How to Grill Rack of Lamb

What You'll Need

Before starting, make sure you have everything on this list. We recommend Kingsford™ Original Charcoal Briquets. And don’t skip the digital meat thermometer — it’s the best way to make sure your rack of lamb is done.

FUELS AND TOOLS

Kingsford™ Original Charcoal Briquets
Kingsford™ Chimney Starter (Optional)
Preferred Ignition Aid (Fire Starters, Kindling or Lighter Fluid)
Digital Meat Thermometer
Aluminum Foil
Tongs
Sharp Knife
Paper Towels

INGREDIENTS

Rack of Lamb
Olive OIl
Cooking Oil
Seasoning to Taste: Rub or Herb Seasoning or Fresh Herbs (Thyme or Mint Work Well)
Salt
Pepper

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How to Prep

If your lamb racks aren’t pre-trimmed, you can use a sharp paring knife to cut away the meat and fat between the bones to expose about 2” of bone from the rack.
Then, use your paring knife to scrape excess meat and fat from the surface of the bones.
Finally, trim the fat cap off the top of the rack. If you like, you can also remove the silver skin surrounding the eye of the rack by inserting a knife between the meat and the silver skin to slice it off in strips.
The exposed bones that make your rack of lamb look so appetizing will also catch on fire while grilling, so it’s important to shield them. Take strips of foil and wrap the exposed bones until they’re fully covered.
After the bones are foiled, drizzle the lamb with olive oil and season the meat with your favorite rub or herb seasoning. A simple rub of salt, pepper and fresh herbs like thyme or mint will work perfectly.

How to Build Your Fire

Give your top grill grate a good brushing and set it aside. Pour Kingsford™ Original Charcoal Briquets into a chimney — or pour them in a mound and light. Wait for coals to light fully.
Once the charcoal turns gray with ash, arrange coals in a Two-Zone Method: coals on one side of the grill and a void on the other. Coals should be at High Heat — about 450°F. How to control the heat when grilling with charcoal.
Add the grate and let it heat up.
There are many types of charcoal grills that work well, such as a Kettle Grill or an Offset Smoker. You may also consider the convenience of a Pellet Grill where most models ignite with the press of a button. For more details, see How to Prep a Charcoal Grill.
When you’re at temp, put cooking oil on a folded paper towel. Grab the oiled paper towel with long-handled tongs and oil the grate thoroughly.

Get Grilling

Sear your rack of lamb directly over the coals. Make sure to flip the rack to get a nice brown color on all sides of the meat.
Flare-ups will happen. Don’t worry!
Once browned on both sides, move your rack of lamb over to the cooler side of the grate to finish cooking. Rack of lamb typically takes 15–20 minutes of total cooking time depending on its size, but you shouldn’t rely on the clock; use a digital meat thermometer to cook your lamb to the desired doneness.

The Finish

Once at your desired doneness, remove your rack of lamb from the grill and let it rest tented loosely with foil, for 10–15 minutes before slicing. This resting period is essential to allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat.
With a sharp knife, slice down between the bones to make delicate little rib chops and serve.

^For safe meat and other food preparation, reference the USDA website.^