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Garlic Herb Grilled Lamb Chops on a bed of farro next to a small pitcher of sauce.

Garlic Herb Grilled Lamb Chops

Course: dinner, Entree, Main Course
Cuisine: European, Greek
Keyword: grilled, lamb
Prep Time: 17 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
marinating time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 4 (2 lamb chops each)
Calories: 1455kcal
Author: Marta Rivera
These succulent lamb chops are marinated in a garlic and herb mixture before getting their smoky flavor from the grill.
Print Recipe

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Garlic Herb Marinade

  • 1 bunch (1/4 cup or 19 grams) oregano leaves removed from stems (or 2 tablespoons of dried oregano leaves)
  • 1 bunch (1/4 cup or 19 grams) mint leaves removed from stems (or 2 tablespoons dried mint leaves)
  • 2 stems (3 tablespoons or 9 grams) rosemary leaves removed from stems (or 1 1/2 tablespoons crushed dried rosemary leaves)
  • 2 stems (3 tablespoons or 9 grams) thyme leaves removed from stems (or 1 1/2 tablespoons dried thyme leaves)
  • 1/4 bunch (2 tablespoons or 2 grams) flat leaf parsley 2-inches of stems removed (or 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes)
  • 1 tablespoon (1 gram) fresh dill 1-inch of stems removed (or 1/2 tablespoon dried dill leaves)
  • 1 medium shallot peeled and rough chopped (about 1/2 cup or 45 grams)
  • 1 1/2 heads (15 cloves, 75 grams, or 1/3 cup) garlic rough chopped
  • 4 large lemons juiced (about 3/4 cups or 180 milliliters)
  • 1 tablespoon (20 grams) kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon (2 grams) black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon (1 gram) crushed red pepper flakes optional
  • 1 cup (250 milliliters) extra-virgin olive oil

For the Lamb Chops

  • 4 pounds (2 kilograms or 8 each) lamb loin chops

Instructions

Prepare the Garlic Herb Marinade

  • With the herbs on a large cutting board, use your chefs knife to give them a fine mince.
  • Next, add the shallot, garlic, lemon juice, kosher salt, Dijon mustard, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to a large jar, bowl, or blender.
    Use an immersion blender set on medium-high speed (or your blender) to blend these ingredients into a thick paste. You might need to move things around with a spoon or rubber spatula to get the process started.
  • Once these ingredients are mostly broken down, drizzle the olive oil into the bowl to develop an emulsion.
    Continue blending until a thick, salad dressing-like marinade forms.
  • Once the marinade base is emulsified, fold in the minced herbs.
    You can make this garlic herb marinade up to 24 hours ahead and store it in a covered jar in the refrigerator. To store it for up to a week, don't add the herbs until 5 minutes before you plan to begin marinating the lamb chops.

Marinated the Lamb Chops (Begin Up to 2 Hours Ahead)

  • Pour 1/3 of the garlic herb marinade into a 9x13-inch baking dish or a large non-reactive bowl.
    Add the lamb chops to the marinade, then pour another third of the marinade over the top of the chops to coat the lamb chops completely.  
  • Cover the dish or bowl with a lid or plastic film and transfer them to the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours.

Grill the Lamb Chops

  • Remove the lamb chops from the fridge at least 30 minutes before grilling them.
    Meanwhile, preheat your charcoal or gas grill to 400°F (204°C). Clean and oil the grates liberally with vegetable oil or peanut oil. If you're using an indoor grill pan, preheat it over medium-high heat with the vent fan on high.
  • Shake off the excess marinade from each of the lamb chops and discard any remaining marinade.
    Place the chops on the grill once it reaches the proper temperature, if you have one, insert a thermometer probe into one chop to monitor the temp as they grill. 
  • Grill the chops on the first side for 4 minutes. 
    Flip the lamb chops over after 4 minutes and grill the meat for another 4-5 minutes. The second side will cook more or less, depending on your preferred internal temperature.
    Lamb chops are rare at 115-120°F (46-49°C), medium-rare at 125°F (52°C), 130°F (54°C), and medium-well to well-done at or above 145°F (62°C).
  • Remove the chops from the grill to a platter and allow the lamb chops to rest for at least 5 minutes before eating them.

Create a Sauce with the Remaining Marinade, Then Serve

  • While you're resting the lamb chops, heat the remaining garlic herb marinade in a pot over medium heat.
    Bring the marinade to a simmer and allow it to heat for 1 minute.
  • After resting the lamb chops, drizzle the warmed marinade (now sauce) over the rested lamb chops, or serve it on the side.
    Serve the finished lamb chops with a garden salad and steamed grains.

Notes

Oven-Baked Lamb Chops:
  1. Marinate the lamb chops as instructed, then remove them from the fridge for 30 minutes to take the chill off of the meat. Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C).
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet (or oven-safe pan) over medium-high heat. Once the oil in the pan begins to shimmer, press the marinated lamb chops into the pan.
  3. Sear for 2-3 minutes on the first side to brown the meat.
  4. Flip the lamb chops in the pan to the other side and carefully slide the pan into the preheated oven. Roast the lamb chops for 10-12 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches your desired doneness.
  5. Remove the lamb chops from the skillet and allow the meat to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Swaps and Substitutions:
  • You can omit or substitute some of these herbs or add (or replace) one of these with marjoram, another popular herb in Greek cuisine. See post for more details.
  • Swap the shallot out for 1/2 cup (26 grams) chopped red onion. 
  • Decrease the garlic to 10 cloves if you're not a huge fan of garlic.
  • Replace the Dijon mustard with yellow mustard. 
  • Replace the lamb loin chops with single-rack (Frenched) lamb chops.
Tips and Techniques:
  • Don't leave the herbs in large pieces because they'll smoke and char on the grill. 
  • You can marinate the lamb chops for up to 4 hours, but the longer you marinate them, the tougher the final product will be. 
  • Removing the meat from the fridge 30 minutes prior to grilling allows the meat to warm up, so you're not having to grill the chops longer to reach the proper internal temperature. 
  • Lamb chops continue to cook after you remove them from the grill; a process called carry-over cooking. Removing the meat from the grill at the recommended temperatures ensures that they end up at the proper internal temperature after allowing them to rest.
  • Reserving some of the marinade- instead of using the marinade the meat sat in- is the best way to avoid a food-borne illness.
Storage and Reheating Instructions:
  • Store leftover grilled lamb chops in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • To Reheat cooked lamb chops:
    1. Arrange them in a baking dish and cover them with any remaining garlic herb sauce/marinade.
    2. Allow them to come to room temperature while you preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C).
    3. Cover the baking dish with foil and place the pan in the oven once it reaches temperature.
    4. Reheat the lamb chops for 10 minutes or until warmed through. 
  • To Freeze cooked lamb chops:
    1. Allow the chops to cool completely and transfer them to a freezer-safe container.
    2. Freeze for up to 2 months.
    3. Thaw the chops in the fridge overnight and reheat as instructed above.

Nutrition

Calories: 1455kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 76g | Fat: 122g | Saturated Fat: 53g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 50g | Cholesterol: 336mg | Sodium: 1744mg | Potassium: 1215mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 550IU | Vitamin C: 62mg | Calcium: 130mg | Iron: 9mg