This lamb breast recipe is elegant, flavorful, and surprisingly easy to make. It's made with marinated lamb that is fall-off-the-bone tender and is finished off with a tasty sauce for maximum deliciousness. Honestly, it comes outtastinglike it's from a five-starrestaurant!
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MY TAKE ON LAMB BREAST
One of the things I love most about this lamb breast recipe is that it's basically guaranteed to impress your dinner guests, family, or date when you make it!
The lamb is as flavorful as it gets - I mean, you've got succulent meat and a crunchy outer crust that you just can't beat. Plus, it doesn't taste "gamey" at all. In fact, on several occasions, I've had guests who typically don't even like lamb - mostly because of that aforementioned gamey-ness - tell me that they love this lamb breast recipe.
Yep, it's that good!
Another thing I love about this lamb recipe is that it's super simple and easy to make - just like my lamb vindaloo recipe! In fact, all you need to do is prepare the sauces, marinate the lamb, and then let the oven do the rest.
Sounds pretty simple, right?! Well, that's because it is.
Honestly, 15 minutes is all it takes to prepare and then everything cooks in just one pan. That means clean-up will be a breeze too.
By the way, since the cooking process for the lamb roast is mostly hands-off, you can use the waiting time to whip up some equally elegant side dishes like this asparagus casserole or these twice baked mashed potatoes.
INGREDIENTS
Lamb breast is one of the most fairly priced – not to mention the most underrated – cuts of lamb.
It's usually skipped over because it's a fattier and tougher cut. But when cooked just right, you get incredibly tasty and tender meat that's just as good as an expensive rack of lamb.
Also, what I think is especially great about this recipe is that you only need a few basic pantry staples and a handful of herbs and spices to make it.
So, here's what you'll need to make the lamb breast:
- 3.7 lbs lamb breast with rib
- 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon sumac
- A few juniper berries, crushed
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoon vinegar
- 5 tablespoon olive oil
- sea salt
And for the finishing sauce:
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- Mint leaves, finely chopped
As you can see, most of these are common ingredients besides the sumac and juniper berries.
With that being said, you should be able to find them in your grocery store's spice aisle or online!
Oh, and when you buy your lamb breast, be sure to get it with the bones of the lamb ribs still attached.
SUBSTITUTIONS
If you still can't find some of the spices on this list, you can do a few swaps to achieve similar flavors. Of course, it won't taste exactly the same, but it'll be very close and will still come out fantastic.
The first substitution is to swap the sumac with a half amount of lemon zest or lemon juice. You can also add a little smoked paprika to get the same red color.
Lastly, to substitute the juniper berries, use a sprig of rosemary or an equal amount of caraway seeds.
HOW TO COOK LAMB
Again, this lamb breast recipe yields stunning results, and it is crazy simple to make.
In fact, it can be broken down into just three steps - marinate, bake, and finish.
How easy is that?!
All told, it only takes about15 minutes of work, and the rest is just waiting for the lamb to marinate and roast. That gives you plenty of time to prepare your sides or kick back and mingle with your dinner guests.
STEP 1: MARINATE
First things first, let's prepare the marinade for our lamb.
Start by adding the dry marinade ingredients - the chili flakes, cumin, sumac, juniper, black pepper, salt, garlic, and brown sugar - to a mortar and pestle and grind until everything's crushed and well combined.
Then, pour in your olive oil and vinegar and give it another mix.
If you don't have a mortar and pestle, you can also do this with a food processor. Just toss everything in there and give it a quick pulse to combine.
Once your marinade is ready, massage it into the lamb breast.
Now, at this point, you can put the lamb in the oven immediately. But I recommend letting it marinate in the refrigerator for1-2 hoursto let those flavors really infuse with the meat.
STEP 2: ROAST
Ok, before cooking your lamb, you'll want to make sure the oven is preheated to320 degrees Fahrenheit (160°C).
Next, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place your marinated lamb breast on it.
Then cover the lamb with aluminum foil to keep it from drying out and let it cook for about2 hours.
During the last 10-15 minutes, remove the foil and turn the oven temperature to428 Fahrenheit (220°C) - this will allow the lamb to develop a crisp, golden-brown outer crust.
STEP 3: FINISHING SAUCE
Now, when your lamb is in the oven, you can start the sauce to go on top and finish it off.
First, combine your lemon juice, brown sugar, and chopped mint leaves in a small bowl.
Then, once the lamb breast is fully cooked and out of the oven, pour the finishing sauce over the top while it's still hot.
Serve with some fresh veggies and one of your favorite sides and enjoy!
HOW TO STORE LAMB BREAST
So, this lamb breast recipe will make about8 servings- the perfect amount for a big dinner or if you want to have leftovers for the coming days.
Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to3 days.
Or, if you want to keep them for longer, store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to2 months.
HOW TO REHEAT LAMB BREAST
To warm the lamb breast back up, place it on a baking sheet and cover it with foil.
Then transfer it to an oven preheated to 325°F (160°C) and bake for 15-20 minutes or until warm.
WRAPPING IT ALL UP
This lamb breast recipe is one of my favorite dinner recipes to make for special occasions - like big family gatherings.
It is so simple and easy to make, but as I mentioned before, it comes out looking like it's from a five-star restaurant. I have no doubt it will have your family and friends raving about it for days - that's what always happens when I make it anyway.
Don't just take my word for it - make this recipe for your friends and family and see what they think. And, when you do, be sure to let me know in the comments how it turned out.
MORE DINNER RECIPES
If you liked this recipe and want some more dinner recipes that everyone is sure to love, try making one of these next:
- Braised beef shank
- Pan seared lamb chops
- Chicken Gizzards
- Turkey Tenderloin
- Cube Steak
- Lamb lollipops
- Lamb shoulder chops
Yield: 8 servings
Lamb Breast Recipe | Just 15 Minutes To Prepare
This lamb breast recipe is elegant, flavorful, and surprisingly easy to make. It's made with marinated lamb that is fall-off-the-bone tender and is finished off with a tasty sauce for maximum deliciousness.Honestly, it comes outtastinglike it's from a five-starrestaurant!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 15 minutes
Ingredients
Lamb breast:
- 3.7lbs (1.7kg) lamb breast with rib
- 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon sumac
- A few juniper berries, crushed
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoon vinegar
- 5 tablespoon olive oil
- sea salt
Sauce:
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- Mint leaves, finely chopped
Instructions
- Place all the spices in a Mortar and Pestle, and combine them very well. Then pour in olive oil and vinegar and mix.
- Massage the mixture into lamb breast with rib.
- For the best flavor, marinate the meat in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours (optional).
- Preheat oven to 320°F (160°C).
- Line a baking sheet with baking paper and place the marinated lamb on it.
- Bake the lamb breast for 2 hours at 320°F covered with aluminum foil. Remove the foil for the last 10-15 minutes and increase the temperature to 428°F (220°C) to let the lamb breasts get a crispy golden-brown crust.
- Meanwhile, prepare the sauce to finish off the lamb. In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice, brown sugar, and chopped mint leaves.
- When the lamb is cooked, pour the sauce over the hot meat.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1 serving
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 652Total Fat: 58gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 32g
