Easy Lamb Marinade: Perfect Addition To Any Lamb Recipes (2024)

by Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com · 2 Comments

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This lamb marinade is loaded with all of the best spices and herbs to perfectly complement any of your favorite lamb recipes! Marinating your lamb overnight is recommended for the best flavor, but even just 1 hour will make a tasty difference! No matter how you like to prepare your lamb, this marinade will take the flavor to the next level!

Best Lamb Marinade Recipe

I love using marinades to elevate the flavor of a dish, and this lamb marinade is no exception! It uses simple ingredients that I always have on hand to make your lamb taste extra delicious!

You can get some flavor payoff in just an hour of marinating, but I prefer to let the lamb soak in all of the flavors overnight! Trust me, it is worth the wait!

Easy Lamb Marinade: Perfect Addition To Any Lamb Recipes (1)
Jump to:
  • Best Lamb Marinade Recipe
  • 🥘 Lamb Marinade Ingredients
  • 🔪 How To Make Lamb Marinade
  • ❓ FAQ
  • 🥩 Tasty Lamb Recipes
  • 📖 Recipe Card
  • 💬 Reviews

🥘 Lamb Marinade Ingredients

These common ingredients are easy to find if you don't already have them at home! Not to mention, you can always add in some cayenne pepper for some extra spice!

Easy Lamb Marinade: Perfect Addition To Any Lamb Recipes (2)
  • Oil - 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
  • Lemon Juice - 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
  • Rosemary - 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary.
  • Pepper - 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper.
  • Mint - ½ teaspoon of dried mint.
  • Thyme - ¼ teaspoon of dried thyme.
  • Basil - ¼ teaspoon of dried basil.
  • Parsely - ¼ teaspoon of dried parsley.
  • Salt - A pinch of salt to taste.
  • Cayenne (optional) - A pinch of cayenne to taste, if desired.

*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*

🔪 How To Make Lamb Marinade

Nothing is easier than just mixing together some spices! All you'll need is a bowl or a storage bag and then you are ready to go!

This marinade is meant for one-time use, so do not reuse marinade that has come into contact with raw lamb.

Easy Lamb Marinade: Perfect Addition To Any Lamb Recipes (3)
Easy Lamb Marinade: Perfect Addition To Any Lamb Recipes (4)
Easy Lamb Marinade: Perfect Addition To Any Lamb Recipes (5)
  1. Add ingredients. In a mixing bowl (or Ziploc bag), add your 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of rosemary, ¼ teaspoon each of thyme, basil, and parsley, ½ teaspoon of mint, 1 teaspoon of pepper, a pinch salt, and the optional pinch of cayenne pepper.
  2. Mix well. Stir until the spices are well incorporated.
  3. Add the lamb. Then place your lamb into the bowl (or bag) with the marinade, ensuring that all sides are covered.
  4. Marinate. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or overnight) before cooking.

This delicious marinade is great for any of your favorite lamb recipes! Finally, check out my post on what to serve with lamb for some great side dish ideas! Enjoy!

💭 Tips & Notes

  • Do not reuse marinade that has come into contact with raw meat. After you marinate your lamb make sure to discard any excess marinade.
  • To store: Keep your marinade in a sealed bag or container for up to 1 week before using.
  • To freeze: You can freeze your marinating lamb once sealed in a freezer storage bag. The meat will marinate while thawing in the refrigerator overnight.

❓ FAQ

Should Lamb Be Marinated?

This is a completely personal preference! It also depends on the cut of the meat, as some are more tender pieces than others.

How Long Can You Leave Lamb To Marinate?

Lamb should be marinated for an absolute minimum of 1 hour (but preferably longer), and up to 24 hours max. Marinating your lamb for longer than 24 hours is completely safe, but could eventually result in the meat becoming mushy due to the fibers being broken down.
Overnight is always a good range of time to get the best flavor output.

Is It Better To Marinate In The Fridge Or At Room Temperature?

Meat should always be marinated in the fridge. If you marinate your lamb at room temperature, dangerous bacteria can grow.

