Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb

Rack of lamb on white plate with potato bake.

5 from 2 votes

Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb is a delightful way of preparing a rack of lamb. Perfect for a weekend, special occasion or when the craving hits.

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Total Time1

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Western

Keyword: herb crusted rack of lamb

Servings:

Calories: 676kcal

Author: Adrianne

Ingredients

1 kg/ 2 pound rack of lamb Note 1
2 tablespoons olive oil Note 2
½ cup basil leaves this is the measured amount once it is chopped, Note 3
½ cup flat leaf parsley this is the measured amount once it is chopped, Note 4
2 cloves garlic Note 5
1 cup panko breadcrumbs Note 6
1 teaspoon dried oregano Note 7
1 teaspoon dried thyme Note 8
½ teaspoon black pepper Note 9
¼ teaspoon salt also Note 9
2 tablespoons horseradish cream Note 10

Instructions

Preheat the oven: preheat the oven to 180°C / 350-375°F / Gas Mark 4-5.
Lamb rack: use a knife and cutting board to prepare the rack of lamb by exposing the bones and removing most of the fat.
Fresh herbs: add the parsley, basil and garlic cloves to a food processor and blitz till finely chopped. Remove the lid once done and measure 1 cup of this mixture. Discard the excess.
Combine: add the chopped herb and garlic mixture to a small bowl and then add the panko breadcrumbs, dried thyme, dried oregano, salt and pepper. Stir to mix these together until consistently combined.
Brown lamb: place a large frying pan onto the stove top, turn the heat to high and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot use kitchen tongs to place the rack of lamb into the pan meat side down. Brown this side for 2-3 minutes then use kitchen tongs to flip to the other side and brown this side also. Once done transfer the browned lamb to a paper towel lined chopping board.
Horseradish and herb mixture: grease a baking dish large enough to fit the tray with olive oil or cooking spray. Use a pastry brush to coat the underside (bone side) with the horseradish cream then spoon some of the herb mixture onto the layer of horseradish and push to gently make this 'stick'. Then flip the rack to the other side and repeat the process by covering this side with horseradish and the remaining herb mixture.
Oven bake: place the herb crusted rack of lamb (uncovered) into the oven on the middle shelf. Let it bake for 35-40 mins. Then use oven mitts to remove the baking dish and set on heatproof surface. Stop here for medium rare lamb or cover the baking dish with a layer aluminium foil and let the lamb cook for a further 5-10 minutes (covered).
To serve: once the lamb has cooked to your liking, use oven mitts to remove the baking tray and place it onto a heatproof surface. Let it rest for 5 - 10 minutes before plating and serving.

Notes

Note 1 - Rack of lamb: if you purchase this from your local grocery store, it will likely be cheaper than one from the butcher. However, you will have a little bit of work to do to get it ready to cook. If you purchase the rack of lamb from your local butcher you will get a premium product prepared with skill that is ready to go. The choice of which you go with is up to you.
Note 2 - Olive oil: we use a little bit of olive oil to brown the rack of lamb before we coat it in the seasoning. Doing so locks in the flavor of the meat.
Note 3 - Parsley: I like using flat leaf Italian parsley for this recipe. We want to trim the leaves from the stems (discard).
Note 4 - Basil: as above for the basil, we trim the stems and discard these, using the leaves only.
Note 5 - Garlic: you can use 2 fresh garlic cloves, chunky chopped garlic or minced garlic from a jar. Whichever is the easiest for you 😁👌.
Note 6 - Panko breadcrumbs: these bright white and crisp breadcrumbs are commonly used in Japanese recipes! They have a larger crumb than traditional breadcrumbs and help give the herb crust a little crispy texture.
Note 7 - Oregano: we use some less commonly seen fresh dried herbs as a compliment to the fresh herbs. The dried oregano is the 1st of the 2 dried herbs.
Note 8 - Thyme: the dried thyme is the 2nd of the dried herbs used in the recipe.
Note 9 - Salt and pepper: we use salt and a little bit of black pepper for seasoning in the recipe.
Note 10 - Horseradish cream: we use the horseradish cream as a means for the herb rub to 'stick' to the meat. It has a little tang about it and offers an exceptional little 'oomph' to the lamb.
Serving size: you can split the rack between 2 people but the kcal is quite high. You can reduce the portion size and kcal per serving if you split the rack between 4 people. This decision is up to you my friend.

Nutrition