Lamb Chops
Updated Jun 27, 2025
This lamb chop recipe features a simple marinade applied to the chops, which are then flash-seared on each side and finished in the oven.
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My Lamb Chops Are So Good!
In my house, lamb chops are what chicken wings are in most American households: familiar, easy to throw together, and something everyone looks forward to. Growing up Middle Eastern, we ate lamb all the time, and lamb chops were just part of the regular rotation.
This is how I like to make lamb chops when I’m keeping it simple: just lemon, garlic, and rosemary marinade. I then sear the chops on each side in a hot cast iron skillet and finish off with a quick bake in the oven. Nothing fancy, but always flavorful.
Lamb Chop Ingredients
- Lamb chops: Look for rib, loin, or shoulder chops that are about ½-inch thick. You can usually find these at your local grocery store or butcher!
- Rosemary: I love using fresh rosemary for this recipe but you can also use fresh thyme or oregano. If you don’t have any fresh herbs on hand, use 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary, thyme, or oregano.
- Lemon: Lemon juice adds acid to the marinade (I like to use zest and juice), but you can swap in limes or oranges if you’re out of lemons.
- Garlic: Fresh minced garlic cloves are ideal here, but you can use ½ teaspoon of garlic powder if you don’t have any fresh garlic.
- Olive oil: Olive oil is my favorite with lamb chops, but avocado oil or butter can be used.
How to Make Lamb Chops
Lamb Chop Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 8 lamb chops
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large, shallow glass dish, stir together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Add lamb chops and turn to coat in the marinade. Cover and let marinate at room temperature for one hour.
- When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400°F and heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. When heated, use tongs to transfer the lamb chops to the cast iron skillet and discard any remaining marinade.
- Cook on one side for 3 minutes, flip and then immediately transfer to the oven to finish cooking. Bake in pre-heated oven until a thermometer inserted into the center reads 5 degrees below desired final temperature (4-5 minutes for 135 degrees F, which will rest up to 140°F after resting for a medium temperature).
- Remove chops from the oven and from the cast iron skillet and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve with any grain and/or salad of choice.
Equipment
- 10" Cast Iron Skillet
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Tips
- Marinate ahead. You can marinate your lamb chops up to 12 hours in advance. Just be sure to cover them tightly and store them in the refrigerator, then bring them out and let them sit at room temperature while you preheat the oven to take some of the chill off!
- Use your broiler. These chops cook pretty quickly, but if you want them to cook even faster, you can broil them! Use a foil-lined pan and broil for 5 minutes, flipping the chops halfway through for the most even cook.
- Avoid resting your lamb chops in your cooking skillet. The resting period is important for allowing the juices to concentrate in the chops! But letting your meat rest on your hot skillet will keep cooking the chops even when they’re out of the oven.
- Skip the stovetop time if you don’t have an ovenproof skillet. I love to brown my lamb chops on the stovetop before finishing the cooking in the oven, but if you don’t have a skillet that goes easily from stovetop to oven, you can cook skip the stovetop time. Just remember to add an additional 3-5 minutes in the oven based on your desired doneness.
Serving Ideas
- Serve your lamb with potatoes. Whether you drip your cooking oil over some whole potatoes, or you let ’em roast along with your meat, lamb and potatoes are a match made in heaven. I love these chops served over my famous Rosemary Garlic Smashed Potatoes.
- Top a greek salad. I can always go for a Greek salad, and chopped up bits of this tasty, marinated lamb chop are a perfect protein to pair with all that feta-oregano goodness.
- Make hearty orzo. I love the taste of lamb paired with a soft lemony grain like orzo. Try making a citrusy, cheesy orzo with shredded leftover lamb on top. It’s a perfect weeknight dinner!
FAQs
I like to marinate mine for at least an hour, but you can marinate smaller cuts (rib chops and loin chops) for up to 4 hours. I recommend marinating larger lamb chops (like tougher shoulder chops) for up to 12 hours to make sure they’re nice and tender.
Store any leftover baked lamb chops in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. When you’re ready to eat, simply reheat in the oven at 350ºF until warmed through.
I don’t recommend freezing cooked lamb chops because they tend to get very dry and tough when reheated. If you want to freeze them, it’s best to freeze them raw and then thaw them in the refrigerator overnight before cooking.
More Lamb Recipes:
- Lamb Burger
- Lamb Kabobs
- Boneless Leg of Lamb
- Beef or Lamb Kafta
- Stuffed Grape Leaves with lamb
- Steak or Lamb Gyros
Comments
Hi, I’m making these for my mom’s 95th birthday tomorrow. Plan to cut a rack of lamb into 4 pieces of 2 ribs each and marinate overnight. Without searing on the stove, how long would you broil or bake in the oven for a medium rare finish? Thanks.
Aww, please wish your mom a happy birthday for me!! I always sear my lamb chops before roasting them to lock in the flavor, so I’m not sure exactly how long it will take for them to cook for a medium rare finish without searing. You want to internal temperature to reach 130ºF before resting for 5 minutes so they reach 135ºF by the time you serve them. I recommend preheating your oven to 400ºF and then using the meat thermometer to help you decide when to take them out. Hope that helps!
Can you marinate the chops longer than 1 hour, maybe overnight?
Yes, you can marinate them up to 12 hours in advance. Enjoy!
This was our second year making this recipe for Easter lunch and it was a hit! So easy to make too!
Yay, so happy you liked it!! Thanks, Nancy!
I have a full rack of Frenched chops. I plan to cut them individually. Should I remove the top fat layer too?
You can leave a thin layer for flavor, if you’d like, but I like to cut off the excess fat before marinating.
I have lamb chops that are about 1 inch thick without the long bone. Approximately how long should these be marinated and cooked using your method?
Hi there! If you scroll down to the bottom of the page or click “jump to recipe” at the top of the page, you will see the full recipe with the details on how long to marinate and cook.
The aroma of the lamb chops filled my home. I am thankful for this new way to make sure that my lamb chops are succulent and delicious every time!
Thanks so much!
I have a flat cast iron? Can I use that or can I just skip that part and put it on a baking sheet?
Yes, that should work out just fine.
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