Easy Lamb Marinade: Perfect Addition To Any Lamb Recipes (6)

🥩 Tasty Lamb Recipes

  • Pan Seared Lamb Leg Steak- This juicy leg steak is pan-seared to perfection for an easy and delicious entree!
  • Roasted Rack of Lamb - No need to sear this lamb, it is simply roasted in the oven!
  • Grilled Lamb Steaks - If you're heating up the grill then go ahead and add these grilled lamb steaks to the menu!
  • Roasted Boneless Leg of Lamb - This lamb dish is incredibly easy to prepare for any occasion!
  • Smoked Leg of Lamb - Using the smoker is a great way to make a flavorful and effortless lamb entree!
  • Pan Seared Lamb Chops - This dish tastes elegant and fancy, but is super simple to make!

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📖 Recipe Card

Easy Lamb Marinade: Perfect Addition To Any Lamb Recipes (7)

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5 from 16 reviews

Lamb Marinade

This lamb marinade is loaded with all of the best spices and herbs to perfectly complement any of your favorite lamb recipes! Marinating your lamb overnight is recommended for the best flavor, but even just 1 hour will make a tasty difference! No matter how you like to prepare your lamb, this marinade will take the flavor to the next level!

Author | Angela

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 44kcal

Prep 5 minutes minutes

Cooking 0 minutes minutes

Marinade Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin)
  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon dried mint
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ¼ teaspoon dried basil
  • ¼ teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1 pinch salt (to taste)
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional, to taste)

Help Us Out!If you love a recipe, be sure to come back and share your ratings. This helps future users, and allows me to continue sharing free recipes! Angela

Instructions

  • In a mixing bowl (or Ziploc bag), add your extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, rosemary, thyme, basil, parsley, mint, pepper, salt, and the optional cayenne pepper.

  • Stir until the spices are well incorporated.

  • Place your lamb into the bowl (or bag) with the marinade, ensuring that all sides are covered.

  • Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or overnight) before cooking.

Notes

  • Do not reuse marinade that has come into contact with raw meat. After you marinate your lamb, discard any excess marinade.
  • To store: Keep your marinade in a sealed bag or container for up to 1 week before using.
  • To freeze: You can freeze your marinating lamb once sealed in a freezer storage bag. The meat will marinate while thawing in the refrigerator overnight.

Nutrition

Calories: 44kcal (2%) | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 5g (8%) | Saturated Fat: 1g (6%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 7mg | Potassium: 12mg | Fiber: 0.2g (1%) | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 16IU | Vitamin C: 2mg (2%) | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.2mg (1%)

Did you try this recipe? Rate it below!I can’t wait to see your results! Mention @bake_it_with_love or tag #bake_it_with_love!

best lamb marinade recipe, easy marinade for lamb, how to make a lamb marinade, lamb marinade, lamb marinade ingredients

Course Marinade

Cuisine American

Easy Lamb Marinade: Perfect Addition To Any Lamb Recipes (8)

Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com

Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!

bakeitwithlove.com/about/

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Reader Interactions

Comments

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  1. LindaJanuary says

    Easy Lamb Marinade: Perfect Addition To Any Lamb Recipes (13)
    Great marinade ...but you forgot the garlic.

    Reply

    • Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says

      Thanks! That's a great optional addition!

      Reply

Easy Lamb Marinade: Perfect Addition To Any Lamb Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How long can you marinate lamb for? ›

As a general rule of thumb, smaller cuts of lamb only need about four hours to sit in a marinade while larger cuts could benefit from a 24-hour to 48-hour marinade. Marinating the lamb for too long won't do it any good; you'll have successfully imparted as much flavor as you possibly can in this time frame.

What seasoning is best for lamb? ›

Greek seasoning is a wonderful way to add complexity and depth to lamb dishes. The quintessential Mediterranean blend of oregano, garlic, onion, dill, parsley, marjoram, and thyme can be used in either a dry or wet form.

Why do you soak lamb in vinegar? ›

The vinegar and water soak is optional, but it's the way grandma would do it to helps remove some of the gamy taste of the lamb. If you want to skip this step, simply marinate the lamb in olive oil, lemon, oregano, and salt and roast the recipe in the same way.

