Smoked Rack of Lamb is a tender, juicy, and utterly mouth watering dinner or appetizer that even non-lamb eaters will enjoy (trust me, I used to be one)!
If you asked me a year ago to eat rack of lamb, it would have been a hard no. I wasn't into the gamey flavor and there was just something about the texture that didn't sit well with me. Fast forward to now, and my husband has converted me into a true regular. We even convinced my mom, who was a “hell to the no, I'm quite alright-er” to eat (and thoroughly enjoy) a few of her own lamb lollipops. Many thanks to this exact recipe.
So if that sounds like you, this recipe was made for you!
How to Cook Rack of Lamb
We got an indoor electric smoker that has been a complete gamechanger, making anything that goes in come out tasting like restaurant-grade meat. If you don't have a smoker, I would highly recommend getting one – particularly if you enjoy grilling.
This recipe will go over how to cook rack of lamb two ways. The first way is on the grill, and the alternative is under your oven's broiler.
Grilled rack of lamb is our preferred outcome, but if you use the right heat, both methods produce a tender, juicy meal.
Step 1: Prepare the lamb by cleaning it with cold water. Wipe completely dry with paper towels. Assess the fat volume. Some racks have more fat than others. Using a small knife, neatly trim off most of the fat depending on your personal preferences.
Step 2: Season the rack of lamb with half of the kosher salt and black pepper on both sides. Don’t be shy on this one; it’s ok to go a bit heavy on the salt. In total, we use 1 1/4 teaspoon of salt per rack; you will want to use at least 1 teaspoon, with the extra 1/4 tsp if you prefer a saltier flavor. Most of the salt should go on the meaty side of the rack, with a small portion on the back side where there is no meat.
Step 3: Split the rack into smaller portions; we cut ours almost into lamb lollipops (quarters, two ribs per portion). Season sides with remaining salt and pepper.
Step 4: To Smoke: Prepare your electric smoker by adding 50/50 apple wood chips and hickory wood chips. Place the lamb lollipops into a single layer on each rack. Set the electric smoker to “Cold Smoke” for 35 minutes. While most electric smokers are fine for use indoors, we often use ours on our back porch. When the smoking has finished, remove the lid to let the smoke out.
Step 5: Cook the lamb on a grill or under your oven's broiler.
To Grill: Turn your grill on to its highest heat. Once warmed, place the lamb lollipops on the hottest side of the grill and turn them as soon as each side has browned. Squeeze lime juice onto the lamb while grilling. Repeat on all four sides. This should amount to approximately 10 minutes of grilling time. Use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature has reached your preferred readiness (refer to the readiness guide in the article if necessary).
To Broil: If you don't have access to a grill, turn your oven's broiler on high (500 degrees F). Place a cast iron skillet on the top rack of the oven for 5 to 8 minutes to get it as hot as possible. Turn a stovetop burner on high, remove the cast iron from the oven and place on the burner, and add the lamb lollipops in a single layer. Sear for 2 to 3 minutes. Immediately return the skillet to the top rack of the oven and watch closely for additional browning. Turn every 1 to 2 minutes to avoid burning, for a total of 6 to 8 minutes. While turning, squeeze some lime juice over the lamb. Use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature has reached your preferred readiness (refer to the readiness guide in the article if necessary).
Step 6: Remove the lamb from heat and let rest for 3-5 minutes before serving.
How Long to Cook Rack of Lamb
How long you cook your rack of lamb will depend on whether you are smoking the meat before cooking it.
If you are following the full recipe which includes smoking and grilling, your total cook time will amount to about 45 minutes.
If you don't have a smoker and are just grilling your rack of lamb, you will cook it for 10 minutes.
Here is a temperature guide for a rack of lamb:
Very rare to rare: 120 degrees Fahrenheit
Medium rare: 130 degrees Fahrenheit
Medium: 140 degrees Fahrenheit
Well done: 150 degrees Fahrenheit
We normally like to cook our rack of lamb at a medium rare (130 degrees). To achieve this temperature target, watch your meat thermometer until it reaches about 126 to 128 degrees. Depending on the thickness of the meat, this usually takes about 8 minutes, give or take. We then take it off and let the lamb rest for about 5 minutes. This allows for the juices to redistribute back into the meat and gives the lamb time to settle at the final temperature which is going to be just slightly above 130 degrees for my target.
What to Serve with Rack of Lamb
We love to eat on a “caveman diet,” so our favorite way to eat rack of lamb is with a starch and a vegetable, usually rice or roasted potatoes, and broccoli or another healthy green. Our Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Carrots would pair very well with this recipe!
Smoked Rack of Lamb
Ingredients
- 1 Rack of Lamb (8 ribs)
- 1 to 1 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tsp Crushed Black Peppercorn
- 1/2 Lime
To Smoke
- Apple Wood Chips
- Hickory Wood Chips
Instructions
- Clean the rack of lamb with cold water. Wipe completely dry with paper towels.
- Assess the fat volume. Some racks have more fat than others. Using a small knife, neatly trim off most of the fat depending on your personal preferences.
- Rub the meat with sesame oil. Note that each rack has 8 ribs so let that be your guide.
- Season the rack of lamb with half of the kosher salt and black pepper on both sides. Don’t be shy on this one; it’s ok to go a bit heavy on the salt. In total, we use 1.25 teaspoon of salt per rack; you will want to use at least 1 teaspoon, with the extra 1/4 tsp if you prefer a saltier flavor. Most of the salt should go on the meaty side of the rack, with a small portion on the back side where there is no meat.
- Split the rack into smaller portions; we cut ours almost into lamb lollipops (quarters, two ribs per portion). Add remaining salt and pepper to the sides.
- To Smoke: Prepare your electric smoker by adding 50/50 apple wood chips and hickory wood chips. Place the lamb lollipops into a single layer on each rack. Set the electric smoker to "Cold Smoke" for 35 minutes. While most electric smokers are fine for use indoors, we often use ours on our back porch. When the smoking has finished, remove the lid to let the smoke out.
- To Grill: Turn your grill on to its highest heat. Once warmed, place the lamb lollipops on the hottest side of the grill and turn them as soon as each side has browned. Squeeze lime juice onto the lamb while grilling. Repeat on all four sides. This should amount to approximately 10 minutes of grilling time. Use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature has reached your preferred readiness (refer to the readiness guide in the article if necessary).
- To Broil: If you don't have access to a grill, turn your oven's broiler on high (500 degrees F). Place a cast iron skillet on the top rack of the oven for 5 to 8 minutes to get it as hot as possible. Turn a stovetop burner on high, remove the cast iron from the oven and place on the burner, and add the lamb lollipops in a single layer. Sear for 2 to 3 minutes. Immediately return the skillet to the top rack of the oven and watch closely for additional browning. Turn every 1 to 2 minutes to avoid burning, for a total of 6 to 8 minutes. While turning, squeeze some lime juice over the lamb. Use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature has reached your preferred readiness (refer to the readiness guide in the article if necessary).
- Remove the lamb from heat and let rest for 3-5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Wrap the exposed bones with aluminum foil to help with any burning from the high heat when broiling or grilling. This will help with final presentation. If you don’t care about presentation, putting the foil on it will still help because it will keep the boned end intact for easy grabbing when eating.
SAVE THIS RECIPE FOR LATER:
Leave a Reply