I usually cook ham for Easter, but this year I’m feeling fancy, so lamb it is! I was initially intimidated when testing this rack of lamb recipe, but it was so simple to make! The mint yogurt sauce is the perfect complement to the savoriness of the herb-crusted lamb. Try this roast rack of lamb for a beautiful Easter dinner!
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What’s in This Rack of Lamb Recipe?
This rack of lamb (I was inspired by Gordon Ramsay’s recipe) has such a nice flavor. A delightful mixture of herbs gives it a simple yet wonderful taste, while the mint yogurt sauce is a perfect tangy complement to the savory lamb.
- Lamb: You’ll need a 2-pound (8-rib) rack of lamb that has been frenched and has the fat cap removed.
- Oil: Olive oil or grapeseed oil work best in this recipe, but you could also use avocado oil.
- Mustard: Dijon mustard provides a sharp, earthy flavor and helps the fresh herbs to stick to the lamb.
- Fresh Herbs: Basil, parsley, and thyme make up the herb crust.
- Garlic: Adds earthy flavor to the crust and the yogurt sauce.
- Butter: Melted unsalted butter helps the herbs adhere to the lamb and coats them to keep them from burning in the oven.
- Salt: Seasons the lamb to bring out its natural gamey flavor.
- Breadcrumbs: Panko breadcrumbs are necessary for the right crunch. Do not substitute with regular breadcrumbs!
- Cheese: Parmesan cheese adds saltiness and a pungent flavor to the crust.
- Yogurt: Greek yogurt the base of the minty sauce that perfectly complements the lamb.
- Mint: Fresh mint is necessary for the right balance of flavor to offset the gaminess of the lamb.
- Black Pepper: Adds a bit of earthy pepperiness to the sauce.
- Lemon: Fresh lemon adds brightness to the sauce. I do not recommend using bottled lemon juice.
- Cayenne Pepper: Adds a bit of heat to the sauce, but is totally optional.
Variations To Try
You can easily change up this rack of lamb to suit your tastes. I often swap the herbs out for whatever I have on hand, like sage, rosemary, or even mint! You can use a less potent mustard for a lighter flavor.
Try swapping the Parmesan cheese for another hard cheese, like Asiago or Pecorino Romano! And while I think the mint yogurt sauce is the perfect pairing, you could also serve this rack of lamb with balsamic glaze, mustard cream sauce, or chimichurri.
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How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover rack of lamb in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The mint yogurt sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Reheat the lamb in a 325°F oven wrapped in aluminum foil for about 15 minutes, or until warmed through.
How to Freeze
Freeze rack of lamb in an airtight container or Ziplock bag for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using. I do not recommend freezing the yogurt sauce.
Serving Suggestions
This rack of lamb with mint yogurt sauce is absolutely a special occasion kind of dish. Sure, you can serve it any time you like, but it’s so beautiful, so elegant, that it really deserves to be saved for Easter dinner.
I served mine with glazed carrots, but it’s also delicious with garlic mashed cauliflower asparagus almondine. Use up that leftover mint to make a refreshing watermelon salad!
Notes from the Test Kitchen
The official “safe” internal temperature for lamb (according to the USDA) is 140-145°F, which is medium/medium-well. However, I prefer to eat rack of lamb a bit more rare than that.
Lamb is one of those meats that is okay to serve on the rare side. Cooking it to 125-130°F will leave the insides pink (medium-rare), which is typically fine and safe to eat. However, I prefer (and recommend) cooking it to 135-145°F.
5-Star Review
“Ths mint yogurt sauce is the perfect complement to this delicious lamb!” -Tara
Rack of Lamb Recipe with Mint Yogurt Sauce
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Ingredients
For the Lamb
- 2 pounds rack of lamb frenched (bone exposed) with fat cap removed (1 rack)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or grapeseed oil
- 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves packed
- ¼ cup fresh Italian parsley flat leaf
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 4 cloves garlic peeled
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (¼ stick)
- 1½ tablespoons kosher salt
- 8 ounces Panko breadcrumbs (do not substitute regular breadcrumbs!)
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
For the Mint Yogurt Sauce
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced (2 teaspoons)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper optional
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
**Remove the lamb from the fridge 1½ hours before cooking to ensure it is at room temperature before placing in the oven. If the meat isn’t at room temperature before cooking, it won’t cook evenly.**
For the Rack of Lamb
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place the rack of lamb on the prepared baking sheet and brush all sides of the lamb with oil and Dijon mustard. Lightly season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside until the basil crust/seasoning is ready.2 tablespoons olive oil, 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 2 pounds rack of lamb
- In the bowl of a food processor, fitted with the steel blade, pulse the basil, parsley, thyme, garlic, butter, salt, bread crumbs and Parmesan until the ingredients are evenly processed, about 6-8 times. Season to taste, and add more salt, pepper and/or Parmesan cheese, if needed.½ cup fresh basil leaves, ¼ cup fresh Italian parsley, 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, 4 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1½ tablespoons kosher salt, 8 ounces Panko breadcrumbs, ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- With the lamb on the sheet pan, press the basil/parsley/thyme mixture into both sides of the lamb meat.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F for 15-30 minutes before placing the lamb in the oven and set the oven rack to the middle position.
- Wrap the bones in aluminum foil and place the lamb with the bones curving up.
- Roast the lamb for 20 minutes for rare or 25 minutes for medium-rare (125°F-130°F). For complete transparency, we prefer lamb cooked to medium to medium-well (135-145°F).
- Remove the lamb from the oven and cover with aluminum foil. Let it rest for 15 minutes and cut into individual ribs.
For the Mint Yogurt Sauce
- While the lamb is roasting, whisk all of the yogurt sauce ingredients together in a medium-sized mixing bowl until smooth. Refrigerate, in an airtight container, until ready to use.1 cup plain Greek yogurt, ½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
- Serve with the finished rack of lamb.
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- Lamb Internal Temperature Guide
- For rare lamb: 125-130°F
- For medium-rare lamb: 130-140°F
- For medium lamb: 140-150°F
- For medium-well lamb: 150-160°F
- For well-done lamb: 160-165°F
Nutrition Information
Rack of lamb is cut from the rib primal, which encompasses the ribs between the shoulder and loin. The meat here is considered the most tender and flavorful.
A “frenched” rack of lamb is a method of trimming the meat. This means that some of the meat and fat is trimmed off the ends (usually about two inches), exposing the rib bones. You can see in the photos how the meat is concentrated on one end, while the other is bare. You can find lamb like this at the store or butcher, so no need to trim it yourself (although you can).
One rack of lamb divided into 8 chops will serve 2-3 people. Plan for 2-3 lamb chops per person.
Simply cut between the ribs in smooth, single strokes to separate the rack into chops.
Didn’t have all the topping ingredients on hand so used what was available in the pantry. Turned out pretty tasty though.
Wow, that looks amazing, Dean! Thanks so much for sharing!
Made this tonight 4/24/22. It is the best recipe! The lamb turned out amazing! Will definitely be making this again.
Thanks for sharing, Joan!
I made this one year. I’m making it again because of how amazing it was!! I will continue to make this every year!
Keep in mind she says to prepare the lamb as it says so on packaging which includes cutting some of the fat off.
Thanks for sharing, Nina!
Can you use the same rub for a leg of lamb? And how do you cook that?
I am sure you can use the same rub, but I haven’t cooked it that way yet, I am sorry!
The lamb really needs to be seared before applying mustard and crust. There was way to much unrendered fat that was very unappealing .
Simple & delicious!
Thank you, Pinglan!
My husband loved this. It was SOO good.
So happy to hear that!