Slow-roasted lemon and herb lamb ribs are irresistibly juicy, tender and packed with flavour. A simple yet tasty marinade enhances the flavour of the meat, while slow roasting ensures melt-in-the-mouth perfection. And with only 5 minutes of preparation, these ribs make an effortless meal that is sure to become family favourite.
I love lamb ribs! One of my favourite dishes is this tasty lamb bredie (or lamb stew) that I used to make all the time when we lived in South Africa.
Properly cooked, lamb ribs are succulent and absolutely full of flavour. The downside to this is that it takes a while to cook lamb ribs to perfection. You have to leave them to marinate for at least an hour before cooking them. Then they take another hour and a half in the oven, so this isn't your typical 'fast food' meal. However, with only 5 minutes of prep, it's a 'hands-off' meal that practically cooks itself.
The slow cooking time allows the layers of fat in the ribs to melt away and, at the same time, softens any connective tissue, leaving the ribs so soft that the meat falls away from the bone.
For the marinade, I like to use a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice and garlic, with whatever herbs I have available thrown in for good measure. For this recipe, I used dried mixed herbs and dried thyme and added a spring of fresh rosemary from the garden.
As a bonus, the marinade contains olive oil which means you don't have to add any extra oil when roasting the ribs.
Regular readers of my blog will have realised by now that roast lamb is hubby's meal of choice, but even he declared these ribs to be a mean contender to his lamb roast!
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Ingredients
The marinade will be sufficient for about 600 grams (or 21 ounces) of lamb ribs, which will feed 4 people. If you are making more than this, simply increase the marinade ingredients.
- Lamb ribs - I normally buy lamb ribs which have already been separated into individual riblets. If you buy a rack of lamb ribs, you should separate them yourself. Sometimes, lamb ribs can have quite a thick layer of fat on the outer edge, and I like to trim this away before cooking.
- Olive oil - I used extra virgin olive oil.
- Lemon juice - you will need the juice of a small to medium-sized lemon (depending on how juicy it is). If you don't have a fresh lemon, you can use the same amount of bottled lemon juice as the olive oil.
- Garlic - I didn't want pieces of garlic in the marinade, so I used garlic powder. You can use garlic paste instead, or if you want to use fresh garlic, it should be very finely minced.
- Salt - for seasoning. You can use as much or as little as you prefer. I used about half a teaspoon.
- Italian herbs (or mixed herbs) - this is normally a mixture of dried oregano, marjoram, parsley and basil.
- Thyme - because I like it 🙂
- Rosemary - I used fresh rosemary because I had some growing in the garden. You should strip the leaves from the stem and chop them finely.
**You can find the exact ingredient measurements to make these lemon and herb lamb ribs on the printable recipe card at the end of this post.**
Instructions
The eagle-eyed among you will notice that there are far more lamb ribs in the process shots than there are in the ingredient image. That's because I made the recipe twice! The first time I made it, I only had three ribs, which, while large enough for a meal, weren't really sufficient for the photographs 🙂
Step 1: Combine all the marinade ingredients in a flat dish and add the lamb ribs, turning the ribs to coat all over with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator for at least an hour (or up to overnight) to marinate.
Step 2: Arrange the marinated ribs in a single layer in a roasting pan lined with tin foil (to make cleaning up easier). Pour any remaining marinade over the ribs, then cover the dish tightly with another layer of tin foil.
Step 3: Place the lamb ribs into the oven (170C / 350F) for one hour and 15 minutes.
Step 4: Remove the tin foil carefully (there will be hot steam in there), turn the oven up to 200C/400F and put the ribs back into the oven for 10 minutes to brown.
Tips for a successful outcome
Here are my top tips to ensure your lemon and herb lamb ribs always turn out perfectly:
- Cut any excess fat away from the outer edge of the ribs. You don't have to remove all of it as a little fat adds lots of flavour; just trim away any really thick bits.
- Leave the ribs to marinate for at least an hour. You can leave them covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
- Try to use a roasting pan with a lip so that you can tuck the tin foil cover tightly all around.
- For the first hour and a quarter in the oven, keep the heat to moderate (170C/350F) so the ribs don't try out.
- When removing the tin foil from the ribs, do it CAREFULLY. I can't remember how many times I've burned myself on hot steam!
- Once you've increased the heat, keep your eye on the ribs - you don't want them to burn or dry out. 10 minutes should be ample time to brown the ribs.
