Lamb recipes for the barbecue

Tips and tricks for barbecued lamb

Cooking lamb on the barbecue is hard to get wrong. However, to help you out here are a few tips and tricks:

• Rather than oiling the grill, try adding oil to the meat before placing it on the hot plate.
• If the lamb was marinated, pat off the excess marinade before adding it to the hot grill. This will prevent it from burning, or catching fire, as it cooks.
• To get that brown crust that makes barbecued lamb so delicious, ensure the grill is very hot before you add the meat. You want to hear it sizzle!
• If you want to cook your larger lamb cuts to the perfect pink, consider using an instant read thermometer to ensure it's at the right temperature. Lamb cooked to 145 degrees is medium-rare. Well-done lamb reaches about 170 degrees.
• To ensure it's juicy and tender, make sure you rest the lamb for half its cooking time after taking it off the heat. So, if your chops were on the barbecue for 20 minutes, they'll need to rest for 10 minutes.

Best lamb marinades

The Aussie barbecue favourite, try spicing up your usual lamb cuts by adding a marinade. Fresh herbs, such as rosemary or mint, go especially well with lamb, as do the more aromatic spices such as cumin and smoked paprika.

• Marinated Lamb Chops
• Mum's Meat Marinade
• Marinated Lamb Chops
• Rockin' Roast Lamb Marinade

Lamb kebabs

To cut down on the work you need to do on the day, try cutting up all the meat and placing it in a snap lock bag with the marinade. On the day you want to cook just thread the meat onto the skewers to finish them off.

• Lamb and Vegetable Kebabs
• Lamb Kebabs in Spicy Coconut Sauce
• Minted Lamb and Yoghurt Kebabs
• Middle Eastern Lamb Kebabs

Lamb koftas

Lamb patties are a tasty addition to any barbecue. Filled with a variety of herbs and spices, serve them with flatbread, dips and a variety of salads for a great meal.

• Spiced Lamb Kofta
• Lamb Kofta with Greek Yoghurt
• West African Tsire Koftas
• Greek Lamb Rissoles

Lamb chops and cutlets

Lamb chops and cutlets can be the best cuts for a barbie, as the fat layer in the meat helps to keep them moist as it cooks. Treat them as you would any other cut, marinading them for up to two days before the barbie.

• Fruity Lamb Chops
• Balinese Lamb Chops
• Lamb Chops Buderim
• Spiced Lamb Cutlets

Lamb legs

If you have a lot of people coming over, give the individual cuts a miss and try cooking a whole leg instead. You'll be rewarded with the most incredibly flavoured lamb, that is moist on the inside yet crisp and crunchy on the outside. Try some of these recipes to inject even more flavour into your lamb.

• Slow-Roasted Leg of Lamb
• Red Wine Barbequed Lamb
• Marinated Lamb

Kettle barbecue favourites

If you have a kettle barbecue and are cooking over coal, you have a whole host of other barbecue favourites that you can include in your arsenal. By keeping the barbecue's lid closed during cooking you can create a smoky oven that is ideal for preparing large cuts of meat, especially roast legs and racks. For best results, try marinading the meat overnight and throw in a few handfuls of hardwood smoking chips with the coals for extra flavour.

• Rosemary and Lemon Roast Lamb
• Barbequed Leg of Lamb

For more inspiration, check out our delicious Lamb recipes collection.