Tasty, easy, lick-your-fingers lamb...so simple! This Oven Roasted Lamb Ribs recipe has only 6 ingredients, and is in the oven baking in just minutes. Put all the ingredients in a bowl or plastic bag, mix or shake it all around, toss out the bag, then bake. Not even a bowl to wash if you use a bag! Mix the sauce ingredients together in your serving bowl (sorry - bowl needed here) and DONE!
I saw Nigella Lawson on TV recently and was inspired by her lamb ribs with cumin & nigella seeds, and so my recipe for roasted lamb ribs was born.
A word of warning, this does NOT look like diet food when you put it in the oven. Lamb ribs/riblets can be a very fatty cut, but most of the fat renders out as they bake. I also bake the lamb ribs on a rack so that the rendered fat drains away. Another plus to this recipe is cost - this cut of lamb is relatively inexpensive (at least here in Australia).
The fat is an essential part of this lamb ribs recipe, it keeps the lamb moist and flavourful with a slightly crispy outer texture when it's done oven baking. A simply delightful combination in my opinion. I like to make the sauce just after I put the lamb in the oven, this gives the flavours time to mix and develop while the lamb is roasting.
Ingredients for baked lamb ribs
- Lamb ribs
- Dried oregano
- Ground cumin
- Lemon zest
- Fine salt
- Olive oil
How to cook lamb ribs
- Combine dried oregano, ground cumin, lemon zest, salt and olive oil in a bowl or large plastic bag.
- Add lamb ribs to bowl or bag, and mix well to coat.
- Place a cake cooling rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet (to create a trivet) then place lamb ribs (not overlapping) on to rack and bake for 1.5 hours, or until cooked to your liking.
My top tips for cooking lamb ribs in the oven
- The amount of lamb ribs I use for 4 adult serves is around 1.5kg or 3.3 pounds. I know this probably seems like a lot on paper (??) but you will lose quite a lot of this as the fat renders out, plus they have bones. Also keep in mind that lamb ribs can vary quite a lot in meat/fat/bone ratio - this may influence the amount you buy and also if you cook them for the full 1.5 hours or not.
- I use low fat greek yoghurt for the dressing (watching my fat intake, ha!) but feel free to use full fat.
- My rimmed baking sheet is about 2.5 cm or 1" deep - this is plenty. I place two cake racks (right side up) overlapping inside the pan to provide my "trivet" or baking rack for the lamb ribs to bake on. The cake racks only have about 1cm or 0.5" legs, but this is enough to let the fat drain away.
Other lamb recipes you make like
Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder - so tender and moist, a real family favourite.
Red Wine and Garlic Lamb Shanks - fall-off-the-bone lamb shanks!
Lamb Sausage Pasta with Basil & Tomato - I use lamb sausages to make this cheat's meatball pasta.
Pesto Lamb Prosciutto Cutlets - tender lamb cutlets, coated in basil pesto and wrapped in prosciutto.
I won't lie to you, as far as the fat intake goes this should not be a meal eaten every day...I prefer to see this lamb ribs recipe as like eating roast pork with crackling - one of life's necessary indulgences - how very Nigella!
Lee-Ann ♥
Oven Roasted Lamb Ribs
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg /3.3 pounds lamb ribs - approx. (see notes)
- 3 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- zest of 1 lemon finely grated
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Yoghurt Mint & Garlic Sauce
- 60 g danish feta - finely crumbled
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves - sliced
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 200 g low fat greek yoghurt
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 150c.
- Place a baking rack/cake rack over a rimmed baking sheet (see notes).
- Place first 6 ingredients in a large bowl or a plastic bag and mix to coat thoroughly.
- Evenly space ribs in a single layer on baking rack, bake for 1½ hours or until tender and cooked through - check after 1¼ hours depending on the size of your ribs (see notes).
- To make sauce, combine last 4 ingredients in your serving bowl and set aside to let flavours develop.
- Serve ribs immediately with the yoghurt sauce.
