Baked lamb ribs in a sticky, Asian-inspired glaze is a delicious dinner or easy snack recipe. The glaze is super sticky making the ribs irresistible.
Ingredients
Lamb ribs might not be a super easy cut of meat to find but any butcher that sells lamb will be able to give you lamb ribs. I prefer using single ribs as they cook much faster but a whole rack will work just as well. The cooking time will just need to be adjusted. The glaze is a simple combination of pantry staples with the addition of Korean Gochujang.
- Lamb ribs. I bought lamb riblets (single ribs) but you can use a whole rack if you prefer. Single ribs cook much quicker. This recipe will work with pork ribs too.
- Honey.
- Soy sauce. Use Tamari or Coconut Aminos to keep this recipe gluten free.
- Garlic. I used fresh garlic but garlic powder can also be used.
- Gochujang. Gochujang is a deep red, Korean chilli paste made from gochugaru chili powder. This sweet, savory fermented condiment is a delicious addition to this glaze. If you can’t find gochujang, you can use Sambal Oelek or even a few teaspoons of chill flakes/red pepper flakes, even though the flavor won’t quite be as good.
- Brown sugar.
- Rice vinegar. White vinegar can be substituted.
How to cook lamb ribs
Note: Lamb ribs are fatty and need to be cooked a little longer to make sure the fat has time to render out. Asking your butcher to separate the ribs (or cutting them yourself), will ensure quicker cooking time.
- Make the sauce/glaze: Combine honey, soy sauce, Gochujang, a few tablespoons of vinegar, brown sugar and garlic in a small bowl. Mix well and taste. The sauce needs to be sweet and spicy, with the flavour balanced with the salt from the soy and acid from the vinegar. Pat the ribs dry with paper towel then place the ribs on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or foil and spoon over half of the glaze. You can combine the lamb ribs with the marinade and allow to marinate for up to 2 days in a sealed container in the fridge if you would like to prep the ribs ahead.
- Bake the ribs: Bake at 180ºC/350ºF for 35-40 minutes. After the ribs are cooked, turn on the broiler/grill of your oven and glaze with the remaining sauce. Cook until they are caramelized and sticky. I’ve never cooked these ribs in a smoker but I can only imagine how delicious they would be.
Can I grill lamb ribs?
Yes, you can cook lamb ribs on an outdoor grill or barbecue. Cook the ribs until the fat has rendered then brush with the glaze while turning regularly to allow the ribs to become sticky and glossy.
What to serve with lamb ribs
- Creamy condensed milk potato salad
- Easy oven baked fries
- Summer grilled corn salad
- Easy spicy garlic baked potato wedges
Lamb recipes
- Easy lemon-garlic lamb chops
- Shredded lamb pitas with fried eggplant
- Lamb ragu with cauliflower gnocchi
- Slow cooked Irish lamb stew
Easy sticky lamb ribs
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2 pounds) Lamb ribs (Ask your butcher to separate the lamb ribs so they cook faster)
For the sticky glaze
- 2 tbsp honey
- 4 tbsp soy sauce/Tamari sauce
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 1-2 tbsp Gochujang (If you can't find gochujang, any chilli paste can be substituted)
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF and line a large baking sheet with baking/parchment paper.
- Combine all the glaze ingredients and mix well. Taste for seasoning and adjust. You want the glaze to be sweet and spicy but be balanced with salt (from the soy) and acid (from the vinegar).
- Place the ribs on the prepared baking sheet and spoon over half of the glaze.
- Place the ribs in the oven and allow to bake for 20-25 minutes then brush with the remaining glaze every 10 minutes, turning the ribs over so they caramelize on both sides. After 40 minutes, increase the temperature to 220ºC/430ºF and allow the ribs to caramelize.
- Remove from the oven when the ribs are sticky and caramelized and serve.
Video
@simplydeliciousfood Sticky lamb ribs. #recipe ? Why Are There Boundaries - FKJ
Do i bake these open or closed? Look delicious!
I bake them open and glaze regularly.
Hi. When glazing every 10 minutes to i have to keep turning the ribs over every ten minutes as well? or just cook them on one side and they will cook through?
I’ll amend the recipe to make it clearer. 🙂
How long would you cook a1lb rack?
30-45 minutes or until the fat has rendered and the meat is cooked.
Too easy !!
How would they go on the bbq?
They would be great on the bbq. Just cook them over medium heat to allow the fat to render.
These sound amazing! Question – you don’t need to marinade the ribs in advance at all? Just apply the glaze before cooking?
I don’t, but I suppose you could. I just glaze them while cooking.
Looks delicious!! Think I could chuck it all in the slow cooker!?
The lamb fat needs to render out so it’s not a recipe I would suggest in the slow cooker.
These were next-level good. I didn’t have any rice wine vinegar so used apple cider vinegar which seemed to work just as well, and also used fresh garlic (crushed and finely chopped) and chilli jam, because that’s all I had. But they were AMAZING. Will be making again!
Thankyou so much for this recipe! It’s a real winner in our house and it’s absolutely delicious!
So happy to hear that. 🙂
What Gea well with these Ribs. Or would you serve them on thier own
You’ll see list of what I would recommend serving with this recipe in the blog post.
Hi
I’ve got some lamb chops can I use them instead of ribs for this recipe?
Stephanie
You could but the end result won’t be quite the same. Will still be good, though!
Can I use white sugar at all? ??
You can. 🙂
These turned out amazingly good. Thanks for sharing.
So happy to hear that Manni. 🙂
Really finger licking good. Doubled the recipe for my kids and they ate every last one.
That glaze is the business, right? 😉
These look finger licking good Alida!
Thanks Mary Ann!
Must try this looks delicious
Hope you love it!