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And just like that, I finally mastered a roasted rack of lamb.
Whoop. Whoop.
For whatever reason, I have feared cooking a whole rack of lamb for the longest time. Before this recipe I’d cooked up a grand total of four racks of lamb, and only one with success. I don’t know if I was buying bad meat or what, but my lamb just never turned out all that awesome. When we had a billion and one people in town over Christmas (hey, hey Gerard and Payne families…all of you dear friends…and even the “randoms” who stopped in), we all got to chatting and everyone decided it was very wrong that I did not have a recipe for roasted lamb on the site. I guess they all really love them some lamb… and so they went on to convince me to make them lamb tacos (with all the fixings), which I must say were really freaking delicious.
I decided right then and there that I would make you guys a roasted rack of lamb as the centerpiece of your Easter menu. And you guys, this is not just any rack of lamb, it’s one that I LOVE! <–obviously, or I wouldn’t be sharing it. DUH.
After talking with all my people, aka Lyndsie, it was decided that the lamb needed to be simple. Simple so that the tender meat could really shine, and so that I could serve it up with a sauce…because you guys know I love a good sauce.
SO…the lamb is seasoned very simply with a few very important ingredients, garlic, oregano, cumin, lemon, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. The key is to really let the seasonings sit on the lamb for a bit before it roasts. I’ve been doing thirty minutes on the counter, but overnight is best,,,if you can plan ahead a bit (I try, but in the end, something comes up and ahhh, the overnight thing just doesn’t happen). Then all you need to do is roast, so simple, so good. I think before I was just putting too much on the lamb and it overpowered everything. Just another example of how simple can be so awesome.
Another key here is to roast the lamb at a higher temp so that you can get a nice crust on the outside, while leaving the inside perfectly cooked. I went for medium-rare, but if you prefer your lamb more well done, just tack on a few minutes to the cooking time.
But okok, while the lamb is great on its own, you know me, I had to add a topping of sorts. I thought about this for a while, going back and forth between a white sauce, an olive oil based sauce, even a salsa, but something creamy just seemed to fit best here. Enter the goat cheese sauce! Oh my gosh, this sauce is incredible. Basically whipped goat cheese with a touch of honey and fresh basil <–all my favs. I absolutely love this sauce and how well the flavors pair with the simple roasted lamb. The honey adds a really nice warmth, while the basil keeps the sauce bright and fresh. The combo together is perfect on the tender lamb, and while I used basil, you could also use mint.
I have to say, I’m pretty happy with the fact that I now have a go-to lamb recipe. YES!
This roast feels so perfect for spring in general, but would of course be amazing for Easter. Ok, and just about any other time of the year too!
Now that I have the rack of lamb pretty much perfected, maybe it’s about time I show you guys those lamb tacos? Cinco de Mayo is coming up, so my thoughts are tacos all the way. Yay? Nah?
In the meantime, I’ll just be over here, roasting up racks of lamb and covering them in goat cheese sauce, because this recipe is that good. I know for sure I’ll be making this lamb at least once more…not all of the family will be here for Easter, but most of them will be, and this lamb will certainly be on the menu!
ps. speaking of goat cheese, we have so much goat milk it’s not even funny. I have yet to make homemade goat cheese and I feel as though this needs to happen ASAP. Has anyone ever made goat cheese?
Roasted Rack of Lamb with Basil Honey Goat Cheese Sauce.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories Per Serving: 611 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 (2-3 pound) frenched rack of lamb
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1/4 cup fresh oregano
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 pound carrots, halved if large
Honey Goat Cheese Sauce
- 6 ounces creamy goat cheesy, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup crème fraîche or plain greek yogurt, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 cup fresh basil or mint
- zest of 1 lemon
- kosher salt and pepper
Instructions
- 1. On a large, rimmed baking sheet, season the racks generously with salt and pepper. 2. In a food processor, combine the olive oil, garlic, oregano, cumin seeds, lemon zest, and crushed red pepper flakes. Pulse until combined. Rub the mixture evenly over both racks. Arrange the carrots around the lamb. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour or cover and place in the fridge overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. 4. Roast the lamb for for 15 minutes, then flip and roast another 10 minutes for medium-rare. Remove and let stand 10 minutes before slicing. 5. Meanwhile, make the sauce. In blender, combine the goat cheese, crème fraîche, honey, and basil until smooth. Stir in the lemons zest and season to taste with salt and pepper. 6. Slice the lamb in between the bones and serve with the goat cheese sauce.