What's the best way to tenderize lamb? ›

Baking soda / bi-carb and cornflour/cornstarch are the secret ingredients that tenderise the lamb meat. It's a technique called “velveting” that is used by Chinese restaurants, and it's the reason why the meat in your favourite Chinese dishes are always so soft.

Do I rinse marinade off lamb? ›

It is suggested that after you have marinated meat for a length of time – you should wash it off prior to cooking. However, this is dependent on what oils and spices you use, often it is down to personal preference.

Which herbs go well with lamb? ›

One of the questions we get asked most by meat lovers is, “Which herbs go well with lamb?” The answer is: there is no set answer! However, we find that rosemary and mint are firm favourites, but basil, thyme, tarragon, coriander, parsley and oregano can all work exceedingly well too, depending on the dish.

What enhances the flavor of lamb? ›

Brash, stinky cumin is the perfect spice for lamb. High heat mellows out its intense flavors into a pleasantly grassy perfume. Rub your lamb down with a light coat of oil and apply cumin seeds generously.

What makes lamb taste better? ›

The big, bold Lamb flavor goes well with spices like coriander seeds, cumin, curry powder, harissa paste, garlic, rosemary, oregano, thyme, black pepper, chilly flakes, and mint.

What to flavor lamb with? ›

In a small bowl, combine garlic, olive oil, rosemary, thyme, Dijon, salt and pepper. Place lamb, fat side up, on a rack in the prepared roasting pan. Spread garlic mixture evenly over the lamb, rubbing in thoroughly into the scored cuts.

What removes gamey taste from lamb? ›

The distinct game flavor of either birds or animals will be milder after soaking the meat overnight in the refrigerator in either a salt or vinegar solution.

What does apple cider vinegar do for lambs? ›

If added to sheep and lamb drinking water apple cider vinegar will assist in keeping waterers free of algae and mosquito larvae. Improves the quality and yield of wool. Reduces the incidence of urinary calculi and kidney stones. It has powerful healing, cleansing, and natural antibiotic and antiseptic qualities.

How do you marinate lamb to make it less gamey? ›

The best ingredients for marinating lamb chops to reduce gamey flavor are acidic components such as lemon juice, vinegar, or yogurt, as well as flavorful herbs and spices like rosemary, thyme, garlic, and cumin. These ingredients help to tenderize the meat and mask the gamey taste.

Why is my lamb so tough? ›

Younger lambs tend to have more tender meat, while older lambs can have tougher meat. Cut of meat: The cut of meat can also affect the tenderness of the lamb. Certain cuts, such as the leg or shoulder, can be tougher than other cuts such as the loin or rack.

How do you cook lamb so it's not chewy? ›

Lamb Chop Temperature

Temperature is by far the most critical aspect of cooking lamb chops. Undercooking even tender lamb chops can render them unpleasantly chewy, while overcooking will lead to tough, dried-out meat. Rib chops should be cooked to about 130°F, while loin chops are better at 135°F or even 140°F.

Can you marinate lamb too long? ›

Information. Most recipes for marinating meat and poultry recommend six hours up to 24 hours. It is safe to keep the food in the marinade longer, but after two days it is possible that the marinade can start to break down the fibers of the meat, causing it to become mushy.

Can you marinate lamb for too long? ›

Most recipes for marinating meat and poultry recommend six hours up to 24 hours. It is safe to keep the food in the marinade longer, but after two days it is possible that the marinade can start to break down the fibers of the meat, causing it to become mushy.

Can you marinate lamb for 3 days? ›

Lamb can marinate in yogurt for up to 3 days, but since this yogurt is so intensely flavored, 8 to 24 hours is an excellent sweet spot. Like any good marinade, this one is savory, acidic, and used for adding flavor as well as tenderizing.

Can I marinate lamb for 24 hours? ›

Plan on marinating chops and small cuts for about 4 to 5 hours; large cuts like leg of lamb should be marinated for 8 to 24 hours. Double or triple the recipe for larger cuts. The process of marinating imparts flavor to the meat while often tenderizing tougher cuts.

Can you marinate lamb chops too long? ›

“Typical recipes call for [marinating lamb chops] anywhere between 30 minutes and six hours,” says Mariano. “However, be careful not to marinate lamb chops for too long, or the meat may become too soft.”

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