Sink your teeth into the most flavorful, juicy, tender ribs you have ever tasted. One bite of these grilled lamb ribs and everything you thought you knew about barbecue may change. First, there’s the smokey aroma from the outdoor grill, then the unique flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture of the meat. This is one of those lamb recipes that’s going to become a staple in your adventurous diet.
When most people think of lamb, they envision the classic rack of lamb or a succulent leg roast. But nestled amidst these well-loved cuts are the underrated lamb ribs. Often overlooked, this lamb ribs recipe is a treasure trove of flavor and tenderness. With our expertly crafted spice rub, the ribs get a transformative boost, resulting in a dish that is both deeply flavorful with just the right amount of smoky flavor.
Lamb ribs may be our new barbecue obsession. Just as tender as pork ribs, we find they have a more savory beefy bite that you get from red meat. It’s a match made in heaven. Where some people think the flavor of lamb can be ‘gamey,’ we challenge them to try grilling lamb spare ribs because this may change their view of things.
We know after testing a few recipes, it did ours. These ribs came down to a lit charcoal grill set up with a two-zone fire, the perfect blend of aromatics in the dry rub, and getting the internal temperature just right so that the connective tissue had time to break down. The results spoke for themselves.
🥩 The cut: What are lamb ribs
Where rack and lamb and lamb ribs are cut from the rib area of the animal, they differ in flavor and fat content. They look similar, and it can be hard to tell them apart quickly. The rack of lamb that you see at every local butcher and market is often from the leaner top portion from the top rib cage, carved with 8 bones. It’s often ‘frenched’ or cut into individual lamb lollipops.
This cut of lamb is from further down the rib cage, more towards the belly of the animal, and like other types of ribs, with more external fat. They may also be called lamb riblets. Lamb ribs aren’t as delicate as lamb chops, in our opinion, and because of the increased fat, they are made for hot and fast grilling or low and slow cooking, like roasted lamb ribs, where the fat can render fur succulent bites of flavorful meat.
They aren’t easily spotted at your local market or grocery store, though, as they aren’t a common cut in American cooking. We hope to change that. For now, you may need to seek out a specialty butcher or check out our list of trusted places to buy meat online. The lamb ribs we showed in this recipe came from Porter Road Butcher. They don’t always show lamb in stock, but when they have it, we order it.
Ingredients
Because of the robust flavor of the meat, we kept this simple, just like we would on beef ribs, with a little Texas grilling goes global.
- Rack of lamb ribs
- Oil – we use a neutral oil like avocado oil but olive oil works fine
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Za’atar Spice blend – this is a blend of dried spices from the Middle East. It’s light and herbaceous, filled with oregano and thyme, sumac, and sesame seeds. We also love this blend on our grilled chicken legs. You could use an all-purpose hreb blend, like Girl Carnivore Over Easy or a traditional bbq spice blend, if you prefer, but we find the herbs to compliment the flavor of the lamb.
- Cumin
- Maple syrup – to keep it low-carb, we opt for Choczero syrup
How to grill lamb ribs
Don’t stress if it’s you’re first time grilling lamb ribs. The method to prepping these is similar to preparing pork spare ribs.
Prep the ribs
- Start by patting the lamb ribs dry with a paper towel. Next, trim off any excess fat that’s over 1/4″ thick from the meaty side of the ribs. Then flip the ribs, and using a butter knife, gently slide under the thin silver skin running along the bones. Lift up gently and pull back to release. Using a paper towel, grab the membrane and pull back, removing it from the ribs.
- Then flip the ribs back over and score the fat cap on the top. We do this so we can permeate more of the surface area with the rub.
- Rub the lamb with a light coating of oil to act as a binder. Season the front and back sides of the ribs liberally with salt. Next add a sprinkle of pepper and then coat the ribs with the za’atar spice blend.
Grill the ribs
- Next, set up your grill for a two-zone fire by building a hot and cool side of the grill. Start with a charcoal chimney filled with charcoal. Allow the coals to heat up until they are covered in ash and carefully pour the hot coals on one side of the grill. Cover with the grill grate. Clean and oil the grill grates and close the lid to allow the grill to preheat to 350 – 400 degrees F. If you want to add smoking wood, add it now and allow the smoke to burn clear before adding the meat.
- When the grill is ready, add the ribs, bone side down to the hot side of the grill. As the fat renders, it will cause flare-ups, so we recommend a diffuser plate if your grill has one. Or set up your grill with a drip pan to catch the fat. Grill the lamb ribs for 25 to 35 minutes, rotating as needed to avoid flare-ups.
- Flip the ribs, fat side down, and close the lid, transferring the ribs to the cooler side of the grill (indirect heat) for around 20 to 25 minutes, or until the ribs reach 180-185 degrees F with an instant-read thermometer.
Rest and Serve
- Carefully transfer the grilled lamb ribs to a cutting board and tent with foil. Let the ribs rest for 10 minutes before slicing the juicy ribs between the bones to serve. We skip the bbq sauce for our smoked lamb ribs recipe, and serve these with their dry rub, brushed with maple syrup and a pinch of freshly minced parmesan and grilled lemon squeezed on top to keep the flavor bright and fresh.
What to serve with
Keep your BBQ lamb ribs simple with your favorite side dishes like fresh cucumber and radish salad. Mix it up with a vinegar-based slaw, garlic parmesan fries, or even white beans and southern-style collard greens.
Wine pairing
Because these ribs have a big flavor and fat, we like to pair them with a red wine to match, but not overpower. Try a Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir.
Leftovers and reheating
Wrap any leftover lamb ribs tightly in foil and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, preheat an oven to 325 and place the foil-wrapped ribs in the oven to reheat for about 10 – 15 minutes.
