The Only Rack of Lamb Recipe You’ll Ever Need

Garlic crusted rack of lamb is a crowd pleaser and one my all time favorite things to serve at a dinner party. It’s simple to make but looks very fancy, can serve a small or large group, and the leftovers are even better. This is the only lamb recipe you’ll ever need!

Garlic Crusted Rack of Lamb
Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: I 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large handful of pre peeled garlic (see note below.)
• ½ cup rosemary leaves
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 racks of lamb, frenched (about 2 pounds each)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. In a small food processor, combine garlic, rosemary, and olive oil and process until garlic is finely chopped.
3. Season lamb racks with salt and pepper and rub garlic-rosemary oil all over them. Set racks fat-side up on a large rimmed baking sheet. If you have the time, let sit for up to 1 hour, though this step is not crucial.
4. Roast lamb in upper third of oven for 15 minutes. Turn racks and roast for 10 minutes longer for medium-rare meat.
5. Transfer racks to a carving board, stand them upright, and let rest for 10 minutes.
6. Carve racks in between rib bones and transfer to a serving platter. Serve immediately before they get cold and the crust loses it’s crunch.
7. As always, be sure to read the notes below for advice on ingredients, substitutions, storage and more.

NOTES

• An important note on ingredients:
  • This is one of those recipes where I never measure anything out. I’ve given you a rough guideline but feel free to trust your gut here.
  • I love to use pre-peeled garlic and I’ll take a massive handful, sometimes two for this recipe.
  • I’ll also use a whole bunch of rosemary, creating a 1:1 ratio of garlic to rosemary.
  • In regards to the olive oil I like to start with about a ¼ cup and add more to the food processor depending on how much garlic and rosemary was used. I want it to be a paste I can spread around that lamb racks, but not too thick so that it doesn’t spread easily and still sticks. If you end up using too much olive oil just add more garlic and rosemary until the consistency looks right.
  • Salt and pepper are always a personal preference, but please don’t be affraid of salt here as it’s needed to bring the flavor out of both the garlic and the rosemary.
• Some people prefer lamb medium rare – which is the traditional way of cooking lamb – and others have a strong preference for more well done. The good thing is that you’ll likely have smaller end pieces are more well done and so everyone will get they want.
• I love serving these racks standing at first, and will carve them up in front of my guests so that they are at their most fresh when served. Keeping them all on a large cutting board or transfering to a serving platter is great for presentation but also super functional as people can grab the ones they want. Add a few sprigs of fresh rosemary for presentation like the photo below.