Lamb Breast Recipe | Just 15 Minutes To Prepare

Name: Lamb Breast Recipe | Just 15 Minutes To Prepare
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Lamb
Ingredients: 3.7lbs (1.7kg) lamb breast with rib; 1 tsp dried chili flakes; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1/2 tsp sumac; A few juniper berries, crushed; 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper; 1 tsp brown sugar; 3 cloves of garlic, minced; 2 tbsp vinegar; 5 tbsp olive oil; sea salt; 1 tsp brown sugar; 2 tbsp lemon juice; Mint leaves, finely chopped

Published: Sep 22, 2023 · Modified: Jan 1, 2024 · By: Joseph Duff

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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 out tasting like it's from a five-star restaurant!

A rectangular White plate with two lamb breasts on it. To the right of the lamb breasts are a few sliced pieces of lamb breast with a knife next to them.

Table of Contents

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.

The corner of a white plate with a lamb breast with rib on it.

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.

A few slices of lamb breast on top of one another on a white plate. Next to them is parts of the ribs of lamb breast and behind them as a whole lamb breast.

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.

A white plate with two lamb breasts and a bowl with olive oil and spices for the lamb breast in it, and a small bowl of vinegar.

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 about 15 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.

A rectangular plate with two lamb breasts on it with one smeared with marinade. Behind the lamb breasts is a mortar and pestle filled with lamb breast marinade.

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 for 1-2 hours to let those flavors really infuse with the meat.

A baking dish lined with parchment paper with two marinated lamb breast on it.

STEP 2: ROAST

Ok, before cooking your lamb, you'll want to make sure the oven is preheated to 320 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 about 2 hours.

During the last 10-15 minutes, remove the foil and turn the oven temperature to 428 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!

Part of a rectangular white plate with two lamb breasts and slices of lamb rest in front of them with a knife in front of that.

HOW TO STORE LAMB BREAST

So, this lamb breast recipe will make about 8 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 to 3 days.

Or, if you want to keep them for longer, store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 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.

Part of a rectangular white plate with slices of lamb breast and a knife on it. To the left of the slices are parts of lamb breast with rib.

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:

Yield: 8 servings