I once heard someone describe rack of lamb this way: “Rack is the finest part of the lamb. It is to lamb what prime rib or tenderloin is to beef.” I couldn’t agree more!
The rack is the most luxurious cuts of lamb. It is tender, full of flavor, and makes an elegant centerpiece on the dinner table. And thankfully, it is fairly easy to cook.
In this recipe, the lamb rack is covered in a quick Mediterranean marinade with garlic, rosemary, and fresh parsley (which turns into a beautiful crust once the lamb is roasted). After about 15 to 20 minutes in a high-heated oven, the tender, flavor-packed lamb is ready! Just add your favorite side or salad for a special dinner any night of the week (lots of ideas below).
How many does a rack of lamb serve?
If you’re not familiar, the rack is a section of ribs with the loin meat attached; delicious and incredibly tender. One rack can be divided into 8 lamb chops to serve 2 to 3 people.
You can count on about 2 to 3 lamb chops per person. In this recipe, I used 2 racks of lamb, which yields 16 lamb chops and can easily serve 6 people for dinner.
What is the cooking time for lamb?
A high-heated oven (450 degrees F) is recommended for roast lamb rack. And it will take somewhere between 15 and 20 minutes to cook.
This part of the lamb is typically served pink–rare (internal temperature of 125 degrees F) or medium-rare (internal temperature 135 degrees F).
To avoid overcooking lamb rack, roast to 5 degrees below the final temperature you want. Remember that the meat will have time to rest and the temperature will continue to rise then.
Here’s what you’ll need for this roasted rack of lamb recipe
This recipe is made up of two simple components
- The Lamb
You will need 2 frenched racks of lamb. You can usually buy lamb rack at that has already been frenched, which means the meat and fat around the rib bones has been trimmed so that the rib bones are exponsed. It makes an impressive presentation that way.
- The Marinade
To make the marinade, you’ll need 10 to 12 garlic cloves (don’t be shy with your garlic here, you need it for flavor), rosemary, fresh parsley, pinch of red pepper flakes and extra virgin olive oil.
The easiest way to make the rack of lamb marinade is to simply blitz everything together in a food processor.
How to Cook Rack of Lamb in the Oven:
- Season the lamb
Just give the meat a good sprinkle of kosher salt and black pepper on both sides - Marinate
In a small food processor fitted with a blade, combine the garlic, olive oil, rosemary, parsley, and pinch of red pepper flakes. Blend well. Cover the lamb rack with the garlic and herb marinade on both sides and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour. You can also marinate the lamb overnight in the fridge. - Roast
Heat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place the lamb (fat side pointing up) on a sheet pan and roast on the top rack (top 1/3 of the oven) for about 15 minutes. Turn the lamb over on the other side and roast another 5 minutes (longer depending on you like your lamb done). - Let Rest
Once you take the lamb out of the oven, tent a large piece of foil over the baking sheet and let the lamb rest for about 10 minutes before slicing through.
Resist the temptation to cut into the lamb immediately, allowing time for the juices to get reabsorbed into the meat makes for a tender bite!
Leftovers
If you have leftovers, you can store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
I think leftover cooked lamb rack is best served at room temperature. But if you want to reheat, cover the lamb with foil and put a bit of broth or water in the bottom of the sheet pan to help keep the meat moist. Place in a medium-heated oven until warmed through.
Serve it with
Whenever I serve lamb, be it leg of lamb or rack, I often add a side of tzatziki sauce and Greek potatoes, but the possibilities of sides and salads to serve along are endless. Here are some more ideas:
- Salads: Mediterranean lentil salad, Mediterranean orzo salad, or balela salad
- Sides: Grilled vegetables, skillet zucchini, brussels sprouts, roasted eggplant
More special roast recipes to try:
Meat and Poultry
Beef Tenderloin
Meat and Poultry
Greek Boneless Leg of Lamb (Slow Cooker or Braised)
Meat and Poultry
Roast Turkey Breast with Garlic and Herbs
Meat and Poultry
Citrus Rosemary Chicken
Browse all Mediterranean recipes
Roast Rack of Lamb with Garlic and Herbs
Ingredients
For the garlic-herb marinade
- 10 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive
- 1 cup lightly packed fresh parsley
- 2 tsp dry rosemary
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
For the rack of lamb
- 2 lamb racks
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
- In the bowl of a small food processor fitted with a blade, add the garlic, olive oil, parsley, rosemary and red pepper flakes. Run the processor until the mixture is well-combined and everything is finely chopped.
- Season the lamb all over with kosher salt and pepper.
- Rub each rack of lamb all over with the marinade. Let the lamb marinate for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature (or if you have the time, up to 1 hour).
- Heat the oven to 450 degrees F and place a rack on the top 1/3 of the oven.
- Arrange the lamb racks (fat side pointing up) on a sheetpan. Place the sheetpan on the top oven rack for 15 minutes. Carefully remove it from the oven and turn the rack of lamb on the other side. Return to the oven and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes depending on how you like your rack of lamb (rack of lamb is typically served rare or medium-rare, but you can also serve it medium).