Serving suggestions
I like to serve the ribs with a selection of salads and some crusty bread.
For a more substantial meal, you could add a mixture of any of the following:
- Spring green potato mash
- Crispy smashed potatoes
- Stuffed potato skins
- 'Garlic mushrooms
- Spicy beetroot salad
- Curried green bean salad
Equipment
To make these lemon and herb lamb ribs you will need the following main items of equipment:
- Shallow dish for marinating the ribs.
- Baking dish large enough to take all the ribs in a single layer. I like to use a baking dish with a lip around the edge so there is something to fold the eeges of the tin foil onto.
- Tin foil - this is optional, but I like to line my baking dish with tin foil to make cleaning up easier.
Storage
These lemon and herb ribs are not suitable for freezing once they have been cooked.
If you have fresh ribs (not pre-frozen) you can mix them with the marinade and freeze them in a ziplog bag for up to 3 months. Allow them to defrost overnight in the refrigerator, and then arrange them in a single layer in a baking dish and bake as per the recipe instructions.
Leftovers can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Reheat them either on a baking sheet in a hot oven for 6 to 7 minutes or in the microwave.
The ribs are best served hot - once cold, they will have a fatty taste from all the lamb fat.
FAQ
Yes, these ribs can be cooked on the barbeque. Once the fire is ready to cook on, arrange the ribs around the edges of the barbeque, away from direct heat. The ribs should cook slowly to give them time to tenderise, so start them off early, and turn them often for about an hour until they are soft and succulent. Brush them occasionally with any leftover marinade.
I allowed 150 grams (or 5 ounces) of lamb ribs per person and the marinade is sufficient to coat the ribs nicely. If you want to make a larger batch to feed a crown, you can simply double the marinade ingredients.
Yes, you can mix the marinae and the ribs and leave them in a covered container overnight. Next day, when you are ready to cook the lamb, transfer the ribs to a baking dish and cook for the time given in the recipe.
Save for later
If you want to make these lemon and herb ribs, why not save the recipe to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it easily? Just click on the image below.
Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.
Related recipes
Visit my lamb recipes page for other delicious recipes using lamb. Here are a few you might like to try.
📋The recipe
Lemon and herb lamb ribs
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- Shallow dish for marinating
- Baking dish large enough to take the lamb ribs in a single layer
- Tin foil or aluminium foil to line the baking dish (optional)
Ingredients
- 21 ounces / 600 grams lamb ribs separated into indiviual ribs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small lemon juice only
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder substitute with fresh minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs or mixed herbs
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Combine all the marinade ingredients in a flat dish.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 small lemon, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs, 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves, 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Add the lamb ribs, turning the ribs to coat all over with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator for at least an hour (or up to overnight) to marinate.21 ounces / 600 grams lamb ribs
- Arrange the marinated ribs in a single layer in a roasting pan lined with tin foil (to make cleaning up easier). Pour any remaining marinade over the ribs, then cover the dish tightly with another layer of tin foil.
- Place the covered lamb ribs into a preheated oven (170C / 350F) for one hour and 15 minutes
- Remove the tin foil carefully (there will be hot steam in there), turn the oven up to 200C/400F and put the ribs back into the oven for a further 10 minutes to brown.
Notes
- Cut any excess fat away from the outer edge of the ribs. You don't have to remove all of it as a little fat adds lots of flavour; just trim away any really thick bits.
- Leave the ribs to marinate for at least an hour. You can leave them covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
- Try to use a roasting pan with a lip so that you can tuck the tin foil cover tightly all around.
- For the first hour and a quarter in the oven, keep the heat to moderate (170C/350F) so the ribs don't try out.
- When removing the tin foil from the ribs, do it CAREFULLY. I can't remember how many times I've burned myself on hot steam!
- Once you've increased the heat, keep your eye on the ribs - you don't want them to burn or dry out. 10 minutes should be ample time to brown the ribs.
- These lemon and herb ribs are not suitable for freezing once they have been cooked.
- If you have fresh ribs (not pre-frozen) you can mix them with the marinade and freeze them in a ziplog bag for up to 3 months. Allow them to defrost overnight in the refrigerator, and then arrange them in a single layer in a baking dish and bake as per the recipe instructions.
- Leftovers can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Reheat them either on a baking sheet in a hot oven for 6 to 7 minutes or in the microwave.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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