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Charred tandoori grilled lamb cutlets on a slate plate with coriander, lemon wedges, and mint chutney on a wooden board

Tandoori Grilled Lamb Cutlets: Charred, Juicy, Fast

Yogurt and spice-marinated lamb rib chops grilled hot and fast until charred outside and pink in the center.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 27 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Calories: 380
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Marinade
  • 200 g plain full-fat yogurt
  • 1.5 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 1.5 tsp kashmiri chili powder
  • 2 tbsp tandoori masala
  • 0.5 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp mustard oil or neutral oil
  • 1.25 tsp salt
Lamb and finishing
  • 12 pieces lamb rib cutlets (about 900 g); trimmed to 1/4 inch fat
  • 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped for garnish
  • 1 pinch chaat masala optional, for finishing
  • 1 lemon wedges lemon, cut into wedges; for serving

Method
 

Marinate the lamb
  1. Trim lamb cutlets to about 1/4 inch of fat and score the fat cap lightly with a knife.
  2. Whisk yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, chili powder, tandoori masala, turmeric, garam masala, lemon juice, oil, and salt in a large bowl.
  3. Add cutlets and coat fully, working the marinade into the scored fat. Cover and refrigerate 2 to 8 hours.
  4. Remove cutlets from the fridge 20 minutes before grilling to take the chill off.
Grill the cutlets
  1. Heat a grill or grill pan to high, about 230 C / 450 F, and brush the grates with oil.
  2. Shake off excess marinade and lay cutlets on the grill. Cook 3 to 4 minutes per side until charred at the edges.
  3. Check internal temp at the thickest part of the eye. Pull cutlets at 145 F / 63 C for a pink, juicy center.
  4. Rest cutlets 5 minutes loosely tented with foil. Garnish with coriander, a pinch of chaat masala, and lemon wedges before serving.

Notes

  • Marinate lamb cutlets at least 2 hours, ideally overnight, for deeper flavor.
  • Trim fat cap to 1/4 inch to prevent flare-ups without drying out the meat.
  • Pull cutlets at 145 F / 63 C internal, then rest 5 minutes before serving.
  • Oil the grill grates well since the yogurt marinade sticks and tears easily.