- Remove from the oven and tent with foil. Allow the lamb about 10 minutes to rest (the temperature will rise and the lamb will continue to cook some more).
- Cut the lamb chops in between the bones and arrange on a platter to serve. (Add a side of Tzatziki sauce if you like).
Video
Notes
- For even more flavor, marinate the lamb overnight in the fridge.
- To avoid overcooking the lamb, use an instant read thermometer to determine if the lamb is done to your liking. For rare, internal temperature should reach 125 degrees F and for medium-rare, it should read around 135 degrees F. Check and take it out of the oven 5 degrees before it reaches the temperature you are looking for. As the lamb rack rests, the temperature will rise.
- Serving Size: each rack of lamb will have 8 ribs or chops. You can count on 2 to 3 lamb chops per person (6 to 8 people).
- Leftovers & Stoarge: If you have leftovers, you can store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Best served at room temperature, but if you must warm leftover rack of lamb through, use a medium-heated oven. Place the meat on a sheetpan and add a bit of water or broth then cover with foil. Place in the oven until just warmed through.
- Visit our online shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including extra virgin olive oils and spices
Nutrition
*This postand recipe first appeared on The Mediterranean Dish in 2015. The recipe has been modified and updated with new information and media for readers’ benefit.
Great recipe!
Does your oven produce the heat from the top, bottom or both sections of the oven? On my electric oven I can control this and want to know how to set it.
Thanks,
I made this for Christmas dinner and it came out nicely, but wondering for next time how to make it even better. A few questions: 1) I followed the recipe to make the marinade with 1/4 cup of olive oil and then noticed on the video that you recommend 1/2 cup. My marinade was more of a paste 2) my lamb would not brown and wonder if the marinade was too thick or maybe I needed to have the racks in the oven alone (I had at least one other item warming up) 3) what are your thoughts on searing before putting in the oven?
Hi, Audra. 1) If you felt like your marinade was to thick, then I would definitely add a bit more olive oil next time… it won’t hurt! 2) Oven temps can vary, so maybe your 450 degree oven is not as hot as Suzy’s. That might have accounted for the lack of browning. Not being there, it’s hard to to be sure. 3) Although we have seen other recipes call for it, we don’t feel like it’s necessary to sear the racks of lamb before roasting with this particular recipe and have not tried it. If you decide to give it a go next time, please stop back and share your thoughts! Thanks so much for reaching out!
This is a fabulous recipe! Flavourful and so easy to prepare. Our new favourite way to prepare a rack.
Thanks, Laurel!
I am very interested in the pans you use. When can I get the sheet pan for the braised lamb chops in your video? Would you consider your own line of cookware
Hi, Donna! Suzy would love to have her own line of cookware someday!! The pan in this video was from a small boutique located in her area and the brand is Creative Co-Op.
Hi Suzy,
Your recipe is the best my family and I have ever tasted. It is easy and full of flavor.
This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Thank you.
Awesome! Thanks, Nicole!
Best ever! Thanks for the recipe.
Did this for dinner tonight…it was unbelievable!! Perfect!!
Yay! Thanks, Althea!
I am going to try this recipe for Mother’s Day. If I roasted the rack to an internal temperature of 145°, will the chops come out tough?
Hi, Conrad. So sorry we’re just seeing this. We aren’t always able to get to questions right away. I’m not sure about it getting tough, but it will be more medium-well to well done.
I made this tonight with mushrooms, asparagus, tzatziki sauce with a side of pita bread. My family loved it. Thank you so much!
Sounds like the perfect dinner to me! 🙂
Absolutely delicious!! Have made many racks of lamb but this recipe is by far the tastiest and the best part – the easiest. No mess on cooktop like other recipes. Found the cook time to be just right for my oven. Like the idea of being able to marinade overnight. This will definitely be in our meal rotation and would make a wonderful presentation when having guests. Love your recipes and have tried several with great success.
Thanks, Debora!
O.M.G. I bought a rack of lamb no knowing what to do with it. This recipe popped up. Simple ingredients. It was DIVINE! This will be a repeat for sure! Thank you for your guidance!
Hooray! Love to hear that! Thank you so much!
Thanks for a wonderful recipe for our Christmas dinner. This was my first experience cooking lamb, and the recipe made for a flavorful, tender, and delicious entree. We also had the shrimp kabobs, the veg kabobs, tzatziki, and pita bread. Prep was a family affair and well worth the effort!!
That sounds like such an amazing dinner!
I just discovered your site and I’m going to try your Shish Kabobs right now. Thanks for the recipe.
Hope you enjoy them, Janet!
I used this recipe for my first time ever making a rack of lamb. It was incredible! Even my super picky husband and kids loved it. Very flavorful and perfectly cooked.
Yay! Thanks, Lisa!
The cooking time was way off, after cooking for 15 minutes and turning over for 5 minutes, resting for 10, the arch was raw! We’re back in the oven for 10, we’ll rest for 10 and see what’s up!
All I can say is, WOW! I perused several other recipes but really glad I chose yours. So easy but so tasty! My husband raved about it and he is a picky eater. This will be our go to recipe for lamb from now on. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. Outstanding!
Yay! Thanks, Kim!