How to marinate lamb

Things to know before we get into the exciting flavour stuff:

Ditch marinade if it’s come into contact with raw lamb. Otherwise, store unused marinades in the fridge for 1–2 days in an airtight container.

It’s tempting to pour leftover marinade over your cooked lamb like gravy – but it’s not safe. Instead, boil marinade for a few minutes to kill bacteria and serve in a jug as an accompaniment.

Match the right cut and cooking method for the most succulent, melt-in-the-mouth lamb. While some acidic or enzymatic recipes may help make meat tender, most marinades exist to enrich flavour. Need help with cuts? Download our Meat Cuts app. You can do this for free via the Apple App Store and Google Play. 

Try these:

Zesty tomato marinade

Grate ½ large onion, cook with 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp crushed garlic. Add ¼ cup tomato paste, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp dry mustard and ½ cup water. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Classic red wine marinade

Combine ¼ cup red wine, ¼ cup oil, ½ cup tomato paste, 3 cloves of crushed garlic and 2 tsp dried oregano. 

Honey soy marinade

Combine a little honey and soy sauce with orange juice. 

French-style marinade

Combine Dijon mustard and tomato sauce with a little red wine vinegar.

Simple lemon marinade

Mix lemon juice with a little olive oil and dried rosemary.

Easy Asian marinade

Combine oyster sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil. 

Indian-style marinade

Combine 2 tsp each of turmeric, ground cumin and hot mustard, 1 tsp each ground cinnamon and ground cardamom, ¼ tsp chilli flakes and ¼ cup white vinegar. 

SEE ALSO

Find lamb recipes

Storing lamb