Spiced Rack of Lamb with Citrus Salad

Bringing you the simplest, most flavorful spiced rack of lamb to celebrate Easter! You will absolutely love how easy this dish comes together – racks of lamb rubbed in a bold spice mixture, roasted until juicy & tender, served with a fresh, vibrant citrus salad and a quick creamy yogurt sauce. It’s unique, refreshing, and such a great recipe to serve for any upcoming spring celebration.

This post is sponsored by the American Lamb Board.

spiced rack of lamb – the details

If you need a lamb recipe to spice up your Easter dinner, this recipe is for you. With holiday foods that are traditional to serve year after year, I love occasionally making something a little different to keep things interesting.

And while this spiced rack of lamb is full of flavor and bold spices, it’s actually so simple to put together and the recipe easily scales up or down for however many people you’re serving.

As always, I’m starting with American lamb for the BEST possible flavor. I have a great little local shop in Chicago where I get my lamb from. Local means that it’s coming from family farms and is really high-quality meat. This also means the freshest flavor and greatest texture, which is so key for lamb to taste great.

You’ll place the racks of lamb onto a baking rack and rub them with a mix of spices – cumin, coriander, cardamom, crushed red pepper, black pepper, salt, and olive oil. It’s a warming blend that adds a little heat and lots of flavor to the lamb. After just 25 minutes in a hot oven, the lamb comes out with a golden crust and tender interior (depending on the size of your racks of lamb, they may need a little more time).

Simple as that. For the “accompaniments” to make this recipe really special, you’ll whip up a minty citrus salad and a quick yogurt sauce. The citrus adds the perfect refreshing bite, while the yogurt adds something creamy with a little tang to the mix.

It’s all so good together and really makes for such a beautiful holiday presentation!

To complete the Easter meal, serve this spiced rack of lamb with some chive gougères, a roasted potato salad, butter & brown sugar carrots, and of course something sweet to finish things off (this honey strawberry galette would definitely be my pick)!

If you’re looking for more lamb recipes, here are a few favorites:

Lamb Chops with Fennel Slaw & Spiced Yogurt
Lamb Burgers with Pickled Shallots & Herb Sauce
Roasted Leg of Lamb with Apricot Chutney

Spiced Rack of Lamb with Citrus Salad

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spiced rack of lamb roasted until juicy & tender, served with a fresh citrus salad and simple yogurt sauce

servings: 4

Ingredients

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• 2 American racks of lamb (approximately 1 lb each)
• 2 tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper
• ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper, plus more as needed
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 2 blood oranges, peeled + segmented
• 1 orange, peeled + segmented
• 1 grapefruit, peeled + segmented
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 8 mint leaves, torn
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 cup greek yogurt
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• flaky sea salt (optional)

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Prepare a sheet pan with a baking rack on top. Place the lamb onto the rack, pat dry, and allow to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the salt, cumin, coriander, cardamom, crushed red pepper, and black pepper in a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and stir to combine.
2. Rub the spice mixture onto the lamb, covering both sides of meat. With the bones facing down, roast the lamb for approximately 25 minutes (USDA recommends an internal temp of 145 degrees with a 3-minute rest time for medium rare),or until your desired doneness.
3. Meanwhile, combine the blood orange, orange, and grapefruit segments in a mixing bowl. Add the scallions, mint leaves, white wine vinegar, honey, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add the greek yogurt, grated garlic, and remaining 2 tablespoons of olive to another bowl. Whisk to combine. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
5. Remove the racks of lamb from the oven and transfer them to a cutting board. Loosely cover with foil and allow the lamb to rest. Slice the racks between every two bones in order to create double chops.
6. Plate the lamb with a drizzle of olive oil and flaky sea salt (optional) over top. Serve the citrus salad and yogurt sauce alongside.

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