Learn How to Air Fry Lamb Ribs to tasty perfection with flawlessly rendered fat, a crisp exterior and bags of finger-licking flavour. They’re hands off, can be seasoned as you please and will never fail to impress.
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I’ve been making these air fried lamb ribs for as long as I’ve had an air fryer. It’s frankly inexcusable that I’ve taken this long to share the recipe. They’re what I always order in any Turkish restaurant too, I literally cannot help myself.
Lamb ribs are certainly not as popular in the UK as pork ribs are but I think that is merely a perception of cost issue. Lamb ribs are actually quite reasonably priced when compared to pork and they’re much meatier than you first assume. And boy are they packed with flavour.
How to Serve
I always prefer to eat lamb hot, or at the very least warm. I don’t think cold lamb fat is especially pleasant to eat. So I would recommend making sure the lamb is at the very least room temperature unless you have a very strong preference for cold lamb.
I heavily associate lamb dishes with middle eastern cuisines and especially Türkiye. I’ve been to Turkey a few times and whilst I won’t pretend to have ventured far from the touristy areas, I have always tried to partake in local cuisine as much as possible.
I’m a huge rice lover anyway and Turkish style rice with vermicelli noodles that are cooked in chicken stock is a firm favourite. So I often build a meal based around lamb ribs and the rice. Try making a mezze plate with some of the following elements:
- Smooth creamy hummus
- Tahini yogurt sauce
- Griddled courgettes and bell peppers
- Quick pickled red onions
- Shredded salad of red cabbage, iceberg lettuce and cucumber.
You can of course serve the lamb with other flavours, cuisines or sides. Keep things simple with some leftover chippy chips and a simple salad. Or go for the British favourite minted lamb and buttered new potatoes.
Ingredients
Lamb Ribs
Lamb ribs are a little harder to find than some other cuts. I buy them from Morrisons and I believe that Waitrose also sell them (as of Nov 2024). And of course any good butchers will also sell them.
If you cannot specifically find the ribs, you may find that you can buy a breast of lamb with the bone still in. This is simply the piece of the lamb that the ribs are cut from so you can do this yourself using a sharp knife.
I always look for the most meaty ribs. Lamb ribs will always have a good coverage of fat but you want to look to avoid any that appear to be all fat. Just like when buy belly pork, you do ideally want a good ratio of actual meat to fat.
Oil
Although it might seem odd to add oil to an already fatty cut of meat, trust me when I say it is essential. The lamb fat doesn’t render instantly and in the meantime, parts of the meat that are subjected to heat can dry out. So the addition of oil will prevent that. Secondly, adding the oil will give the seasonings something to stick to!
You can use any oil that you prefer. I generally stick with just vegetable oil or olive oil. Although my use of olive oil is very sparing nowadays as the price has skyrocketed.
Seasoning
Lamb is a meat that can generally really stand up to quite heavy seasoning. I’ve kept things simple for the purposes of this recipe and used a simple mix of garlic salt and paprika.
I do often use mixes like za’atar or baharat and you can certainly use almost any seasoning that you prefer. Cumin is a wonderful flavour pairing with lamb so Tex-Mex and Mexican seasonings work really well as do south east Asian flavours.
Allergen Information
This recipe is free from egg, dairy, gluten and nuts.
Please note that this recipe may contain other allergens not referred to above and any variations suggested have not been tested unless otherwise stated. For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.
How Long to Air Fry Lamb Ribs
To give the fat on the ribs chance to properly render and for the meat to have time to become more tender I cook the ribs for a full 30 minutes. The ribs are turned halfway for the most even cooking.
The relatively high cooking heat gives the outside of the ribs a really good char and emulate the traditional cooking method of a Turkish mangal – charcoal grill. If you want to cook the ribs lower and slower, then you can do.
How to Air Fry Lamb Ribs From Frozen
This is easy to do as the ribs cook in basically the same amount of time as from defrosted. There are a couple of things you can do to get the best results.
Firstly you want to make sure that the lamb ribs are separated. And then you want to make sure that there are no ice crystals on the surface of the ribs. You can achieve both of these points by simply running the lamb under the tap. Make sure to dry the ribs really well and then proceed to oil, season and air fry them as normal.
Leftovers – Storage & Reheating
Any leftovers will keep in the fridge for several days if properly covered. Or you can easily freeze them for longer storage. If you freeze, I would recommend defrosting them completely before attempting to reheat.
Although in theory you can eat the leftovers cold, I do recommend reheating them. You can easily do this in the microwave which only takes a couple of minutes. This is a good way of reheating the meat and it staying nice and moist. If you want to make the ribs extra crispy, you can put them back into the air fryer for around 4 to 5 minutes.
Common Air Fryer Questions – A Brief Guide to Air Frying
- What exactly is an air fryer?
