Learn how to cook lamb chops with perfect results every time! Make a quick marinade with olive oil, garlic, lemon and rosemary. Then, cook your chops on the grill, in the oven, or on the stove.
Table of Contents
Lamb chops vs. rack of lamb
Lamb rib chops are cut from the ribs of a lamb. A rack of lamb is a section of eight ribs with meat attached. The rack is usually the more cost-effective choice. Because of this, I like to purchase a whole rack of lamb and cut it into individual lamb chops.
You’ll want a frenched rack of lamb, meaning that the rib bones are exposed. Most racks of lamb will already come this way, but you can also ask your butcher to do this for you.
Ingredient notes
- Lamb Rib Chops – Or, a rack of lamb that has been cut into individual lamb chops that are about ¾-inch thick.
- Olive Oil
- Garlic
- Rosemary – Or, substitute half the amount of dried rosemary.
- Fresh Lemon – We’ll use both the zest and the juice.
- Salt & Pepper
How to cook lamb chops
Step 1
Make the marinade
- Combine the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, lemon juice, lemon zest and salt & pepper in a small bowl.
Step 2
Marinate the lamb
- Pour the mixture over the lamb chops and let marinate at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.
Step 3
Cook
See below for recommended cooking temperatures. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- Grill: Heat grill to 500-degrees and grill chops for 2-4 minutes per side.
- Stove: Preheat a grill pan to medium-high heat. Then, cook the chops for 2-4 minutes per side.
- Oven: Preheat your broiler to HIGH. Remove lamb chops from the refrigerator 30-minutes before you plan to cook them. Broil for 3-5 minutes per side.
Lamb chops cooking temperatures
- Rare: 115ºF – 124ºF (very pink inside)
- Medium rare: 125ºF – 135ºFF (bright pink inside)
- Medium: 136ºF – 144ºF (light pink inside)
- Medium well: 145ºF – 154ºF (barely any pink left)
- Well done: 155ºF (no pink)
Note: The USDA recommends cooking lamb to an internal temperature of 145 degrees with a 3 minute rest.
Pro tips
- Don’t over-marinate the lamb. If the lamb is left marinating for more than 24 hours, the citrus will cause the meat to break down too much.
- Be sure to let your lamb come to room temperature before placing it on your hot grill. This ensures that it will grill up evenly, without the inside of the lamb being too rare.
- Use a meat thermometer! It’s much easier than eyeballing it. When the internal temperature reaches 130ºF, the lamb will be a nice medium rare.
- Leaving the grilled chops to rest for 5 minutes is preferred to seal in the delicious juices and flavor.
FAQ
Plan on 3-4 rib chops per person.
To tell if lamb is done without a thermometer, make a small cut into the lamb and touch the knife to your wrist. If the knife is cold, the meat is still raw. If it’s similar to your body temperature, it’s medium rare. If it’s warm, it’s medium. And if it’s hot, it’s well done.
For the perfect lamb chops, medium-rare is the preferred doneness. For medium rare, remove it from the grill when the thickest part of the lamb chop reaches 130-degrees. It will continue to cook a bit as it rests.
You’ll find racks of lamb typically with eight ribs, but your butcher can cut them into smaller pieces if you’re serving less people.
What to serve with lamb chops
Sauces for lamb chops
- Mint jelly
- 17+ MORE sauces for lamb chops
Side dishes for lamb chops
- MORE → my must try lamb side dishes
Erin’s wine pairings
- Malbec with medium body and smooth tannins makes an excellent pairing for the rich lamb chops.
- Petite Sirah is another great match. With its typical flavors of plum, raspberry, blackberries, and black pepper it lends itself wonderfully to stronger flavored meats, such as lamb.
- Syrah is another wine that will stand up nicely to these lamb chops and the spices going on in the peanut sauce.
- MORE → my 8 favorite lamb wine pairings.
More lamb recipes
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Full Recipe
How to Cook the BEST Lamb Chops
Ingredients
- 8 lamb rib chops (¾ inches thick)
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic (grated or minced)
- 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary (chopped, or 1 tsp dried rosemary)
- 1 lemon (zested and juiced)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Combine the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, lemon juice, lemon zest and salt & pepper in a small bowl.
- Pour the mixture over the lamb chops and let marinate at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.
Grill
- Heat grill to 500-degrees and grill chops for 2-4 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reads 135-degrees, for medium-rare*.
- Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Grill Pan
- Cook on medium-high heat for 2-4 minutes per side.
Broiler
- Preheat your broiler to HIGH. Remove lamb chops from the refrigerator 30-minutes before you plan to cook them. Broil for 3-5 minutes per side.
Notes
-
Rare: 115ºF – 124ºF (very pink inside)
-
Medium rare: 125ºF – 135ºFF (bright pink inside)
-
Medium: 136ºF – 144ºF (light pink inside)
-
Medium well: 145ºF – 154ºF (barely any pink left)
-
Well done: 155ºF (no pink)
-
Don’t over-marinate the lamb. If the lamb is left marinating for more than 24 hours, the citrus will cause the meat to break down too much.
-
Be sure to let your lamb come to room temperature before placing it on your hot grill. This ensures that it will grill up evenly, without the inside of the lamb being too rare.
-
Use a meat thermometer! It’s much easier than eyeballing it. When the internal temperature reaches 130ºF, the lamb will be a nice medium rare.
-
Leaving the grilled chops to rest for 5 minutes is preferred to seal in the delicious juices and flavor.
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