How to marinate lamb: A guide to making irresistible grilled lamb

Grilled lamb chops are a favourite of barbecue lovers everywhere. Just go to any backyard gathering, and you’re bound to find lamb chops on the menu!

Lamb chops are delicious when you throw on a few spices, but if you want your lamb chops to be succulent and tender, you’ll want to treat it with some good marinade first.

Marinades add a lot of flavour to meat and they also help keep the meat nice and tender. In addition, marinades can help meat, like lamb chops, cook faster.

But marinating lamb chops isn’t always so cut and dry—you need to do it the right way or you won’t get the best out of the marinade for your meat. So here are a few tips on how to marinate lamb to help you grill up a five-star meal.

Choose the perfect cut of meat

To marinate your lamb the right way, you’ll need the right cut of meat. When it comes to lamb, the best meat cuts for marinating are lamb chops, legs, and shoulders.

Make sure that each of the cuts has a similar thickness so that all of them cook evenly. If there’s any excess fat on your lamb, be sure to trim it, as it could cause uneven cooking and flare-ups on your grill.

However, don’t remove all of the fat. You should leave a little behind to enhance the flavour of the meat.

Create the right marinate

The key to marinating lamb is, of course, the marinade itself. One thing to keep in mind when preparing your marinade is to not go overboard with the acidity. 

Citrus juices in your marinade will help tenderise the lamb, but too much of it may leave your meat too mushy and unappetising. So make sure to balance the acid content of your marinade with other ingredients.

If you’re not confident about creating a marinade with the right amount of acidity on your own, you can always just use pre-made BBQ marinades which are a great option as well!

Marinate and store your lamb

Once you have your marinade ready, it’s time to start marinating! Lamb shouldn’t be allowed to marinate for as long as beef does. Leaving your lamb to marinate for 2-4 hours before grilling should be enough. Also, make sure that every inch of your lamb chops is covered with the marinade. 

To make your lamb absorb the marinade more easily, try poking holes into the meat using a fork. Afterwards, store your marinated lamb in an airtight container and pop it into the fridge. Remember, never keep marinated meat without refrigeration; this could lead to bacterial growth.

Also, make sure to store the marinated lamb in a food-safe container. Never use metal containers because they can react with the acidic ingredients in your marinade and this can be dangerous.

Grill the lamb

Now that you’ve got a handle on how to marinate lamb, here are some tips on how to get started on grilling your meat.

Avoid cooking your lamb cold

Before you throw your marinated lamb meat onto the grill, leave it to warm up to room temperature after taking it out of the refrigerator. This is because if the meat is too cold when you start grilling it, it could lead to more charring on the outside of the meat than the inside.

Remember to preheat the grill

Before you start grilling the meat, make sure to preheat your grill to 190-205°C. When you preheat the grill, it’ll help preserve the juiciness of the meat and give a good sear.

Now you know how to marinate lamb—so get grilling!

Choosing the right marinade is just one part of grilling the perfect lamb—marinating is the key. Marinating lamb may look simple, but if you don’t do it the right way, your lamb could miss out on some yummy flavours. 

So follow these tips and grill up some irresistibly juicy and succulent grilled lamb for your friends and family!