Best Roasted Rack of Lamb with Dijon Pistachio Crust
Apr 01, 2021, Updated Apr 23, 2024
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This achievable Roasted Rack of Lamb Pistachio Crust recipe delivers a restaurant-style taste with little effort. Serve it for Easter or any time you crave a rack of lamb dinner.
Serve it for special occasions, or make it a family dinner night favorite! Serve with roasted potatoes and a beautiful salad.
A rack of lamb is so impressive in appearance and surprisingly easy to make. You can wow your guests with this delicious and stunning rack of lamb recipes. Suggestions for what to serve with a rack of lamb are at the bottom of this post.
More meat main course recipes: Pork Tenderloin with Shallots and Fennel, Perfect Roast Chicken with Citrus and Fennel, Italian Style Osso Buco (Tuscan Recipe), Juicy Think Pork Chops, and BEST Italian Beef Short Rib Ragu.
Table of Contents
- Why this recipe works
- Simple Ingredients for Roasted Rack of Lamb with Dijon Pistachio Crust
- Why sear the lamb before baking it?
- Pistachios and Mustard- a winning combo
- Best Roasted Rack of Lamb with Dijon Pistachio Crust
- Recipe Inspiration
- What to serve with Roasted Rack of Lamb with Dijon Pistachio Crust
- How To Slice Rack of Lamb
- Best Roasted Rack of Lamb with Dijon Pistachio Crust Recipe
Why this recipe works
Tasty seared then oven-roasted lamb topped with a mustard and pistachio crust! A winning combination of flavors and textures makes this recipe stand out from other roasted lamb recipes.
Simple Ingredients for Roasted Rack of Lamb with Dijon Pistachio Crust
- Rack of lamb
- Olive oil
- Salted crushed and pistachios (without shell)
- Dijon Mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
Why sear the lamb before baking it?
Searing the rack of lamb on a hot pan will seal the juices and prevent the lamb from drying when you bake it in the oven.
Searing meat is an essential step if you want to make the most flavorful roasts, steaks, chops, lamb, and more.
When you sear meat, you caramelize the natural sugars in the meat and brown the proteins, forming a rich brown crust on the surface of the meat that amplifies the savory flavor of the finished dish.
It is an added step that you don’t want to skip in this recipe!
Pistachios and Mustard- a winning combo
The crunch of the crushed pistachios and the smooth slightly spicy flavor of the mustard is a winning combination when paired with the lamb.
Pistachios generally have a very mild flavor that can be a little sweet. This adds a sweet kick and balances the taste of the mustard.
For this recipe, I recommend quality dijon mustard. Dijon mustard has a tangy, sharp, and strong flavor with a bit of spice adding another depth of flavor to this delicious recipe.
More pistachio recipes: Italian Pistachio Cream Cake (Sbriciolata), Traditional Italian Cream Horns (Cannoncini), and How to Make Italian Pistachio Cream.
Best Roasted Rack of Lamb with Dijon Pistachio Crust
After the lamb is seared, rub it generously with mustard and gently press the chopped pistachios to form a nice crust.
This also adds another protective layer as the meat cooks. The goal is to achieve a nice crust on the exterior and perfect cooked meat on the interior. Yummm!
Recipe Inspiration
This recipe is inspired by my dad. He is the passionate meat wizard in our family. It is safe to say he loves meat and potatoes as much as my Idaho-born husband.
He first made this recipe years ago and it is a family favorite. I’ve made this recipe for countless guests and it is always appreciated and praised.
I am sure it will please you and yours as well.
Another lamb recipe that you will also love is this Lamb Shoulder Chops Recipe!
What to serve with Roasted Rack of Lamb with Dijon Pistachio Crust
This show-stopping rack of lamb makes a stunning mean dish for your Easter table, or any occasion.
Serve it with a side of Roasted Fennel Recipe (Italian Style) and Oven Roasted Potatoes (Italian Style). Add a beautiful Italian Fennel, Citrus, Pomegranate and Salad and a slice of Easy Soft Italian No Knead Bread to round out your meal.
Let’s not forget about dessert: Italian Cream Crumb Cake (sbriciolata alla crema) or traditional Italian Easter Egg bread. If you want something light and easy this is the dessert for you: Easy Almond Sponge Cake with Italian Cream.
Mangia! Mangia! (Eat!). Made with Amore, Elena
More Delicious Recipes for YOUR table…
Rack of Lamb Cooking Temperature
- 135 degrees F = Medium rare, final internal temperature 145 degrees.
- 150 degrees F = Medium well, final internal temperature 160 degrees
- 160 degrees F = well done, final internal temperature 170 degrees.
- Source: American Lamb
Since the internal temperature of cooked lamb will rise 5 – 10 degrees during the rest period, adjust accordingly by pulling the lamb out of the oven when it is 10 degrees lower than desired doneness.
How To Slice Rack of Lamb
Lay the roasted rack of lamb on a cutting board with the meat side nearest to you. Using a sharp knife, simply slice through the meat in between the rib
Searing meat is an essential step if you want to make the most flavorful roasts, steaks, chops, lamb, and more. When you sear meat, you caramelize the natural sugars in the meat and brown the proteins, forming a rich brown crust on the surface of the meat that amplifies the savory flavor of the finished dish.
The best sides for rack of lamb include: roasted potatoes and vegetables, a fresh salad, and crusty homemade bread. See serving suggestions for links to recipes.
Best Roasted Rack of Lamb with Dijon Pistachio Crust
Tasty seared then oven roasted lamb topped with a mustard and pistachio crust! A winning combination of flavors and textures that make this recipe stand out from other roasted lamb recipes. This achievable recipe delivers restaurant style taste with little effort. Serve it for Easter or any time you crave a rack of lamb dinner.
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs rack of lamb
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup salted crushed and pistachios (without shell)
- 4–5 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking dish or baking sheet with tinfoil.
- Prepare rack of lamb by trimming the excess fat that surrounds the sides. Pat dry, cover with plastic wrap, leave room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Heat a large frying pan on medium- high heat. Add olive oil. Unwrap the lamb and season with salt and pepper. Sear in hot pan (about 3-5 minutes per side of exposed meat). Sear until nice brown color on all sides.
- Let cool (about 20 minutes). Once cooled rub with mustard (use hands). Press pistachios on top of mustard to form a nice even layer.
- Place rack on prepared baking dish and cook for about 20-25 minutes (medium cook) until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 135 degrees F. Cover the rack of lamb with tinfoil if the pistachios start to brown too much.
- Let rest about 10-15 minutes before cutting meat
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Category: Savory
- Method: Italian/ French/ American
- Cuisine: Italian/ French/ American
Tis the season for pistachio crusted rack of lamb, and tis the best recipe. I hope to make it soon again.
It’s a great recipe! I can’t wait to have it again soon.
Best roasted rack of lamb! You will want to make this for Easter or any special occasion.