Rack of Lamb (Whole30, Keto, Paleo)

This simple rack of lamb recipe will yield a perfectly cooked showstopper meal every time! No one will even notice that it’s Whole30-friendly!

I love oven roasting a rack of lamb (or two) whenever we’re celebrating a special occasion. I normally allot one (1½ pound) lamb rack for every two guests, and buy the racks a few days ahead so I have time to salt and marinate them ahead of time. If you follow the tips below, you’ll end up with perfectly cooked chops that will impress your toughest guests!

Salt Ahead of Time

Many years ago, I learned that one of the ways to ensure properly seasoned meat was to salt it properly—that means with the right amount and at least a day ahead. My normal rule of thumb is to follow Chef Judy Rodger’s ratio of 1 tablespoon medium coarse salt for every 4½ pounds of meat. If you’re using a finer grain salt, decrease the amount, but you’ll still use more than you think. Pro tip: you can salt up to three days in advance and store the salted racks in the fridge until you are ready to cook.

Reverse Sear Method

My favorite way to cook the lamb is the reverse sear method, popularized by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, food nerd extraordinaire. This technique involves slow roasting the meat in a low oven until the internal temperature reaches 125°F (for medium rare) on a meat thermometer. Then, you sear the outside of the roast in a hot pan or under a broiler to get a brown exterior. This method takes longer than cooking in a hot oven (e.g. 400°F), but there’s more wiggle room if you aren’t paying close attention, and the rack of lamb will still be pink from end to end.

Use A Meat Thermometer!

Although this oven roasted rack of lamb recipe is easy peasy, the best way to ensure success is to use a great meat thermometer. I love both my instant read Thermapen One and my in-oven thermometer—invest in a good one and you won’t wreck your meat!

Time to Make Rack of Lamb!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 racks of lamb, “frenched” (about 1½ pounds per rack)
• 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano or dried marjoram
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Equipment:

• All of my recommended kitchen tools are listed here. My favorite meat thermometer is this one.

Method:

Trim any extra fat off of the top of the racks, leaving a thin layer.

Rub the salt all over the racks of lamb and cover and refrigerate them overnight and up to three days.

On the day you’re roasting the lamb racks, mix the marinade. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, and pepper.

Pour the marinade over the lamb racks and marinate for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours in the fridge.

Heat the oven to 275°F with the rack in the middle. Place the lamb racks on a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet and pop it in the oven.

Cook until the internal temperature reaches 125°F (about 30-45 minutes, depending on the size of your racks).

Take the lamb out of the oven and turn on the broiler or the highest temperature your oven can reach.

Place the lamb racks back in the oven…

…and cook until the exterior is nice and browned, about 5 minutes.

Slice up the chops…

…and serve with Tzatziki and Instant Pot Crispy Potatoes!

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Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).

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