Want to impress with an easy lamb recipe? My grilled herb crusted rack of lamb is simple and delicious. Take charge with my tips on how to grill rack of lamb for a fire-kissed crust and perfect pink middle. The garlic marinade is equally good on leg of lamb, chops and more.

Rack of lamb is one of those cuts that seems really fancy, right?  If you’ve never made one before, I can understand the intimidation factor, however, once you see how truly simple they are to prepare, you’ll wonder what all the fuss was about. This easy lamb recipe with garlic marinade, turns out perfect grilled herb crusted rack of lamb every time.

Start by using a very sharp knife to trim away some of the excess fat.  At Costco, they sell “frenched rack of lamb,” which simply means the fat, meat and connective tissue have been stripped from the tips of the lamb ribcage — providing a cleaner, more elegant presentation and the diner with a clever little handle for gnawing after the knife and fork have done their best. When the meat is trimmed of excess fat, it’s time for the herb garlic marinade.

What You’ll Need For The Herb Garlic Marinade:

• Garlic
• Fresh Rosemary
• Fresh Oregano
• Fresh Mint
• Lemon Zest
• Kosher Salt
• Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl.  The garlic marinade will be thick like a paste.  Coat the rack of lamb with the marinade and rub it into the meat.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. (Didn’t I tell you this was an easy lamb recipe???) Before cooking, remove the lamb from the refrigerator and let it rest on the counter for half an hour before transferring it to the grill.

How To Grill Rack Of Lamb 

Scott is my grill-master and he was happy to oblige my request on a Saturday to take charge with this herb crusted rack of lamb. According to the master — here’s how to grill rack of lamb…

1. Heat the grill to 500° – 525°.
2. Place the lamb, fat side down on the grates. Leave the lamb alone for about five minutes to create a good sear (the grill master cautions that you watch for flare-ups and have a spray bottle of water handy for emergencies).
3. Flip the meat, reduce the temperature to 425° and continue cooking the lamb for an additional 13-15 minutes – or until an instant read digital thermometer reads 120°.
4. Transfer the lamb to a cutting board and let it rest 5-8 minutes before carving.

Why Is Resting Time Is Important After Grilling?

• Resting allows the juices to redistribute through the meat. If you cut the meat right after removing from the grill, the juices will run onto the cutting board instead of staying in the meat.
• Be aware of carryover cooking, which can increase the internal temperature of the grilled herb crusted rack of lamb by as much as 5°-8°.
• My grill-master typically cooks his meats to about 5° BELOW the recommended temperatures just to factor in the carryover cooking.  (We’ve done that for you here — so if you follow these instructions, they’re accurate.)
• Note: if you prefer a more cooked chop, leave the rack of lamb on the grill until it reaches 125-130° before removing it. Let it rest as described above before carving.

Once you try this easy lamb recipe with the flavorful herb garlic marinade, it’ll go into your regular dinner rotation. The best part is that this recipe is scaleable.  If you’re feeding a larger crowd, it’s easy to double, triple or quadruple this grilled herb crusted rack of lamb for as many diners as you have. See? Easy lamb recipe ².

As far as carving goes, use a sharp chef’s knife to slice between the bones of the herb crusted rack of lamb.  I recommend double cut chops (meaning two bones per chop).  They are thicker, juicier and meatier that way — not to mention, more impressive. Bon(e) Appetit!

Easy Grilled Rack of Lamb

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate mint, garlic, grilling, lamb, oregano, rosemary

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Resting Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 3

Calories: 386 kcal

Prep it in the morning and grill it that night, this easy rack of lamb recipe can be doubled or tripled for more diners.

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 - 2 pound rack of lamb trimmed of excess fat

FOR THE MARINADE:

• 3 large cloves garlic minced
• 2 teaspoons rosemary chopped
• 2 teaspoons oregano chopped
• 2 teaspoons mint chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

FOR THE MARINADE:

1. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the marinade to form a thick paste.

FOR THE LAMB:

1. Spread the marinade over the lamb rack. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

2. Remove the lamb from the refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

3. Heat the grill on high (500°-525°). Place the rack of lamb on the grill (fat side down) to sear the meat, about 5 minutes. Stay close to the grill in case of flare ups.

4. Reduce heat to 425°. Turn the lamb over and continue to roast an additional 13-15 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 120° for medium rare. Transfer lamb to a cutting board and tent with aluminum foil.  Let the lamb rest for an additional 5-10 minutes.   (Lamb will continue to cook as it rests and will achieve temperature of 125-130° off the grill.)

5. Cut the lamb into double cut chops.  Arrange on a platter and pour any meat juices over the lamb. Scatter with additional fresh herbs and serve.

Nutrition Facts

Easy Grilled Rack of Lamb

Amount Per Serving

Calories 386 Calories from Fat 297

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 33g 51%

Saturated Fat 12g 60%

Cholesterol 82mg 27%

Sodium 358mg 15%

Potassium 264mg 8%

Total Carbohydrates 1g 0%

Protein 18g 36%

Vitamin A 0.3%

Vitamin C 0.7%

Calcium 3.4%

Iron 11.8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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