Juicy succulent lamb chops in a simple garlic and herb marinade – ready in minutes and perfect for date night!
You will also love my Roast Rack of Lamb
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IN COLLABORATION WITH ‘LAMB – TRY IT LOVE IT’
Growing up in Greece I feel like lamb chops are an intrinsic part of my cultural heritage!
My family used to visit restaurants that were known for their chops (paidakia in Greek) – people would travel a fair distance to enjoy delicious grilled lamb.
Well I am here to tell you that you don’t have to travel far to make this irresistible dish – you can cook the perfect lamb chops right at home.
And if cooking with lamb sounds a bit intimidating then take a look at the recipes I have created with “Lamb Try It Love It”!
Cooking for date night
Tender and juicy lamb chops are the perfect easy – yet impressive! – dish to serve at a romantic dinner.
A simple garlic and herb marinade infuses the meat with flavour while the salt tenderises it.
A few minutes in a hot skillet and you are ready to serve – major wow factor for very minor effort!
And I know some of you are raising eyebrows at “garlic” being used near “romantic”… What can I say, I find delicious food pretty seductive… but perhaps you can leave the garlic out if it is a first date 😉
Best herbs for lamb
Lamb ❤️ herbs! It pairs especially well with oregano, rosemary, thyme and mint. These are basically the herbs used in Greek lamb chops along with olive oil and lemon juice.
Mix the herbs with garlic and virgin olive oil to create a simple marinade, rub over the well-seasoned chops and leave for 20-30 minutes before searing in a hot pan.
Know your chops!
If you look for lamb chops at the butcher or in supermarkets you will realise that they don’t all look alike. That’s because they come from different parts of the animal – typically the shoulder, loin, or ribs.
Loin chops are usually a bit thicker and take longer to cook, while rib chops look fancier with the bone exposed (French trimmed) creating an easy handle for picking up with your fingers. My son calls them lollipops!
Look for chops that are all roughly the same size and thickness, with a nice marbling of fat at the edges. Allow for three medium chops per person unless you are feeling particularly hungry!
HOW TO COOK LAMB CHOPS
Take a look at this step by step tutorial – please note you will find the full recipe, including ingredients in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Season your chops liberally with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper.
Prepare the marinade: combine thyme, oregano, rosemary, mint with olive oil and minced garlic in a small bowl.
Rub the marinade over the lamb, massaging it into the meat, and leave for up to 20 minutes at room temperature.
Heat a large skillet over high heat for 30 seconds. Add the olive oil and heat until it slides easily around your skillet – you will see it shimmering.
Reduce heat to medium-high and add the chops. Sear until they are well browned on the first side, about 3 minutes.
Flip the chops over and cook for another 3-5 minutes (depending on thickness). They should be to medium rare 57°C (135°F) if checked with a meat thermometer.
Transfer the chops to a warm plate and leave them to rest for 5 minutes. This will allow the proteins in the meat to relax for maximum juiciness!
What to serve with lamb chops
For a light dinner a deux I would suggest serving these with a salad and maybe some steamed beans or asparagus. Choose from any of the side dishes below for a heartier meal!
Greek potato salad
Quick smashed Greek potatoes with feta and rosemary
Lebanese Tabbouleh salad { vegan }
Herb Marinated Lamb Chops
Ingredients
- 6 lamb chops , rib chops
- Salt and pepper to season
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil to fry
For the marinade
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme , finely chopped
- 1 tbsp dried oregano , Greek oregano preferably
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary , finely chopped
- ½ tbsp fresh mint , finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- lemon wedges to serve
Instructions
- Season your chops liberally with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Prepare the marinade: combine the thyme, oregano, rosemary, mint, garlic and olive oil in a small bowl.
- Rub the marinade over the lamb, massaging it into the meat, and leave for up to 20 minutes at room temperature.
- Heat a large skillet over high heat for 30 seconds. Add the olive oil and heat until it slides easily around the skillet.
- Reduce heat to medium-high and add the chops. Sear until they are well browned on the first side, about 3 minutes. They should be cooked medium rare 57°C (135°F) if checked with a meat thermometer.
- Flip the chops over and cook for another 3-5 minutes (depending on thickness).
- Transfer the chopes to a warm plate and leave them to rest for 5 minutes. This will allow the proteins in the meat to relax for maximum juiciness!
- Serve with lemon wedges on the side and a green salad or choose from your favourite side dishes.
Video
Notes
Nutritional Info
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Perry says
So the recipe may have been posted by a woman, but in Robert B. Parker’s name it’s a super idea for a man to use on his date night! Marinate the meat in advance, clean yourself up nicely and invite your “someone” in for dinner with the potato salad she suggests. Remember the German tradition of serving potato salad warm and let a good wine cool things off. German/ Austrian wines make perfect combinations! Served this with sautéed snap-peas. Garlic’s not a problem if you’ve both eaten it!
Shaun says
German/ Austrian wine’s go with very little, especially this lamb dish! Possibly a decent German Pinot Noir but I’ve never tried any. I also wouldn’t rule out a good Gewurztraminer from California, but in general I’d recommend any of the French Chateau’s eg Chateauneuf Du Pape, or the lighter New World wines.