This air fryer rack of lamb is so ridiculously good, you won’t believe it. The preparation is simple, the cooking time is quick, and the results are nothing short of incredible! Who says gourmet cooking has to be complicated?
I never knew that making a gourmet dish like rack of lamb could be so simple and quick to make until I tried it in my air fryer. The prep is quick and easy, and the cooking time is sooo much quicker than it would be in a traditional oven. But the best part? The results are absolutely delicious! The lamb comes out perfectly juicy and tender, with a beautifully browned, caramelized crust.
What do you need?
Rack of lamb
A rack of lamb is a cut of meat that comes from the ribs of the lamb, typically containing 7-8 ribs. It’s a tender, flavorful cut that’s well-suited for quick cooking methods like air frying.
For the best results, I’d recommend getting a trimmed, or ‘frenched’ rack of lamb that has had the excess fat trimmed off and the bones cleaned up. This not only makes it neater once cooked but also allows the meat to cook more evenly.
Seasoning
The recipe below uses a simple seasoning of rosemary and thyme, with a little salt and pepper. You can switch in any other herbs or spices you like with lamb (try oregano, sage, parsley, garlic powder).
Oil
I normally use light olive oil when cooking a roast in my air fryer, but you can use any cooking oil that you would usually use for a roast. Choose once with a neutral flavor and a high smoke point like vegetable oil, corn oil, or canola oil.
Let’s cook this rack of lamb in the air fryer!
1
Preheat.
Preheat the air fryer to 180°C/ 360°F. If your air fryer doesn’t have a preheat mode, just set it to air fry for 3-4 minutes.
2
Season the lamb.
Pat lamb rack dry, then drizzle with oil. Sprinkle rosemary and thyme over the lamb rack, and season well with salt and pepper. over the lamb and rub all over. Place the lamb rack in the air fryer basket.
3
Air fry lamb rack.
Cook the lamb rack in the air fryer for around 15-20 minutes or until done to your liking. Medium-rare is recommended, which is 63°C/ 145°F.
Use a meat thermometer to monitor the temperature close to the end of the cooking time to ensure you don’t over-cook it! See the section below for more details on cooking times.
4
Rest lamb.
Remove lamb rack from the air fryer, cover with kitchen foil, and leave to rest for at least five minutes before serving.
Resting lamb following cooking allows the juices to reabsorb into the meat and is essential for succulent juicy lamb rack.
Remember that the temperature of the meat will continue to rise a few degrees while it rests.
How long to air fry rack of lamb rack?
The exact cook times will depend on the size and shape of your lamb rack and how powerful your air fryer is.
The best way to know how long to cook a lamb rack in your air fryer is to use a meat thermometer to monitor the internal temperature. Use the following internal temperatures as a guide:
- Medium-rare 145°F / 63°C
- Medium 150°F / 65°C
- Medium-well 160°F / 71°C
- Well-done 170°F/77°C
The USDA recommends cooking lamb rack to 145°F / 63°C.
Tip
Use an instant read thermometer to measure the temperature in the center of the thickest part of the meat for an accurate temperature reading.
Serving ideas
Lamb rack is a wonderfully tender cut of meat. Delicious served with a side of steamed or roasted vegetables, and mashed or roasted potatoes.
I also like to serve roast lamb with a mint sauce. You can try an easy homemade version by mixing chopped fresh mint leaves with sugar and vinegar. It looks a little rustic, but tastes amazing!
Here are some delicious sides you can serve with this recipe:
To cook sides in the air fryer as well as the lamb rack add them in towards the end of the cooking time, then they can cook for 10 minutes on their own while the lamb is resting.
Air Fryer Rack of Lamb
Ingredients
- 14 oz lamb rack Frenched
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon rosemary fresh or dried
- 1 teaspoon thyme fresh or dried
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 360°F / 180°C.
- Mix olive oil with rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper on a large plate.
- Pat lamb rack dry and press into the herb oil mixture, flip it over and rub the herb mix in so the lamb is well coated.
- Place lamb rack in air fryer basket, and air fry for 15-20 minutes for medium done lamb.
- Check the temperature with a meat thermometer to ensure that it is cooked to your liking (medium-rare should be 145°F / 63°C). Cook for additional 3 minute intervals if you prefer it more well done.
- Remove lamb rack from air fryer, cover with kitchen foil and leave to rest for at least five minutes before serving.
Notes
- Cook times provided are an estimate only. Exact cook times will depend on many factors including the model of air fryer used. Always test the internal temperature of meat before consuming to ensure it is cooked correctly.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate and provided for informational purposes only.
