Easy Roast Rack of Lamb for perfect oven roasted lamb with tender, juicy meat, finished with a delectable sauce that feels like fine dining.
Roasted lamb dishes like Roast Leg of Lamb are an impressive main dish for holidays and special occasions. Make perfectly cooked succulent rich lamb for Easter or Christmas this year!
Sabrina’s Rack of Lamb Recipe
If you are looking for a show stopping holiday dinner, try my Rack of Lamb recipe. It is the easiest recipe for succulent, juicy, rich lamb that anyone can master. It only takes about an hour from start to finish, and you get perfectly cooked meat every time. This simple, decadent dish is perfect for Easter dinner with veggies like Sautéed Carrots or Green Beans Almondine. If you’re still intimidated, don’t be. Read my tips below on how to get the best results from your lamb.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 2 racks lamb rib chop racks , about 3 pounds total
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter , softened
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Cherry Sauce:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup red onion , minced
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme , removed from sprig
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 cup cherries , hulled and halved
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter , to finish
Instructions
- French the bones of your racks well, removing the fat between the bones before the "lollipop" of the lamb so it looks like clean handles.
- Wrap each bone in foil.
- Score the fatty side of the racks of lamb with a knife.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- To a large baking sheet topped with foil, add the racks fat side up.
- Mash butter with salt and black pepper, rub it over the lamb chops, then let the meat rest for 30 minutes.
- Cook the lamb for 12-15 minutes. Using a thermometer, look for the meat to hit 145 degrees.
- Remove the lamb chops, tent them with foil to rest, they will continue cooking to 150 degrees while resting.
Cherry Sauce:
- While the lamb is cooking add the butter and red onions to a large pan on medium heat.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes or until onion is translucent, then stir in the thyme and garlic and cook for 30 more seconds.
- Add in red wine and cherries, using a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits off the pan.
- Cook for 5-6 minutes until red wine is reduced by half.
- Turn off heat and add in final tablespoon of butter, whisking to combine it with the sauce as it melts.
To Serve:
- Slice the racks into chops and serve with cherry sauce.
Nutrition
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Chef’s Note
You’ll want to start with room temperature meat for the juiciest, most tender results for a couple reasons. First off, if the juices are cold, they won’t distribute throughout the red meat so it will be dry and tough in places. Also, if you start with cold lamb, the indirect heat trapped from the foil won’t work as well so it will be unevenly cooked.
Can this be made ahead of time?
You can marinate in the butter rub overnight, but you don’t want to cook the lamb until right before serving it. The cherry sauce can also be prepared the night before, just wait to add the final bit of butter when you reheat it. If you marinate the lamb the night before, make sure to bring it to room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking.
How to Store
- Store: Let cool completely before storing in a container with any extra juices from the baking sheet. You can store the sauce separately or with the lamb. It will stay good for 3 days in the fridge.
- Reheat: Bring your leftover lamb to room temperature for 10-15 minutes before reheating in the oven or on the stove top. Brush the meat with oil to keep it from drying out and cover it with foil if you are using the oven to reheat it.
- Freeze: Once cooled, wrap them individually in foil and store in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the fridge before bringing to room temperature and reheating.
FAQs
2 individual lamb rib chops per person is the usual serving size. Lamb is very rich and filling so you don’t need a large cut.
The best temperature to cook lamb racks in the oven is 450 degrees. You want the direct heat really hot so that the outside sears and forms a crust quickly, then the lamb finishes cooking with indirect heat.
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