Instant Pot Masala Rack of Lamb

This Indian spiced rack of lamb is perfect for entertaining, and it’s so simple to make in an instant pot!

I know what you’re thinking.

You see this frenched rack of lamb dressed to the nines, wearing a bright orange-red coat, accessorized with toasted spices and fresh mint, and sitting upright with all the confidence in the world.

And naturally, you presume it to be fussy, finicky, high-maintenance.

But guess what?

This fancy-looking entree is actually as simple as can be.

Don’t believe me?

I’ll show you!

Watch How Easy it is to Make a Rack of Lamb in an Instant Pot!

First, we mix a few ingredients together and marinate the lamb (ideally overnight, but if not, that’s ok).

Add water and a trivet to the instant pot, place the lamb standing upright on top by interlocking the bones, and close the lid!

Put the lamb on a plate and right before serving, call your family/friends to the table to oooh and ahhhh as you pour a cumin-spiced buttery sauce (tadka) overtop the lamb.

Everyone will think you are SO fancy!

This is the perfect dish to make for any celebration: a birthday, a holiday, or you know, on a random weekday because rack of lamb just so happened to be on sale at Costco, lol.

Find a reason to make this, you won’t be disappointed.

Cooking Lamb in an Instant Pot vs. Oven:

Cooking a lamb rack in an instant pot is so much easier than cooking a lamb rack in an oven. With an oven, you first have to cover the bones with foil, so they don’t burn, then you have to cook at high heat for some time, then reduce the heat and cook some more – it’s intimidating, not to mention fussy.

With an instant pot, you place the lamb rack onto a trivet (by interlocking the bones, so it fits) and cook.

Once it’s done, you’ll have a tender, juicy and flavorful (thanks to my flavor bomb of a marinade) rack of lamb.

The only “downside” to using an instant pot is that you cannot cook large cuts of meat to an exact temperature (unless you’re using the sous vide option, but honestly, that’s too fussy for me, and I find it unnecessary for this recipe).

Our family is a bit split over how “done” we like meat. My husband likes all red meat as rare as possible. I’m on the very opposite end of the spectrum (super well-done, please, against the advice of basically everyone), so we “compromise” by eating food cooked to around medium.

This lamb is cooked to around medium and has a warm pink middle with clear juices. You can always adjust the cook time if you’d like, but this cook time works well for us. The lamb is perfectly tender. My (very picky) meat-loving husband approves!

What is a Frenched Lamb Rack?

A frenched lamb rack is basically a bunch of lamb chops connected together with the rib bone exposed. This is how you typically find lamb racks in the US, but you can always ask the person behind the meat counter at your local grocery store to scrape the bones of any meat or fat. You can usually find this cut at most grocery stores – I buy a rack of lamb from Costco or Whole Foods.

A lamb rack is typically sold in packs with 8 ribs. You’ll want to cut the rack in half, so there are four ribs per side. It’s really easy to cut – a good knife will glide right through the meat. You can choose to remove some of the fat if you’d like – I usually leave it on (unless it’s really thick), but it’s up to you.

Before serving, I heat some ghee, toast cumin seeds, stir in paprika (for color) and pour the infused buttery sauce over top of the lamb. It makes an already elegant cut of meat look even fancier.

If you’re wondering whether to make this, the answer is yes, you should! I’ve made this rack of lamb so many times using my method, and it always turns out perfectly.

During recipe testing, I made this lamb once a week for several weeks. My husband, who at first told me he could eat this every day, insisted by week three that for the sake of his health, I start sharing with friends and neighbors, lol. So I did, and they all loved the lamb too (yes, I’m that neighbor that shows up on your front porch with a rack of lamb, you get used to me).

Make this Indian spiced lamb rack and tell me what you think!

Here are a few sides that you can serve to go along with this main dish:

Instant Pot Masala Rack of Lamb

Instant Pot Masala Rack of Lamb

5 from 6 reviews

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Ingredients

 

• ▢ 1 (2 to 3 pound) rack of frenched lamb, cut into two parts
• ▢ 1 cup water

Marinade

• ▢ ½ cup fresh or thawed onion masala
• ▢ ½ cup plain whole milk yogurt
• ▢ 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ▢ 2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves
• ▢ 1 serrano pepper minced
• ▢ 2 teaspoons coriander powder
• ▢ 2 teaspoons salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon paprika
• ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper to taste

Tempering

• ▢ 2 tablespoons ghee
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ▢ 1 teaspoon paprika

Instructions

 

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• Cut the rack of lamb into two parts (try for an equal number of bones per side).
• Combine the marinade ingredients together in a bowl and marinate the lamb overnight for the best color and flavor.
  
• Remove the lamb from the fridge and let it rest on the counter for 20 minutes so that it comes to room temperature.
• Pour 1 cup of water into the instant pot and place the trivet (that came with your instant pot) inside. Place the lamb rack on the trivet so that the bones are interlocked and standing upright.
  
• Secure the lid, close the valve and cook for 10 minutes at high pressure.
• Naturally release pressure.
• To serve the lamb, place it on a platter standing upright and then prepare the tempering immediately prior to serving. 
• To make the tempering, heat ghee in a pan on the stovetop and once it melts, add cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds brown, add the paprika, stir, and immediately pour this over the lamb. Garnish with chopped mint leaves.
  

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