When it comes to grilling up something special, this grilled rack of lamb recipe is my go-to showstopper. I created a simple marinade with just 5 ingredients that makes every bite extremely flavorful. And with my indirect and direct cooking method on the grill, I know anyone can master these grilled lamb chops easily.
As someone who is married to a rancher in North Dakota, I can say I definitely I’ve become an expert in grilling all different cuts of meats perfectly every time. I love to show this recipe off when entertaining friends or as the main course for a special occasion or holiday. Paired with my Greek orzo pasta salad or corn fritters, it’s a meal where everyone will say “wow!”.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Simple 5 ingredient recipe. All you need is a couple of ingredients for the marinade in addition to the racks of lamb and you’ll be set!
- Restaurant quality taste that’s easy to make at home. So many of our friends have said this grilled rack of lamb recipe is better than a fancy restaurant. And they’re surprised to learn how easy it is to make too!
- Easy to prepare in advance. No matter if you want to make these for a large entertaining spread or have a decadent weeknight dinner, you can marinate the lamb chops up to a day in advance for maximum flavor and then the grill does the rest of the cooking for you.
Tips for Busy Cooks
When grilling a rack of lamb, it’s very important to trim off the excess fat on top of the lamb for even cooking and a nice char. You’ll also want to buy the lamb frenched or have the butcher do it for you to cut down on prep time.
What is indirect vs. direct grilling?
This is the key method to making these lamb chops melt in your mouth with every bite. We’ll break it down for you, it’s really very easy! You will want to preheat only one side of your grill and leave the other side off. If you have a charcoal grill, place the coals only on one side before lighting them.
- Direct grilling: Is what you would think of as regular grilling over the flame. It’s used to sear the meat first and create a nice golden brown crust for flavor.
- Indirect grilling: This is the cold side of the grill, on an electric grill this means you don’t turn the burners on. The residual heat from the rest of the grill will make the indirect side almost like an oven to help the meat cook through.
Key Ingredient Notes
- Frenched racks of lamb – You’ll want to trim the ribs of excess fat. You can buy the lamb racks already frenched or have your butcher do it for you. This means to remove the meat and cartilage from the tips of the lamb chops keeping the chops still connected.
- Olive oil – The oil used for marinating the lamb.
- Fresh rosemary – Be sure to buy fresh for the marinade, it’s a warm flavor that pairs nicely with the grilled meat.
- Fresh thyme – Adds nice herb flavor to add to the marinade and compliments the rosemary.
- Garlic paste – You can buy this from the store or make it yourself by mashing garlic cloves with the side of a knife.
- Lemon juice – Adds brightness to the marinade and also helps to slightly tenderize the meat.
- Coarse kosher salt – Be sure to add more than you would think to the marinade, it will make all of the flavors more bold in taste.
- Freshly ground black pepper – Delicious when paired with the grilled meat for a slightly spicy flavor.
How to make a grilled rack of lamb
This simple dish is super easy to prepare. I recommend preparing and marinating the lamb a day in advance.
Step 1: Trim the excess fat off the top of the racks of lamb. Pull the fat gently and cut off with a knife carefully.
Step 2: If the tips of your rack of lamb aren’t frenched, carefully remove the meat, fat, and sinew from each one using a knife.
Step 3: In a large freezer bag, mix olive oil, rosemary, thyme, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Step 4: Place the lamb racks into the bag, squeeze out the air, and close the bag. Gently massage the marinade into the meat, ensuring the lamb is evenly coated with the herb mixture. Marinate the lamb for at least an hour, or overnight.
Step 5: When ready to grill, preheat the grill to 450°F. Clean and grease the grates with an oil-soaked paper towel. You want to have direct and indirect heat zones. If you’re using an electric grill, simply turn off one side of the grill once it’s preheated.
Step 6: Place the racks of lamb on the direct heat, fat side down. Cover and grill for 3-5 minutes. Flip and sear for another 3 minutes.
Step 7: Then transfer the racks of lamb to the indirect heat, bone-side down. Cover and continue to cook until the desired doneness, about 15 minutes.
Step 8: Cover the racks with foil and rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Tips for Busy Cooks
For medium rare, cook until the internal temperature reaches 120-125°F. Off the heat, the meat will continue to cook, and its internal temperature will reach approximately 130°F while resting.
Expert Tips:
- Use a meat thermometer to know when your lamb is finished cooking. Just like with beef, a grilled rack of lamb is ready when the thermometer registers 145ºF for medium rare in the thickest part of the chops. The temperature continues to rise a few degrees once the lamb is removed from the grill as well, so we often take the racks off around 140ºF.
- Marinate the rack of lamb for at least an hour up to overnight. This recipe is great to prep in advance because the longer the meat sits in the marinade, the more flavor it will have. The marinade also helps to tenderize the lamb thanks to the lemon juice.
- Let the lamb rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. This is crucial to having the juiciest lamb chops, we promise! It allows the meat to rest so that the juices don’t run out when you cut it into individual chops.
- Cook the exterior of the lamb over direct heat and finish over indirect heat. The direct heat will “sear” the outside for that delicious golden crust, and the indirect will “roast” the inside to the ideal temperature.
- If the frenched ends of the lamb are burning, you can wrap them in foil to prevent that and shield them.
What to serve with grilled rack of lamb
There are so many options when it comes to serving this grilled rack of lamb with side dishes. Here are some of our favorites:
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven for a couple minutes until warmed through.
You can freeze leftovers as well wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 2 months, we can’t guarantee the texture will be as delicious once thawed and reheated.
FAQs
It doesn’t take long, about 25 minutes total between the direct and indirect grilling times.
We first grill the lamb fat side down to get a nice golden brown sear. The we finish the lamb fat side up on the indirect heat to cook through to the correct temperature.
This means you are removing the meat, fat, and sinew on the ends of the lamb chops that are connected to expose the bone. This helps the lamb to cook more evenly and makes it easier to cut into chops after grilling.
More Easy Grilling Recipes
Grilled Rack of Lamb
Ingredients
- 2 Frenched racks of lamb excess fat trimmed 1 to 1 ½ lbs each 16 ribs total
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons garlic paste
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large freezer bag, mix olive oil, rosemary, thyme, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- Place the lamb racks into the bag, squeeze out the air, and close the bag.
- Gently massage the marinade into the meat, ensuring the lamb is evenly coated with the herb mixture.
- Marinate the lamb for at least an hour, or overnight.
- When ready to grill, preheat the grill to 450°F. Clean and grease the grates with an oil-soaked paper towel. You want to have direct and indirect heat zones. If you’re using an electric grill, simply turn off one side of the grill once the grill is preheated.
- Place the racks of lamb on the direct heat fat side down. Cover and grill for 3-5 minutes. Flip and sear for another 3 minutes.
- Then transfer the racks of lamb to the indirect heat, bone-side down. Cover and continue to cook until the desired doneness, about 15 minutes. For medium rare, cook until the internal temperature reaches 120-125°F. Off heat, the meat will continue to cook, and the internal temperature will reach about 130°F while resting.
- Cover the racks with foil and rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Share your thoughts! If you make this please leave a review letting me know how it was!
Notes
– Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven for a couple minutes until warmed through.
– You can freeze leftovers as well wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 2 months, we can’t guarantee the texture will be as delicious once thawed and reheated.
Nutrition
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full nutrition disclosure.
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