Lamb Ribs

These slow-roasted sticky lamb ribs are coated with a sweet and savory glaze and yield juicy and succulent meat every time. Grill, smoker, and air fryer options included.

Want more tasty lamb recipes? Try my lamb burgers, lamb lollipops, lamb kabobs, and lamb meatballs next.

As much as I love beef ribs or pork ribs, I reckon lamb ribs are one of the most underrated yet delicious cuts out there. If you need more convincing, my sticky lamb rib recipe is the dish to win you over. It’s so flavorful, and the meat pretty much melts off the bone.

Table of Contents

1. Why I love this recipe
2. Ingredients Needed
3. How to make glazed lamb ribs
4. Alternative cooking methods
5. Arman’s recipe tips
6. Storage instructions
7. Frequently asked questions
8. Serve this with
9. Sticky Lamb Ribs (Recipe Card)

Why I love this recipe

• Easy to cook. Slap on the marinade then throw the ribs in the oven. It’s THAT simple
• Budget-friendly. Lamb spare ribs are one of the most affordable cuts of meat.
• Crowd-pleaser. This is the kind of dish I make for every potluck, game night, or general entertaining.
• Multiple cooking options. I typically oven-bake the ribs, but I’ve included grill, smoker, and air fryer options.

Ingredients Needed

• Lamb ribs. Sometimes referred to as lamb spare ribs, rack of lamb, or lamb riblets. I prefer getting mine from my local butcher, but any mainstream grocery store should have them stocked too.
• Lamb seasoning. I use a mix of fennel seeds, garlic, smoked paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper.
• Homemade glaze. We want the lamb to be sweet and sticky, so a combination of sauces AND a liquid sweetener is a must. For this recipe, I’m using maple syrup, ketchup, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, and Dijon mustard.

How to make glazed lamb ribs

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step 1- Season the ribs. Rub the seasoning mixture to the ribs and place them in a single layer on a wire rack. Then, place the rack in a large baking tray filled with water.

Step 2- Slow bake. Cover the ribs with tin foil and bake them in a preheated oven for two hours.

Step 3- Bake at a high temperature. Once the ribs are tender, increase the temperature to 200C/400F.

Step 4- Brush the glaze over the ribs.

Step 5- Finish cooking. Remove the foil and bake the ribs uncovered for a further half an hour. Baste them until sticky and caramelized. Garnish with parsley, rest the meat, and serve hot.

Arman’s recipe tips

• Pat dry the ribs with a paper towel to ensure there is no excess moisture before adding the seasoning.
• Check for doneness. Since we’re slow-roasting the ribs, there isn’t a need to worry about undercooking the meat. However, if you use the grill or air fryer method, you can check for doneness using a meat thermometer and ensure the ribs reach at least 165F.
• Don’t forget to cover the ribs. The water tray and the foil-covered ribs help to lock the moisture and prevent the ribs from drying out.
• Use different sweeteners like honey, white sugar, or coconut sugar.
• Use a different glaze. So long as the glaze has a little sugar that helps it caramelize, you can use any sauce, including my katsu sauce or eel sauce.

Storage instructions

To store. Keep the leftover ribs in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days.   

To reheat. Reheat in a microwave for a couple of minutes or in the oven until heated thoroughly. 

Frequently asked questions

Serve this with

• Cauliflower mashed potatoes
• Sauteed broccolini
• Roasted potatoes and carrots
• Air fryer baked potato
• Basmati rice

Originally published July 2023, updated and republished May 2024