When it comes to trusted names in cooking, Ina Garten is one of the best.
Also known as the “Barefoot Contessa,” which is also the name of her famous TV cooking show, Ina Garten has been teaching people the very best recipes for more than two decades – and this is especially true when it comes to her lamb recipes.
Lamb is one of the best meats for special occasions, with its tender texture and delicious, flavor. Plus, it’s a very versatile meat and can be incorporated into a huge array of wonderful dishes.
Whatever you’re in the mood for, there’s bound to be a lamb dish that will whet your appetite, and Ina Garten is the ideal chef to walk you through the cooking.
In our tasty guide below, we’ve got 9 amazing Ina Garten lamb recipes for you to try today.
You’re sure to find a favorite dish or two on our list!
Ina Garten’s Roast And Braised Lamb Dishes
We’re kicking things off with roast and braised lamb recipes from Ina Garten – these are ideal for Easter or other family gatherings.
We’re starting our list off with one of Ina Garten’s classic lamb recipes, her simple guide to making a perfectly succulent lamb that’s roasted in flavorful herbs.
It’s got loads of seasoning, which gives the meat masses of flavor, and the lamb is served with a side of small potatoes.
Even better, this is an easy lamb dish to make, even if you’re a beginner cook! It takes 2 hours and 20 minutes to prepare the food, but only 15 minutes of that are spent actually cooking it.
Simple! It’s a quick, easy meal that’s ideal for a Sunday lunch. Just make sure that you start cooking well in advance and leave enough time!
There are only a small handful of ingredients for the herbs and seasonings that give the dish its fantastic flavor.
For example, you’ll be using some chopped fresh rosemary leaves and unpeeled garlic cloves, both of which add plenty of unique taste to the dish.
Meanwhile, a little ground black pepper doesn’t hurt either!
The delicious potatoes that accompany the lamb are actually roasted underneath the meat itself, creating a big mass of succulent flavor.
Roasted potatoes are the ideal companion to lamb, with their crispy exterior and their creamy insides.
Our next recipe from Ina Garten is one that takes just a little more time and skill, so keep that in mind when you try it!
However, it’s really worth all the extra effort because you get a fantastic braised lamb accompanied by delicious provencal French beans.
This lamb takes 4 hours to braise, which may seem like a lot, but it’s based on a French recipe that would braise it for 7 hours!
Though the dish uses a wide, wide range of ingredients to bring about its countless mouth-watering flavors, it’s actually still a relatively simple meal to throw together.
The lamb itself is braised in a mixture of white wine and lots of herbs, which add a brilliant profile of flavors to the meat.
The white wine helps to improve the depth and acidity of the dish, while the herbs bring a variety of subtle tastes to the meat.
And what kind of herbs and seasonings will you be working with? The more appropriate question would be which ones AREN’T you working with!
The impressive list of herbs and seasonings you’ll need includes fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, bay leaves, salt, fresh parsley, and more.
These bring all kinds of different flavors to the meal, making it very well-rounded.
Meanwhile, you’ll also be adding a variety of delicious vegetables to have alongside the meat: celery, carrots, and onions. Of course, we can’t forget the provencal French beans!
Lamb Chops And Rack Of Lamb Recipes From The Barefoot Contessa
If you’re a chop or a rack of lamb person, we’ve got the perfect recipes for you below – each of these recipes is jam-packed with flavor.
Simple and totally tasty, this next recipe is Ina Garten’s way of seasoning a rack of lamb.
Seasoning isn’t always the easiest process because it can be difficult to get the perfect balance of herbs and seasonings without overwhelming the dish.
However, seasoning is absolutely essential to cooking your meat, so it’s a skill that’s essential to master! Thankfully, Ina Garten makes it easy.
In terms of seasonings and herbs, you’ll need some fresh rosemary, thyme, and garlic.
The recipe uses these in a glaze, and it recommends that you mince them in a food processor until they’re minced as finely as possible.
After you’ve done that, you must add some balsamic vinegar and mustard into the mixture, then process it further.
The result is a delicious glaze that’s full of flavor and one that (when applied to your succulent rack of lamb) will really make it come alive.
Our next selection is Ina Garten’s lamb chops recipe. These lamb chops are grilled to perfection, and the recipe is super easy to follow, so even beginner cooks can join in the fun.
Better still, it takes just 30 minutes to prepare and 25 to cook! However, you need to make sure that you leave time for 6-24 hours of the marinated meat to refrigerate in the middle of the recipe.
As a result, this may not be the best idea for a last-minute dish, but it will delight anyone who eats it!
The marinade is what really makes this recipe special. It lends the grilled lamb chops extra flavor that will really tickle your taste buds.
The marinade includes ingredients like garlic, lemon zest, various spices, mint, and salt. The mint gives it a hint of refreshment, while the lemon zest gives it an edge of citrus tanginess.
Meanwhile, you’ll also be using yogurt, sriracha, and lemon juice. These may not be the ingredients that you expected, but their strong flavors really make a difference!
For example, the sriracha gives the chicken a moderately spicy edge, while the cooling yogurt helps to balance that spiciness out.
You can dial the spice up and down, depending on your preferences and palate.
We’ve got one final Ina Garten lamb chop recipe to round off the list – this time, it’s grilled Moroccan style!
This dish promises to bring the exotic flavors of North Africa right to your dinner table. It’s an enchanting mix of spices and herbs that transform simple lamb chops into a dish bursting with flavor and color.
First, the lamb is treated to a marinade of finely chopped garlic and fresh mint mixed with the deep, earthy tones of ground turmeric, whole coriander seeds, and ground cumin. The zest of two lemons adds a bright, citrusy note, perfectly balancing the robust spices.
