Grilled Rack Of Lamb - Basil And Bubbly

Intimidated by lamb? Don't be! Grilled Rack of Lamb is so tender, flavorful, juicy, and delicious. And did I mention that it's EASY to make?! If you can grill a hamburger, you can grill a rack of lamb. I promise.

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So let's do this.

grilled rack of lamb

Do you need a marinade for grilled lamb racks?

The first thing you need to know is that lamb marinade is KING. Really, anytime you grill a marinade is going to buy you some time / margin of error, and add great flavor.

Grilling meat is just as much an art as it is a science, so the marinade can help you make a phenomenal product if your "art of grilling" skills aren't perfectly honed yet.

And even once they are, I think you'll still be pro-marinade. I know I am!

marinade for rack of lamb on the grill

How to grill a rack of lamb

There are a few tricks to guarantee success when grilling lamb:

  • Marinate the lamb to keep it tender
  • Cover the Frenched (exposed) bones with foil to prevent burning
  • Don't overcook! Medium Rare to Medium at MOST.
  • Cook the exterior on high direct heat, and the interior with indirect heat (I go into more detail on this below)
rack of lamb on the grill
rack of lamb cooking meat-side down on the grill

How to cook with indirect heat on a gas grill

This is KEY to this recipe. If you're using charcoal, carry on. You got this, because direct heat on a charcoal grill is putting the meat, you guessed it, directly over the coals. Indirect heat on a charcoal grill is moving the meat so that it is not directly over the coals.

But for a gas grill? It's a little different, although the concept is the same.

Direct heat is the same - cook the meat directly over where the flame is on the grill.

Indirect heat on a gas grill is easiest with the MOM method - which stands for Medium-Off-Medium. The idea is that you have the outer burners on, set to Medium, and the middle burners off.

For a four burner grill, the outer two would be on Medium, and the inner two would be off.

For a three burner grill, the outer two would be on Medium, and the inner single burner would be off.

grilled rack of lamb sliced into chops

How long should you grill rack of lamb?

Cook the rack over high, direct heat for 4 minutes. Flip the rack, and cook for another 4 minutes over high, direct heat. Move the lamb to indirect heat, place the lid on the grill, and cook for another 15 minutes for Medium Rare, 20 minutes for Medium.

Do you cook rack of lamb fat side up or down?

Start cooking the lamb with the fatty/meaty side down, then flip it later. Scroll up a few pictures and you'll see an example. You can tell which side is the fatty/meaty side because you will not be able to see the bones through the meat. The underside of the rib rack shows most of the bones through the chops.

platter filled with grilled lamb sliced into chops

What to serve will grilled rack of lamb:

  • Grilled Zucchini and Squash
  • Grilled Broccoli
  • Butter Lettuce Salad

📖 Recipe

grilled rack of lamb

Grilled Rack of Lamb

An easy, tender, and delicious grilled rack of lamb. This recipe uses a garlic rosemary marinade for a robust, juicy flavor on the grill. 4.66 from 103 votes Print Pin Rate Servings: 2 people

Ingredients

  • 6 - 8 bone rack of lamb
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice juice from ½ lemon
  • 4 - 5 cloves garlic
  • 8 - 10 leaves fresh mint
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons salt

Instructions

  • Combine ½ cup olive oil, juice from ½ lemon, 4 - 5 cloves garlic, 8 - 10 leaves fresh mint, 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, and 2 teaspoons salt in a food processor until well blended.
  • Place the rack of lamb in a resealable bag. Pour in the marinade and rub all over the lamb to coat it. Seal the bag and let marinate, refrigerated, for at least for 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
  • Set a gas grill to high heat or prepare a coal grill. The rack of lamb has two sides - one where you see mostly bones and another where you see mostly meet. Grill lamb over direct high heat with the lid open and with the "mostly meat" side down for 4 minutes. Flip and cook the other side over direct heat for another 4 minutes.
  • Move lamb to indirect heat (see notes for how to cook on indirect heat on a gas grill). Put the lid on the grill. Cook for another 15 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reads 125° for medium rare.

Notes

How to cook on indirect heat on a gas grill: Use this to help you remember how to grill on indirect heat: M-O-M - Medium Off Medium. So on a four burner grill, the outer two burners are on medium and the middle two are off. The meat goes over the off burners in the center of the grill. Tried this recipe?Mention @basilandbubbly or tag #basilandbubbly!

Tag » How To Grill A Lamb Rack