Name: Grilled Kalbi Lamb Chops
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 120 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup white vinegar; 3 tablespoons white sugar; pinch salt; 1 cucumber; 1 red onion; 1 Asian pear (peeled, cored, and roughly chopped); 1 small white onion (peeled and roughly chopped); 6 cloves garlic (peeled); 1/2 cup soy sauce; 1/2 can lemon-lime soda (let sit a while for the fizz to settle); 1/2 cup brown sugar; 3 tablespoons sesame oil; 2 racks (sliced into indervidual ribs); 2 tablespoons Slap Yo’ Daddy "Love Me Tender" All Purpose Rub; 2 tablespoons oil; 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds; 1 spring onion (sliced)

Grilled Kalbi lamb chops are a flavorful fusion of Korean BBQ tradition and tender lamb. Inspired by the classic Korean short rib marinade, these lamb chops are infused with a rich blend of soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, and brown sugar, but the standout in this recipe is the Asian pear and lemon-lime soda.

The marinade not only tenderizes the meat but also imparts a rich, savory-sweet profile that caramelizes when grilled over high heat. The lamb’s natural richness balances the umami-packed marinade, creating mouthwatering, bold, and earthy flavors.

Served straight off the grill, Kalbi lamb chops are perfect alongside the quick pickle cucumber salad and sticky rice. They make for a standout main at any cookout or dinner table, fusing Korean and global grilling influences into a dish that’s both familiar and fresh.

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A blender cup is sitting next to a plastic ziploack bag containing lamb ribs. Marinade is in both the cub and plastic bag.

Once the marinade is blended place it in a ziplock bag to marinate the lamb ribs for at least 1 hour or overnight if possible.

Three grilled lamb chops are decratively served on a blue place with a side of pickled cucumber.

Serve the Kalbi lamb chops garnished with sesame seeds and sliced spring onion and a side of the quick pickled cucumber.

A plate of raw lamb chops sprinkled in a BBQ rub.

After marinading the lamb ribs are lightly sprinkled with an all purpose BBQ rub before being grilled.

A glass bowl filled with sliced cucumbers with a clear liquid being pour into it from a saucepan.

While the heated vinegar and sugar is still warm, but not still hot, pour it over the sliced cucumbers and diced red onion.

Looking down on a kettle grill with lamb chops cooking over charcoal.

The lamb chops are initially slow cooked at the cool side of the BBQ then moved to the hot/direct side to finish them off.

Grilled Kalbi Lamb Chops Recipe

Harry Soo

reviews

This recipe is sponsored by Slap Yo’ Daddy.

The secret to Korean grilled Kalbi lamb chops is a bit of soda and Asian pear mixed into the marinade. Grilled to perfection, serve them with cucumber salad and a side of white or brown rice.

Print Review

Preparation 25

Cook 35

Marinade 1

Ready in 2

Servings Servings

CourseDinner

InfluenceAsian

DifficultySeasoned

MethodGrill

Print Review

Ingredients

Quick Pickled Cucumber Salad

1/2 cup white vinegar
3 tablespoons white sugar
pinch salt
1 cucumber
1 red onion

Kalbi Marinade

1 Asian pear peeled, cored, and roughly chopped
1 small white onion peeled and roughly chopped
6 cloves garlic peeled
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 can lemon-lime soda let sit a while for the fizz to settle
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons sesame oil

Lamb Chops

2 racks sliced into indervidual ribs

To Cook

2 tablespoons Slap Yo’ Daddy “Love Me Tender” All Purpose Rub
2 tablespoons oil

To Serve

1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
1 spring onion sliced

Equipment

grill

Directions

Quick Pickled Cucumber Salad

Gently heat the mixture of white vinegar, white sugar, and a pinch of salt.
Once the sugar dissolves, cool the liquid until it’s just slightly warm.
Thinly slice the cucumber and finely dice the red onion.
Pour the lukewarm liquid over cucumber slices and diced red onions. Chill in the fridge until needed.

Kalbi Marinade

Combine in a blender the pear, onion, garlic, soy sauce, lemon lime soda, brown sugar, and sesame oil.
Puree the marinade ingredients in the blender. You could make more as the marinade will keep for a few days in the fridge. If it’s too thick, add more soda.

Lamb Chops

Place the lamb ribs in a gallon plastic zip bag.
Add enough marinade to cover the ribs. Reserve any extra marinade for basting.
Marinate in the fridge for 1 hour or overnight.

To Cook

Remove the lamb from the fridge, drain off excess marinade, and sprinkle with a light coating of the all-purpose rub.
Set up a smoker with a hot zone and a cool zone. Smoke the ribs over indirect heat in the cool zone until they reach an internal temperature of 110 degrees F (43 degrees C).
Move the ribs to the hot part of the grill. Cook and baste with a mixture of oil and the reserved marinade.
Remove when the internal temperature is medium-rare, about 125 degrees F (52 degrees C).
Loosely tent with foil while resting the lamb for about 15 minutes (the temperature will continue to rise about 5 more degrees).

To Serve

Garnish with white sesame seeds and sliced green onion before serving with the quick pickled cucumber salad.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 1357kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 42gFat: 105gSaturated Fat: 40gPolyunsaturated Fat: 14gMonounsaturated Fat: 44gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 189mgSodium: 1779mgPotassium: 891mgFiber: 4gSugar: 49gVitamin A: 291IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 199mgIron: 8mg