BBQ Lamb Ribs

BBQ Lamb Ribs are super juicy, succulent and tender. Finger licking good with sauce dripping down your chin these oven baked then grilled BBQ sauce smothered ribs will have you dreaming about them. Sticky BBQ lamb ribs that melt in your mouth call for getting your fingers in the mix! 😉.

Recipes like the Marinated Lamb Ribs and Honey Soy Pork Ribs are oven baked. The Slow Cooker Lamb Ribs gives us fall off the bone results.

The Lamb Bolognese and Cumin Lamb Noodles are lamb recipes using different cuts of meat.

🤍 Recipe Highlights

I have summarised everything that you will come to know and love (LOVE ❤) about the recipe in the points below:

• Family favourite: even with a lot of flavour in the dry rub (diverse palate range) you will find many eaters of all ages will love this recipe.
• Taste and texture: there is the sticky wet lamb meat, the firm, hard rib bone and the sensation of chewing that off as you devour these, it makes for a great eating experience.
• Easy: possibly clothed in mystery with the oven, grill air fryer and BBQ all presenting ways to cook ribs they are actually super easy to do.
• Weekend cooking: when you work Monday to Friday, one of the things you can look forward to is the weekends when you can get cooking. It can be a a super enjoyable way to spend time in your kitchen getting your bake on with more time than you are afforded during the week.
• Alternative protein: it can be really easy to roast a chicken (the Air Fryer Roast Chicken is a great example). But you get bored eating the same thing every night! Stepping out of the comfort zone of 'same, same', allows you to learn and enjoy other proteins that you might find insanely delicious!

🥗 Ingredients

The photo below is to show you everything you need to make the recipe. Please refer to the printable recipe card for specific ingredient measurements as well as detailed instructions.

As you can see the recipe calls for:

• Lamb ribs: (can be known as lamb riblets or lamb spare ribs): from the butcher if you cannot find them at your local supermarket. Or if the ones you find are already marinated. We want plain raw ribs.
• Worcestershire sauce: known for giving a little oomph to recipes, this ingredient is full of flavour! Sold as a condiment that will be easy to get your hands on in the sauces section of the supermarket.
• BBQ sauce: store bought is total fine! Smokey BBQ, spicy BBQ, whichever is your favourite. Opt for a no or low sugar version to stick with a keto diet.
• Garlic powder: one of the ingredients used to make the dry rub. This can have a tendency to dry out when stored over time so check your bottle before using to make sure it is fresh. Or grab some more from the herbs and spices section at the shops to avoid disappointment.
• Onion powder: similar to the garlic powder as I mention above, this powder can dry out and 'set' if the bottle has been opened but not used for a while. A fresh bottle may be needed for the recipe.
• Mustard powder: made from crushed mustard seeds, this is a fantastic flavoursome ingredient to use for ribs. Often this is used as a paste and paired with chicken or fish dishes as well.
• Paprika: one of the ingredients used for the dry rub for the ribs. You will find it in the herbs and spices section of the store. It is made from dried ground red peppers. We only use a small amount for the recipe and it is unlikely that anyone would find the taste 'spicy'.
• Cayenne pepper: reasonably commonly used in BBQ recipes, this sweet and spicy ingredient adds a lovely depth of flavour to the dry rub.
• Salt and pepper: we only need a small amount of both of these. They are combined with the other spices to make the dry rub, seasoning the meat.

🍳 Instructions

Here at the step by step instructions to make the recipe. We start by whisking together the ingredients for the dry rub. A mini whisk and glass are handy for this process.

• Combine rub mixture (Photo 1)
• Rub into ribs (Photo 2)
• Pour in Worcestershire sauce (Photo 3)
• Cover and oven bake for 1 hour (Photo 4)

👩‍🍳 How to Make BBQ lamb ribs

Start by whisking together the garlic powder, onion powder, mustard power, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Then use kitchen tongs to place the ribs into an oiled (light spray) baking dish.

Rub the dry rub into the ribs, rotate and do the other side and both edges. Massage this in to the meat.

Then pour the Worcestershire sauce into the baking tray. Cover the ribs with tin foil and place into a preheated oven on the middle shelf. They need to cook like this for 1 hour to start with.

• Remove and rotate the ribs (Photo 5)
• Baste with BBQ sauce, return uncovered to oven for 10 mins (Photo 6)
• Remove again, then transfer to baking rack, re baste with BBQ Sauce (Photo 7)
• Grill the ribs for 10 to 12 mins (Photo 8)

After the ribs have cooked for 1 hour, remove them, place on a heatproof surface and pull off the alfoil. Use kitchen tongs to rotate each rib to the other side. Then use a pastry brush to coat each rib in BBQ sauce. Return them to the oven to bake (uncovered) for 10 minutes.

