Sous Vide Rack Of Lamb (Frenched)

This sous vide rack of lamb is the perfect main dish for a special family dinner or celebration. Use my how-to guide to have a delicious, mouthwatering sous vide Frenched rack of lamb on your table with only 20 minutes of active cooking time.

Never cooked with lamb before? No problem! It’s much less intimidating than you think — if you can sous vide chicken or steak, you can sous vide a rack of lamb.

I know here in the U.S., lamb isn’t an “everyday dish”, but it’s a nice treat! I love to cook lamb every once in a while when I need a change from chicken and beef. Or when a special holiday is coming up like Christmas or Easter. This robust, well-balanced protein is naturally full of flavors and requires just a few seasonings and fresh herbs to taste absolutely amazing.

Ingredients for sous vide rack of lamb

This easy sous vide recipe calls for a 1-pound rack of Frenched lamb, which means that the fat and meat has been already removed from the bones. It really doesn’t taste much different, but it’s a much more aesthetically pleasing chunk of meat! I kept the seasonings for the Greek spice blend using oregano, thyme, plus a few pantry staples, and garnishes pretty simple with fresh mint.

Want to use homegrown herbs for your recipes but are just starting out? Check out this AeroGarden grow guide for everything you need to know!

How to make sous vide rack of lamb

Step 1. First, preheat your sous vide machine to 132 degrees F for a medium-rare sous vide rack of lamb.

Step 2. Next, season the Frenched rack of lamb with the Greek spice blend as liberally as desired. When you’re satisfied with the seasoning level, put the rack of lamb into a ziplock or vacuum-sealed bag. Now it is time to sous vide for 2 hours.

Step 3. While the lamb is cooking, it is time to prepare an ice bath for when the sous vide rack of lamb is finished by adding cold water and a handful of ice cubes to a large bowl. When the cook time ends, you should transfer the sealed bag with lamb to cool in the ice bath.

Step 4. Now it’s time to remove the lamb from the bag and pat it dry with a paper towel.

Step 5. Next, it is time to sear the meat. To do this, you will first heat a cast iron skillet on the stove to medium-high, then add in oil and butter. When the skillet is hot, use tongs to sear the sous vide lamb rack for 30-60 seconds on each side. The meat should be a nice shade of brown (but not charred) when finished.

Step 6. Finally, rest the rack of lamb for at least 10 minutes before slicing it. I like to slice it with 2-3 bones in each serving, so the inside of the perfectly cooked medium rare sous vide lamb meat is on display. Sprinkle with fresh mint and serve.

Want to make your at-home meals restaurant quality? The secret ingredient is to cook with herbs! See new ways to cook with fresh herbs in your favorite recipes.

FAQs

How much lamb can I cook at a time?

This recipe — and sous vide cook time and water temperature — are based on a 4-rib rack of lamb (or about 1 pound). If you have more than that to cook, I would recommend sous viding a few at a time or calculate the time and temp difference and use a larger container.

Does lamb get more tender the longer you cook it?

Not necessarily — especially with traditional cooking methods, it definitely depends on the cut of lamb meat you have.

For example, a lamb shank cooked on low and over a long period of time will definitely become more tender the longer its cooked as long as it doesn’t dry out in the process. On the other hand, though, a lamb chop actually becomes more tough the longer it cooks.

See how to make smoked lamb loin chops…

But when it comes to sous viding lamb, I have never had an issue with dryness or toughness. Maybe all my sous vide experiments have been lucky, but the times and temps I favor and share with you here on Sip Bite Go are always spot on. 

If you’re into smoker recipes, this tender, juicy smoked leg of lamb on the Traeger pellet grill is a great choice for Easter. So is smoked tri tip or oven roasted tri tip.

Final tips for making a sous vide rack of lamb

• Sear evenly. Use tongs to move around the rack of lamb to ensure the various parts of the meat cook to a beautiful brown on each side.
• Meal prep tip. Once it’s cooled, you can refrigerate the sous vide rack of lamb either in the sous vide bag, or dry it and store it in the fridge for a couple days until you want to sear it to enjoy it. Bring the rack of lamb to room temperature when it’s time to finish it.
• Change the seasonings. If you prefer more earthy, gamey flavors, you can toss in a little bit of cumin. You can even add in some black pepper and chili powder to add a little bit of heat. Rosemary is also a great addition to any lamb recipe, as the natural herb really bring out the mouthwatering flavors of the lamb.
• Get the ‘best end” of your lamb. So the first 8 lamb ribs, known as “The Rack,” is known as the literal “Best End” of the lamb. Remember to make sure your lamb is Frenched, or the fat has been trimmed away from the bones, for the most beautiful rack of lamb you’ve ever cooked!

Want some ideas for seasonal recipes? Check out these seasonal foods for spring cooking!

I’m passionate about sous vide cooking, and maybe that’s why Sip Bite Go has become one of the most popular sous vide blogs on the web. This food hobby, turned blog, has recently become a sous vide cookbook.

Serving these for a holiday? Some of my other favorite sous vide dishes are these sous vide asparagus and sous vide onions. Other tasty main dishes you can serve include sous vide prime rib and sous vide turkey breast.

Find new ways to enjoy your favorite food with sous vide cooking. Get inspired with my new book – The Home Chef’s Sous Vide Cookbook.

The Perfect Sous Vide Setup

Everyday I’m asked, “what do you need to sous vide food?”. Here’s my answer.

1. A sous vide machine.
   Option 1: “stick” models like the Joule, Anova, or Instant Pot Slim.
   Option 2: “multipot” models like the SousPreme or InstantPot Duo Evo Plus.
2. Sous vide container.
   If using a sous vide “stick” model, you need something to hold the water the food cooks in, like a bucket or stockpot.
3. Bags to cook sous vide food.
   Keep it simple and sous vide in ziplock gallon bags, or get fancy like me with a vacuum sealer setup.
4. Nice-to-have accessories for sous vide cooking.
   – Sous vide weights to hold down food that floats.
   – Mini mason jars for desserts and sous vide egg bites.
   – Cast iron skillet to sear sous vide steaks to finish them.
5. My sous vide cookbook with 100+ recipes.

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