Grilled Kalbi Lamb Chops

Kalbi Lamb Rib
This recipe is sponsored by Slap Yo' Daddy

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

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This recipe is sponsored by Slap Yo’ Daddy.
Kalbi Lamb Rib
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.
Preparation 25 minutes
Cook 35 minutes
Marinade 1 hour
Ready in 2 hours
Servings 4 Servings
CourseDinner
InfluenceAsian
DifficultySeasoned
MethodGrill

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 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

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