- What are the benefits of using an air fryer?
- Are all air fryers the same?
- Is an air fryer always better to use than an oven?
- Do air fryers need to be pre-heated?
- What is the best temperature to air fry at?
- What setting is best to use? Air fry, bake, dehydrate, etc…
- Can food be cooked from frozen in an air fryer?
- Can I reheat food in an air fryer?
- Are air fryer liners a good idea?
The Air Fried Feast Community
Come on over to Facebook and join my community discussing all things air fryer. Get involved in sharing your experiences and trials, help out others and find out what wonderful things everyone is cooking in their air fryers!
What Exactly is an Air Fryer?
Very simply, an air fryer is a small convection (fan) oven. The benefit is that the hot air is circulated all around the food being cooked which speeds up the cooking time and cooks the food more evenly.
What are the Benefits of Using an Air Fryer?
Size, time and energy usage. Air fryers are ideal for cooking smaller quantities. Heating up a space that the food just fits into requires less energy and means that the heat source is much closer to the food. Combining these two things can speed up the cooking time.
Are all air fryers the same?
Nope! The term air fryer is now used very broadly. I consider there to be 4 main types:
Basket Air Fryers
These are what I would consider to be the most common, especially in the UK. A boxy type unit has a pull out drawer/basket. Food isn’t usually visible whilst cooking.
Some larger models have two drawers so different items can be cooked at different temperatures or for different times.
This is the type that you’ll see in the images in this recipe. I mostly use a Cosori Lite 3.8L (CAF-LI401S) with a 3.8 litre capacity. The square(ish) shaped basket is 21cm x 21cm and 24cm on the diagonal. It isn’t an overly expensive or fancy model.
I’ve also recommended to several friends and family the model with a slightly larger basket. This is the Cosori 4.7L (CAF-L501) with a 4.7 litre basket. The unit is no larger than the 3.8 litre model on the outside but does have a larger internal basket capacity. I’ve since bought this version to use for some recipes where my smaller model was just too small. I’ll always note this in the recipe.
Rotary Air Fryers
Round air fryers with a paddle in the centre that rotates to move the food. This is the type I used for years – the most common is a Tefal Actifry.
Rotary types are not usually good for recipes where the food is breaded, glazed, likely to break up or in a tray/container. They do however make the best chips and roasted veg.
My 2 in 1 version like the one I’ve linked also has a rotating tray for things that could be broken up by a paddle, but the height clearance with the lid isn’t deep enough to use it to cook some items like sausage rolls. I’ve now actually retired by Actifry in favour of having my two basket type fryers.
Mini Oven Air Fryers
These usually have a glass door, shelves and overall are really quite large. You can cook quite a decent quantity of food in them so are best if regularly cooking for multiple people. They often come with extra features like a rotisserie spit or kebab skewers.
Multicookers with Air Fryer Functions
Some like Ninja 11 in 1 and some of the earlier versions with a few less functions, have an air fryer option. They mostly operate the same as a basket fryer but the basket drops in the top rather than sliding in like a drawer.
Some electric pressure cookers like Instant Pots can also air fry when used with a specific lid.
Is an air fryer always better to use than an oven?
As much as I do love air frying, the honest answer to this is no. And the more detailed answer is that it will always depend on what you’re cooking, how much of it you’re cooking and what type and size of air fryer you have.
Once you need to cook in more than 2 batches, it often makes more sense to use an oven. If you already have the oven on to cook other items, it may make more sense to throw one more item in rather than using an additional appliance.
I don’t think either method is often necessarily better than the other. The important point to note is that there is absolutely no difference in the finished product.
Do Air Fryers Need to Be Pre-Heated?
The answer to this is rather annoying – it depends. It depends entirely on your model and type of air fryer. The best advice I can offer is to check your manual and follow their guidance. My Cosori models have a preheat function. I press a button and it heats at 205c/400f for 4 minutes.
It’s also worth noting that regardless of whether you are supposed to pre-heat or not, if you are cooking in batches, it is quite likely that anything after the first batch will cook a little quicker because of the retained heat. It is best to check on them before the cooking time is completed.
What is the best temperature to Air Fry at?
It will always depend on what you are cooking and from what state. All of my air fryer recipes don’t use temperatures above 200c/390f because many of the most common fryers in the UK don’t go above this. Mine goes to 230c/450f and I use this temperature a lot but it is no help for me to share recipes which many people can’t use.
What setting is best to use? Air fry, bake, dehydrate, etc…
Not all air fryers have different settings like this. When they do it usually relates to the fan speed. The default setting to use will always be “air fry” so unless something else is specifically stated in the recipe, always use the air fry option.
There are other air fryers that have an additional heating element which cooks from underneath rather than just the top. Just as with the other settings, unless you are using a recipe which states to use a second heating element, stick with just using the top down air fry option.
