Panko Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb (2024)

Incredibly delicious panko herb crusted rack of lamb is impressive yet easy to make meal! Served with fresh sautéed vegetables for a hearty dish for two.

My husband and I have done a few fancy special occasion dinners at steak houses, some good then some okay. You know the ones where everyone is packed in like sardines, offered an overpriced prix fixe menu and rushed through it for the next seating, soooo romantic!

Okay, so whenever I’m at Trader Joe’s, I always eye this beautiful New Zealand rack of lamb. It looks phenomenal but a little too pricey for a typical weekday meal. However, any holiday is all the excuse I need to splurge! So I got to brainstorming on how to make an out of this world lamb recipe. I knew that a panko herb crusted rack of lamb with vegetables was the way to go.

The dish is all about big aromatic flavors coming from fresh herbs, garlic, and red wine, all things to entice your special someone into the kitchen. I start by making my rosemary au jus sauce to give it enough time to simmer and reduce as I cook the other components of the dish.

Guess what? Since you need to open a bottle of yummy red wine for the sauce, you might as well pour a glass for you and that special person and get the evening off to a good start!

Since lamb is the best served medium-rare, just like a nice juicy piece of steak, all you need to do is use a frying pan to sear each side. Once you’ve got that beautiful golden-brown crust, then switch to the oven and finish cooking for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.

It’s super helpful to have an instant-read digital thermometer, so you know when you’re close to the desired doneness that is about 125°F in the center of the meat. Allow the lamb to rest for 10 minutes before slicing, so it finishes cooking for that perfect pink center.

This rack of lamb came with 8 ribs, so I sliced them up but keeping two ribs together. I wanted to interlace the ribs, 4 ribs per person, to get that restaurant-quality look. You could stop there if you wish to serve the lamb without a crust, but I recommend a little extra “wow” effect.

I contemplated adding the coating before searing the meat, but I didn’t want the panko bread crumbs to burn or get too soggy. A smart solution was toasting them with fresh herbs and garlic in the oven, coating the meat with some tangy Dijon mustard, and then dipping each side in the crunchy breadcrumbs just before serving. The added crunch to each bite made the lamb, even more, delicious.

To complete this meal, I paired some fresh vegetables to serve with the lamb. You can make a quick saute of zucchini, yellow squash, bell peppers, and onions. I roasted some red potatoes on the side to make this meal a little more hearty, entirely optional of course.

By now your rosemary au jus should be ready to go, just reheat and serve in a small gravy bowl to pour over the juicy pieces of lamb. Enjoy your elegant meal in the comforts of your own home with no crowds to contend with or stressed out waiters. Just a peaceful evening with your special guy, gal or friends and a bottle of chilled champagne perhaps?

This fabulous rack of lamb is all you need for the most romantic night of the year. If you’re looking for more intimate dinner ideas, try my individual beef wellingtons or pan-seared halibut with lemon dill sauce. Cheers!