Once they have baked in the BBQ sauce, again remove them from the oven and place on a heat proof surface. Turn the oven setting to grill at 200°C 392°F6 for 10 mins. This allows the BBQ sauce to caramelise on the ribs, making them ever SO delicious 😍😍.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

You might find a plate of these ribs and a little vino is enough for you and your mate (both Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir are great options 👍😊).

Or you might want to turn them into more of a complete feast with sides and salads. Either the Turkish Garlic Bread, the Ciabatta Garlic Bread or the Garlic Pizza Bread work as a bread pairing.

For a lighter salad, try the Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad.

For potatoes, the Creamy Garlic Potatoes, Garlic Butter Potatoes or Quick Potato Bake are all good options. The Duck Fat Roast Potatoes produce super crispy results!

👍 How to Guide

How to Store

Store leftover ribs (there may not be any 😂) on a plate in the fridge with cling wrap or in a sealed, air tight container. They can be refrigerated for 2 days.

How to Freeze

You can freeze the raw ribs then take them out of the freezer and allow to fully thaw before using (24 hours in the fridge should do the trick). I don't recommend freezing leftovers of the recipe however, as it takes away from the finger licking good experience in devouring them fresh from the oven. Pasta you can freeze, ribs, not so much!

How to Reheat

Reheat left overs in the microwave (on a plate with cling wrap) for 2 minutes or in the oven on a silicon mat on a baking rack for 10 to 15 mins, till heated through.

😉 Substitutions and Variations

Here are my sub ins and outs that you might be thinking about as you read the post and I will tell you if I think they will work or why they won't:

• Yes, you can definitely use a no sugar or reduced sugar BBQ sauce if you are wanting to stick to a keto option.
• You can use pork ribs if you want a change of protein.
• Add a teaspoon of sriracha sauce if you want a little heat in the sauce (stir and combine with the BBQ sauce before basting).
• If you are after a honey bbq flavour, you can add 1 tablespoon of honey to the BBQ sauce and stir to combine (then baste).

💡 Tasty Tips

Here are my top tips and tricks that I want to share with you so that you master the recipe from the get go:

• For the dry rub, a mini whisk, fork or spoon is very handy to stir and combine the ingredients. A small glass jar is a great vessel to use for this purpose.
• Try and keep all of the dry ingredients away from any moisture or liquids. This will keep it dry for rubbing into the meat.
• Use kitchen tongs when handling the raw ribs.
• A light spray of oil into the baking dish will ensure that the ribs don't stick as well as aid the clean up of the dish at the end. You can also spray the edges of the dish as some of the sauce has a tendency to splash around a bit.
• Be liberal when basting with the BBQ sauce at each stage. There is plenty (½ cup) to go around.

🤓 Frequently Asked Questions

Do you boil lamb ribs before grilling?

A common technique used in earlier times saw recipes call for boiling the ribs before grilling them. The idea was that boiling the ribs would soften the meat and allow for more tender succulent meat.

How do you get BBQ sauce to stick to ribs?

Use a pastry brush and liberally coat the ribs in the BBQ sauce. It will naturally stick as the ribs have a wet surface from the time in the oven.

How long does it take to caramelize BBQ sauce on ribs?

BBQ sauce will caramelize on ribs quickly when using high heat. Use the top shelf of the oven and grill the ribs at 200°C 392°F6 for 10 mins.

Is it better to grill or bake ribs?

The best cooking technique is to use a combination of baking and grilling. Start by baking the ribs as a means to cook the meat, then grill the ribs as a way to allow sauces to caramelise and the ribs become golden brown and a little crispy.

😍 More Easy Dinner Recipes

If dinner is your thing, din dins 😂, I get it. Sometimes it is helpful to have an array of choices so that you can get dinner sorted with minimal effort. Here are some more recipes that I have a feeling you will love:

• Slow Cooker Lamb Stew
• BBQ Lamb Ribs
• Coca Cola Ribs
• Pork Mince Noodles
• Honey Glazed Pork Chops
• Pork Bolognese
• Turkey Mince Bolognese
• Pork Chops in Mushroom Soup
• Beef Udon Noodles (Ginger Beef Noodles)
• Beef Yakisoba

It's time to get finger licking good food on our plate my friend! xx Adrianne