We amp up this marinade with a good glug of olive oil, marrying all the ingredients into a paste that clings to the lamb, infusing it as it rests. You’ll want to let the lamb marinate in this mixture for anywhere from 6 to 24 hours — the longer, the better, to let every note of flavor seep into the meat.
When it’s time to cook, the lamb chops are perfectly grilled. The grill is prepared with hot coals and a slick of oil, ready to sizzle the marinated chops to a juicy medium rare.
Each chop is grilled with the yogurt side up, absorbing every last drop of flavor, then flipped to finish off with a char that locks in the moisture and taste.
To accompany the lamb, there’s nothing quite like Ina’s couscous with pine nuts and mint. It starts with onions softly cooked in a blend of olive oil and butter, followed by the addition of chicken stock and couscous.
After the couscous steams to fluffy perfection, it’s enhanced with fresh mint and toasted pine nuts, offering a crunchy, fresh contrast to the rich lamb.
Ina Garten’s Leg Of Lamb And Lamb Shank Recipes
Now, we move on to some Ina Garten leg of lamb recipes, as well as a delicious lamb shank dish. These recipes will definitely wow your guests.
You can enjoy lamb with any type of pasta, but we’d recommend orzo in this case because of its unique shape (they look like large grains of rice!).
Meanwhile, the lamb shanks and orzo pasta are accompanied by plenty of flavorful ingredients. For one thing, the recipe uses celery and carrots, which gives the dish some vegetable healthiness.
There are chopped onions for extra flavor, and canned tomatoes add plenty of sharp fruitiness to the dish, too.
Absolutely, I’ll expand on the serving suggestions for both recipes to enhance the article.
Capturing the essence of Southern French cuisine, this dish features a 6- to 7-pound leg of lamb that has been meticulously prepared with a coating of Dijon mustard mixed with garlic, rosemary, and a dash of balsamic vinegar.
Seasoned generously with kosher salt and black pepper, the lamb is roasted alongside a bed of freshly diced ripe tomatoes, onions, and a drizzle of good olive oil and honey, creating a harmonious blend of flavors.
Fresh thyme and rosemary sprigs are tucked around the lamb, infusing it with aromatic herbs as it roasts.
After roasting at high heat for an initial burst to seal in the flavors, the temperature is lowered, allowing the lamb to cook to tender perfection.
Once done, the lamb rests before being sliced and served with the rich, flavorful tomatoes and pan juices, garnished with a fresh rosemary branch for an elegant presentation.
For a complete meal, pair this dish with a side of creamy polenta or a rustic potato gratin to soak up the delicious pan juices. Alternatively, a simple green salad dressed with vinaigrette can add a fresh contrast to the rich flavors.
Ina Garten brings a touch of exotic flair to her grilled leg of lamb by marinating it in a mixture of yogurt, olive oil, lemon zest and juice, and an abundant helping of fresh rosemary.
This preparation ensures the lamb remains juicy and infused with flavors. Once marinated, the lamb is grilled over hot coals to achieve a perfect sear with a smoky undertone.
Accompanying the lamb are oven-roasted fruits—a mix of peaches, plums, and raspberries—sprinkled with sugar and broiled to caramelized perfection.
The dish is completed with a splash of orange juice, enhancing the natural sweetness of the fruits. This unique combination complements the lamb’s richness with a burst of fruity acidity, making it an unforgettable summer feast.
Serve this grilled lamb with a side of couscous or a fresh arugula salad topped with feta cheese and a light lemon dressing.
The refreshing sides will balance the rich flavors of the lamb and roasted fruit.
Other Amazing Ina Garten Lamb Recipes We Love
If nothing on the list has tickled your fancy yet (though we doubt that), we’ve got two final recipes for you. These take cuts of lamb to the next level!
Tzatziki is cooling and tasty and it perfectly pairs with lamb, thanks to all the different flavors that it brings.
As a result, this recipe for Ina Garten’s rosemary lamb with some simple tzatziki is a must-try dish.
Even better, it’s incredibly quick and easy to make!
The seasoned rosemary lamb should take just 25-30 minutes to cook (depending on whether you want medium rare or medium), and the recipe’s guide on how to make tzatziki is extremely simple and quick.
You’ll use a variety of ingredients to make the tzatziki extra flavorful.
For example, it uses white wine vinegar, lemon juice (for tanginess), sour cream (for even more tanginess!), dill, Greek yogurt, cucumber, and more.
As you can tell, it’s a fantastically cooling accompaniment to the seasoned rosemary rack of lamb, and it has hints of sharp tanginess in there for extra tastiness. d rosemary rack of lamb, and it has hints of sharp tanginess in there for extra tastiness.
If you want to enjoy these lamb dishes with a drink, we’d recommend that they pair best with a red wine. White wine works, too, but not as well!
At What Temperature Should You Cook Lamb Chops?
Lamb chops should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F (medium-rare), which will usually require cooking at a high temperature of around 400°F in an oven or on a grill.
Should I Sear Lamb Chops Before Roasting?
Yes, searing lamb chops before roasting is recommended as it creates a caramelized crust that enhances the flavor and helps to lock in the juices.
What Is Lamb Provencal?
Lamb Provençal is a dish featuring lamb roasted with a blend of Provençal herbs, garlic, and tomatoes, often enriched with ingredients like olive oil and Dijon mustard to highlight the flavors typical of the Provence region in France.
I'm Barbara Hunt, the founder of WomenChefs.org. Being a mom of two, I understand the challenges of meal planning and the monotony it can bring.
That's why I created WomenChefs.org, a platform dedicated to showcasing the skills and delicious dishes crafted by amazing women. My goal is to provide a space where women can find delectable recipes that tantalize their taste buds and ignite their senses.
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