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By Kevin
published Jun 03, 2024
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These tender lamb loin chops are ready in less than 45 minutes! Start these Greek lamb chops by marinating them in fresh rosemary, melted butter, olive oil, red pepper flakes, and garlic, and then give them just a few brief minutes on the grill before they’re on your plate.
Lamb has a naturally earthy, robust taste that would be a shame to hide with excessive seasoning. I’m using just a few ingredients to highlight these flavors — it’s a simple, beginner-level lamb recipe that won’t leave you guessing!
Greek lamb chops are marinated in complimentary, summery flavors that define Mediterranean cooking: bright, floral lemon, grassy herbs, sweet and hot red pepper flakes, and just a touch of olive oil.Perfect summertime grilling fare!
Make these lamb loin chops either on the grill or in a cast iron pan. The latter is an excellent choice for the cooler seasons — or if you want to make a delicious pan sauce, sizzling the herbs and garlic, to go along with the meat.
Table of Contents
- Lamb loin chops
- Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- How to Make Lamb Loin Chops
- Recommended Tools
- Storing and Reheating
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Greek Lamb Loin Chops Recipe
As far as sauces go, cool and creamy tzatziki is another excellent option, and a light feta or lentil salad featuring produce of the season is a great match for grilled lamb.
Tip From Kevin
Lamb loin chops
These small triangular cut lamb chops are compact in tender meat and a typical 2 pound pack of 8 from Costco feeds 4 people with sides easily. The bone in them reminds me of a T-bone steak. A beautiful cut to grill!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Lamb Chops – This recipe is for 8 individual, or roughly 2 lbs of, lamb chops.
- Butter & Olive Oil – Both butter and oil are used in the marinade to add flavor and moisture to the meat. The oil helps us to grill at a higher heat, and the butter helps to both flavor and emulsify the marinade.
- Lemon – I zest the entire lemon peel and juice the fruit to its fullest extent. Lime is, as always, a fine substitute for lemon.
- Garlic – Don’t use powdered garlic for this recipe. It loses all potency and adds little to no flavor as a marinade ingredient.
- Rosemary – The woodsy, lemony, and minty flavors of rosemary are perfect for lamb! Substitute with thyme or sage if needed. Parsley is another great herb you can use instead of, or in addition to, rosemary.
- Oregano – If you’d prefer to use fresh, use 1 teaspoon of freshly chopped oregano leaves.
- Red Pepper Flakes – Just a pinch for a bit more heat! Substitute with paprika for less heat, or use a bit more to kick things up a notch.
How to Make Lamb Loin Chops
- Begin the Marinade. Zest the lemon into a bowl, taking care to avoid the pith. Juice the lemon into the same bowl and add the olive oil and melted butter. Whisk thoroughly.
- Prepare Marinade Herbs and Seasonings. Add the herbs, salt, pepper, garlic, and red pepper flakes to the bowl and mix into the marinade.
- Marinate. Place the lamb loin chops in a bowl (or large, sealable plastic bag) and pour the marinade over them. Let marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
- Grill. Preheat the grill to 350 degrees F and then grill the meat to your desired doneness. I prefer mine medium with a little pink, so I grill each side for 3 to 4 minutes until their internal temperature reaches 130 degrees. For rarer chops, grill for 2 or 3 minutes per side or until the internal temperature hits 120 degrees.
- Serve. Let Greek lamb chops rest for a minimum of 5 minutes before serving.
- Citrus Juicer – A juicer will get every last drop out of the lemon.
- Zester – Using a good, sharp zester will save you a lot of time and energy, and allow you to get all of the zest from the lemon without cutting into the bitter pith underneath.
- Grill – I usually prepare lamb loin chops on the grill, but you’ll have just as much success preparing them on a cast iron skillet. See the Notes on the recipe card.
Storing and Reheating
Transfer any leftover Greek lamb chops to an airtight container and refrigerate. Like most red meat, cooked lamb can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Reheat in an oven preheated to 350 degrees F until warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between lamb chops and lamb loin chops?
A loin chop is just one type of lamb chop. There are also rib chops and shoulder chops (which are also called blade or arm chops).
The loin chop is a portion of the larger saddle chop — a cut made from the loin on either side of the lamb’s back and hips.
Are lamb loin chops tender or tough?
It’s very tender! The loin’s placement on the animal means the muscle wasn’t worked too hard and, as a result, is almost the perfect balance of fat and muscle — which makes it great for grilling! It doesn’t need to cook for long to become tender, so you can quickly sear it and still have juicy, tender chops.
How do you cook lamb chops without drying them out?
You don’t want to leave lamb on the grill for too long, no longer than 10 minutes for very well-done chops.
Marinating the meat, even for just 30 minutes, helps tremendously. Finally, making sure the meat spends some time at room temperature, not fridge-cold, also helps to keep it juicy.
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Greek Lamb Loin Chops
Greek lamb loin chops are doused in a buttery, lemony, garlicky marinade and quickly grilled to juicy, tender, Mediterranean perfection!
Servings: 4
Prep: 30 minutes mins
Cook: 12 minutes mins
Total: 42 minutes mins
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Ingredients
- 2 lbs lamb loin chops (8 lamb loin chops, 2/per person)
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary leaves chopped
- 2 tsp dried oregano (See Note 1)
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
US Customary – Metric
Instructions
Zest the entire peel of the lemon and extract the juice. Put in a bowl and mix with the olive oil and melted butter, whisk to mix thoroughly.
Add the minced garlic, chopped rosemary, oregano, kosher salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Mix all and pour over lamb chops in bowl OR into a large sealable plastic bag, and let marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
Prep your grill to 350°F (See Note 2). Grill to your liking, although for a nice medium with a little pink I do 3-4 minutes per side until internal temp reaches 130°F over medium heat.
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Notes
- Or substitute 1 teaspoon of fresh oregano leaves, chopped.
- Can’t grill? Use a cast iron skillet and cook them 3-4 minutes per side until internal temp reaches 130°F.
Nutrition
Calories: 719kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 61g | Saturated Fat: 27g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 25g | Cholesterol: 168mg | Sodium: 419mg | Potassium: 550mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 34IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 4mg
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Course: main dishes
Cuisine: Greek
Author: Kevin
Have You Made This Recipe? Let Me Know on InstagramTag @keviniscooking or tag me #keviniscooking!
Kevin
I was bitten by the cooking bug as a kid cooking and baking along side my mom. After an ROP restaurant course in high school, I went to work in restaurants and catering. My love of travel and food has led me across the world and I love to share those foods with family and friends.
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