Grilled Rack of Lamb

Ingredients and prep

The best part about this recipe? You need just two ingredients:

• Rack of lamb, frenched: Frenched just means that the meat and fat have been stripped away from the bones. Even with a frenched rack, you’ll still have a layer of fat covering the meat. Trim this down to at least ⅛ inch (3 mm) to avoid any major flare ups on the grill.
• Kosher salt: The only seasoning you need is a generous sprinkling of salt.

Serving size: One rack of lamb is generally enough to feed 2-3 people so I usually opt to grill two racks at once, each being about 1.5-2 lbs (700-900 grams).

Recipe variations

Want to add a little more spice to your grilled rack of lamb? One of my favorite variations is to add just a bit of ground cumin. Smoked paprika, coriander and cayenne also work well with the earthy flavors of lamb.

Alternatively, you could place your rack of lamb in a marinade with a bit of oil and herbs or garlic for a deliciously fresh flavor!

Step by step instructions

The grilling happens in two steps: a quick sear over direct heat and then a transfer to indirect heat for a slow cook to perfection.

1. Direct high heat
   Place the rack of lamb meaty side down directly over the flame. Sear until well-browned on each side (about 4-5 minutes per side).
2. Indirect medium-high heat
   Reduce heat to medium-high and place the lamb so that it’s sitting on the cooler portion of your grill. The meaty side should be down with the bones farthest away from the flame. Cook until a few degrees shy of your desired doneness (about 10-20 minutes).

The perfect temperature

So what temperature are we looking for? I prefer to cook rack of lamb until a meat thermometer reads 125°F (52°C). The temperature will continue to rise while the meat is resting for 10 minutes, bringing it to about 130°F (55°C) or a perfect medium rare.

I don’t recommend cooking the meat much past medium rare, as rack of lamb can become tough and dry when cooked for much longer.

Expert tips and tricks

• Cover the ends of the bones with foil. This is optional and prevents burning. I typically do not do this — I don’t mind a few scorch marks on the bones, but it does mean they may break off easier during carving.
• Let the ramb rest after cooking. Resting the lamb for 10 minutes after cooking also plays an important role in getting a tender texture. It gives the juices time to settle back into the meat so they won’t gush out when carving.

Serving rack of lamb

Since the grill is already fired up, I love to serve rack of lamb with grilled veggies and my fresh and tangy Charred Scallion Dip.

A few great salad options include Cucumber Tomato Salad or Greek Farro Salad – both full of fresh veggies!

Loving this grilled rack of lamb? For more of my favorite grilling recipes, make sure to check out these posts:

• Grilled Radishes
• Grilled Salmon
• Grilled Stuffed Mushrooms
• Carne Asada with Chimichurri
• Cast Iron Pizza (on the grill or in the oven)

Grilled Rack of Lamb Recipe

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5 from 1 review

• Author: Brit Kapustina
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 6
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Main
• Method: Grill
• Cuisine: Global

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Ingredients

• 2 frenched* racks of lamb, 1.5-2 pounds (700–900 grams) each
• kosher salt to taste

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Instructions

1. Trim the racks of surface fat without cutting into the meat. Pat the lamb dry and sprinkle generously with salt.
2. Clean the cooking grates and heat one side of the grill to high (500°F / 260°C).
3. Place the racks directly over the flame, meaty/fat side down, and cook covered until well browned (about 4-5 minutes). Flip and repeat for another 4-5 minutes on the other side.
4. Reduce heat to medium-high (400°F / 205°C). Transfer the meat to indirect heat, meaty side down with the thick side towards the burner that’s on. Cover and cook for 10-20 minutes until a meat thermometer reads a few degrees shy of your desired doneness (125°F / 52°C for medium rare).*
5. Transfer the lamb to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Notes

Frenched rack of lamb: A frenched rack of lamb already has the meat and fat stripped away from the bones. There will still be a layer of surface fat that needs to be trimmed to avoid too many flare ups on the grill. Leave no more than 1/8 inch (3 mm) of fat.

Covering the bones: You can cover the bones with foil to prevent burning if you wish. I don’t mind the charred bones so I skip this step, but that does mean the bones will more easily break during carving.

Doneness: For medium rare, take the meat off the grill at 125°F (52°C). Carryover heat will raise the temperature to about 130°F (55°C) while the meat rests. I don’t recommend cooking the lamb much past medium rare, as lamb can become dry and tough.

Storage: Leftover rack of lamb can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Charred Scallion Dip: I recommend serving this grilled lamb with my Charred Scallion Dip with Feta.