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Who needs to go out for dinner when you can cook restaurant-quality Greek Lamb Chops in the comfort of your own kitchen?
These mouth-watering lamb chops are so simple, yet so full of flavour that you’ll forget they were made at home. Seasoned with simple herbs and spices, these lamb chops are a great accompaniment to Greek Chickpea Salad or serve it with my Pico de Gallo.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
With just a few simple kitchen ingredients to highlight the earthy and robust flavors, this recipe is perfect for beginners. The bright, garlicky flavors are perfect for summertime cooking and great for occasions when you want to make an impression, but don’t want to spend too long in the kitchen.
I’ve always made these when I’ve got some special guests, and it has turned out to be a total crowd pleaser!
While our Sun-dried Tomato and Garlic Lamb Roast and Braised Lamb Shanks are terrific, once you try these lamb chops, you will never look back!
What Goes Into This Recipe
- Lamb chops: For that perfect, rich and earthy flavor and juicy, tender meat. You can choose to have it frenched or leave the fat on if you want some extra flavor.
- Garlic: For that savory flavor and aroma. Use as much as you like, but make sure you choose fresh garlic.
- Olive oil: Use good-quality olive oil. You’ll need this to cook the lamb chops and also as the base for the marinade.
- Salt and Pepper: Just some salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Oregano: Greek oregano has the best flavor, and I would highly recommend using it for this recipe. If you can’t find it, just use some regular fresh oregano instead.
Note: please see recipe card at the bottom for list of full ingredients and measurements
Easy. Quick. Totally Delicious.
My Greek Lamb Chops are easy and quick to make, but bring a taste that’s out of this world
- Prep lamb chops: Use paper towels to pat dry the lamb chops and remove all moisture from their surface. Also, discard any shards or bone fragments from its surface.
- Make the marinade: In a small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, dried oregano, garlic mince, salt, and cracked pepper. This will be the marinade for the lamb chops.
- Marinate the lamb: In a large bowl, rub the marinade all over the chops, covering the entire surface. Cover this up and let it rest for at least 30 minutes or more, ideally overnight.
- Grill the lamb: Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat, with just a bit of oil, until it starts to smoke. Cook the marinated lamb for 3-4 minutes on both sides, until you see a nice char on the surface.
Your Greek Lamb’s Dream Team
When I make these at home, I like to pair them with Crispy Greek Lemon Smashed Potatoes or Crispy Garlic Roasted Potatoes, Avocado Greek Salad or carve them up and serve them in Easy Garlic Flat Bread for a homemade souvlaki vibe.
Recipe FAQ’s
Of course! If lamb chops aren’t available at your local butcher or grocery store, you can always use lamb steaks, forequarter chops, or loin chops instead.
I like to cook them for around 3-4 minutes per side to ensure they are still juicy and pink in the centre. However, if you opt to use loin or forequarter chops, keep in mind that they take a little longer.
I usually If using a meat thermometer, remove them as soon as they reach a temp of 60°C (135-145˚F) for medium. For well done, remove them at 70°C or just over (160-165˚F).
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Greek Lamb Chops
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice 1 lemon freshly squeezed
- 2 tsp dried oregano preferably Greek, or 1/2 cup chopped fresh
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cracked pepper
- 8 lamb chops
- 1 tbsp olive oil for cooking
Instructions
- Using paper towels, pat dry chops and discard any shards or bone fragments.
- Mix all of the ingredients together in a small jug or bowl.
- Arrange lamb chops in a large baking dish or on a large plate, and pour the marinade all over the lamb, rubbing it into the meat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for half an hour, or for a deeper flavour, marinate overnight in the refrigerator, turning the chops from time to time (before cooking, let lamb chops sit at room temp 30 minutes).
- Heat oil in a pan (cast iron preferably or grill plates) over high heat until just starting to smoke. Fry or grill lamb in 2 batches for 3-4 minutes each side, depending on thickness until done to your liking. (Usually, at 3 minutes per side they are medium, and at 4 minutes they are medium-well.)
- Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.Sprinkle with a little extra dried oregano for added flavour and a little extra lemon juice (optional).
Optional:
- For left over marinade: reduce heat down to medium-low leaving any leftover drippings in the pan. When pan has lowered in heat, pour in the leftover marinade along with 1 tablespoon of butter and 1/4 cup beef broth. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook for at least 5 minutes. Stir in a tablespoon of lemon juice and serve with the lamb.
Notes
- Make sure you allow the meat to rest for at least 5 minutes before you serve it. Doing this helps seal in the juices and you’ll get the most succulent meat in every bite.
- Got some leftover marinade? Turn it into a wicked delicious sauce that you can team up with the lamb chops. Pour the marinade into a pan over medium heat and let it simmer for a minute or two before you add in some beef broth. Let this cook for a few minutes until it reduces down to half. Let it cool and you have a delicious sauce ready!
- If you have any leftovers, you can refrigerate them for up to 3 days in an airtight container, and then reheat them on the grill over medium-high heat.
- If you want to prep these ahead of time, you could do that too! Simply marinate them, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze them for up to 3 months. You can then let them thaw overnight in the refrigerator and cook them the day after, whenever you want to.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Greek inspired nights have become a regular occurrence in our household thanks to these delicious lamb cutlets along with your crispy greek smashed potatoes and Avocado greek salad! So glad I found your website Karina. Thank you!
Tried this for the first time, with Greek oregano and perhaps a little too much (is there such a thing?) garlic.
A wonderful recipe and the lemon shines through. After one day marinading, the flavour is deep and very satisfying.
I’ve made these three times using a rack of lamb on the gas grill. Excellent. I recommend reducing the heat and cooking a bit longer. I used fresh oregano. This was served with Garlic Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes from this website. Great combo. Also with Brussels Sprouts and Browned Butter. Served with two different Limerick Lane Zinfandels. Perfect match.
Making these for the second time tonight for Valentine’s Day
I broil them way up high in the oven.
I added extra garlic and a little tiny bit of lemon zest from the lemon.
Superb!
This was lovely. Was even asked to put this same seasoning on steaks! Took me back to my experiences in Greece. Thank you.
Very delicious all I did different was take off the burner after 4 minutes each side and kept it covered for 10 min while I made rice I also sprinkled some rosemary on them and they tasted authentic
Wow, these are super delicious and very easy!
This recipe was wonderful! Will definitely make again … even for guesys who love Greek style lamb chops.
I cooked until 135 degree F and next time to 140’145F as they were a bit rare but yummy. The chops were fairly thock. Recipe is a winnet!
Great recipe. Simple and tasty. So quick to make and cook. A new favourite
This were delicious and so easy! thank you!
This was the first time my husband and I made lamb chops – we used small, grass-fed chops. They were superb! We love your recipe. I do not subscribe to recipe sites but I am now subscribed to yours!
I can’t stress enough to anyone who makes this simple recipe that Greek Oregano makes all the difference! The flavor is bright and sunny which works with lemon! (Italian oregano is better with tomato sauces)
If your market doesn’t carry Greek oregano, it’s available online and you’ll use it on chicken, fish…so many dishes!
I agree. I bought Greek oregano from Greece. I went to Amazon and found Zane Greek oregano. I purchased several bags and gave them to my kids. The oregano is already separated/cleaned off the branch. Comes in a nice pouch. Cost is about $7-8. i love it! makes me think about my father’s village back in Greece.