Tomorrow we we’ll be talking sides, and I am excited!
Heavenly! Easy!! A nice change from my usual recipe. The Goat-cheese sauce really steps it up. Our garden is busting, so I added both fresh mint and basil to the mix. A very creative and fun recipe to make. Thank you.
Hi Kym,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thank you so much for giving it a try! Have a great weekend:) xx
Making this for Easter this weekend! May I use 1tablespoon of ground cumin in place of the cumin seeds? Or do I need to adjust the measurement of the ground cumin? Thank you! We love all of your recipes – yours are the only ones I trust for holidays!
Hi Makenna,
I would reduce to 1 teaspoon of ground cumin:) Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
This was the best rack of lamb ever! I followed the directions, explicitly, and it turned out absolutely perfect… I usually adjust recipes, but this one did not require it. I will be making this rack of lamb, many times over and especially for company. YUM!
Hey Linda,
Happy Monday!! ☀️⛅️ I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
I haven’t made this but I need to know what kind of cheese I can substitute for the goat cheese. I used to milk goats and I can’t get past the smell.
Hi Rie,
Feta would also be a great option! Let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
Sounds great! How long should I cook them for medium?
Hey Lillian,
Thanks so much!! I would do 20-25 minutes. I hope you love this recipe! xx
Does the recipe call for 2-3 pounds of lamb total (1-1.5 per rack) or is each rack supposed to be 2-3lb for a total of 4-6?
Hi Erin,
You are going to use 2 racks, each weighing about 2-3 pounds. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
I made this today for 20 adults and it was such a hit went down a treat the combination of the sauce n the lamb marinade jus paired beautifully I actually drizzled the lamb in a pomigrante sauce too which had gorgeous flavour
Hey Lorna,
Happy Monday!!⛅️ Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it turned out well for you:)
Made these tonight and WOW! So good! To get a little crisp I but them under the broiler for a few minutes. The carrots were an unexpected delight as well!
Hey Pamela,
Happy Monday!!⛄️ Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
Oh my these were delicious! We made this for Christmas dinner and absolutely loved it. We have quite a bit of the goat cheese sauce left over though, do you have any recommendations for what we could use it for?
Thank you once again for an amazing recipe!
Hey Stephanie,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you giving it a try! Sure, here’s some ideas:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/california-chicken-avocado-and-goat-cheese-salad/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/cauliflower-gnocchi/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/honey-whipped-goat-cheese/
I hope this helps! xT
Hi Tieghan! Can you recommend a few things? 1. What other roasted veggie can I do besides carrots? Our family doesn’t really love the root veggies. 2. What additional sides would you recommend pairing with this? Am looking for a starch option. **This is going to be for Christmas dinner.** Thanks!
Hey Katie,
How about cauliflower in place of the carrots? Here’s a side dish you might like:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/make-ahead-roasted-garlic-mashed-potatoes/
Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
First time ever cooking lamb racks! But it worked perfectly so thank you!! Loved the dip too, I made it again the very next day ?
Hey Robin,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you taking the time to make this recipe, I am so glad it was a hit! Happy Wednesday:)
Hi! I’m making this tonight, it sounds so good! But what do you do with all those carrots you roast around the racks of lamb? Do you serve them? Are they just for flavor? I don’t see any mention of them.
Hi there,
You will serve the carrots with the lamb:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love the recipe! xx