Of course if and when you become more confident with air frying, using recipes and the settings of your air fryer, you can start adapting them to suit.
Can Food Be Cooked From Frozen In An Air Fryer?
Absolutely! To cook from frozen you usually will need to reduce the cooking temperature and increase the time to make sure your food is cooked right through to the middle.
It is best to check my individual recipes for cooking from frozen advice as some items are a little different. And there are occasionally exceptions to the rule.
Can I Reheat Food In An Air Fryer?
Yes. As a general rule I reheat food for roughly 1/3 of the original cooking time at the same temperature. Or at 10 degrees lower for half the time for larger items.
Are Air Fryer Liners a Good Idea?
Unless otherwise stated, I do not use liners when air frying. Basket and rotary type air fryers are designed to be used without liners. Mini oven types will generally require some kind of tray like with a regular large oven although most come with crisper racks to use.
There are many air fryer liners available including quite thick silicone ones. These will affect the cooking times and possibly temperatures of your cooking/baking. I also don’t like how cooking juices are prevented from dripping through the basket rack. This can stop food from crisping all the way around.
When I do want to collect the juices, I mostly use some foil, or occasionally a foil tray which can be washed and reused.
If you do prefer to use them, once you have got a feel for how they affect your cooking and baking, you may need to make adjustments to the recipe accordingly.
More Air Fryer Recipes
All my recipes with instructions for how to cook or bake them in the air fryer can be found in my Air Fryer Recipe Index.
Don’t forget to let me know in the comments if you try making this recipe – I want to know what you think and if you made any substitutions, how did it turn out?
Still Have Questions?
Simple! Just contact me and I will do my best to help as quickly as I am able. Head over to my Contact Me page, any of my social media channels or post a comment at the bottom of this page and I’ll see what I can do.
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The Recipe
How to Air Fry Lamb Ribs Recipe
Ingredients
- 800 g Lamb Ribs
- 1 tbsp Oil - see notes
- 2 tsp Seasoning - see notes
Instructions
- If your air fryer requires pre-heating, start this setting now.
- Thoroughly dry roughly 800g Lamb Ribs. If they're not already cut into single ribs, use a sharp knife to cut between the bones now.
- Drizzle over 1 tbsp Oil and 1½ tsp Seasoning and toss to thoroughly coat the lamb.
- Place the ribs into the air fryer basket. Leave a little space between each so the air can circulate if possible.
- Cook for 15 minutes at 200c/390f.
- The ribs will be part cooked and will need turning, especially if your fryer is quite packed like mine. If you have lots of room, you could skip this step.
- Use tongs to turn the ribs.
- Cook for a further 15 minutes at 200c/390f.
- Allow to rest for at least 3 to 4 minutes before tucking in. Spoon over juices that have collected in the bottom of the air fryer for extra flavour.
To Cook From Frozen
- Cook for a total of 30 minutes at 200c/390f. Turn midway through cooking.
Notes
- Oil – Choose your oil to match your flavouring. For example use garlic, salt and rosemary with olive oil or for a more neutral flavour, sea salt and black pepper with vegetable oil.
- Seasoning – Choose any seasoning mix, spices or dried/fresh herbs. Make sure that salt is included in the mix. You can also add a little citrus juice.
- I used vegetable oil with a 50/20 mix of garlic salt and paprika.
- The air fryer version of this recipe is tested in a Cosori Lite (CAF-LI401S) with a 3.8 litre capacity. The square(ish) shaped basket is 21cm x 21cm and 24cm on the diagonal.
- Not all models advise preheating is required. Please follow the recommended instructions for your model. Mine has a specific preheat setting which is 4 minutes at 205c.
- For this recipe, I can just fit 800g lamb ribs in the basket at a time which was 6 larger and 1 smaller rib. This was pushing the limit of my air fryer but is fine due to the long cooking time and how the ribs shrink as they cook.
- As all air fryer models are a little different, you may find that you can fit more or less in at a time. Some models include stacking shelves which will increase capacity.
- Required cooking times and temperatures can also vary between models and brands. If you know that your air fryer runs a little hotter than most recipes suggest, use a lower temperature. And vice versa. Equally if you find that food cooks more quickly in your machine than instructions usually state, reduce the cooking time (or check it earlier) and vice versa.
Janice says
Lamb ribs is not a cut of meat I often buy but these looked so delicious I had to try them. I wasn’t disapponted, so tender and juicy and so easy to make.
Sisley says
With all your air fryer recipes, my poor air fryer is struggling to keep up with making them all.
Lesley says
I cooked these lamb ribs, adding some ground cumin and chilli powder to the spice mix. They were full of flavour and so easy to cook. A great change from my usual pork ribs.