Name: Air Fryer Rack of Lamb
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
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

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?

Sliced air fryer rack of lamb on a wooden board.

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?

Flat lay image of the ingredients for this recipe.

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.

Air fried rack of lamb in the air fryer basket.

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.

Tip

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.

Sliced air fryer lamb rack on a wooden board.

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:

Tip

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.