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If you’re craving a restaurant-quality dinner that comes together in minutes, these garlic butter lamb chops are the answer. My lamb chops are perfectly seared on the outside, and tender, juicy on the inside- with tons of buttery garlic sauce infused with herbs for bold, unforgettable flavor.
I love lamb chops since they feel fancy and restaurant worthy – but they are one of the simplest things I like to make for holiday dinners. I designed this recipe to be really easy to pull off – but it feels five star!
Don’t want all the extras in a recipe post? We provide a skip to recipe button in the top left corner, as well as a clickable table of contents, just below, to help make this page easier to navigate.
At Sweet C’s, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.
Table of contents
How to Make Pan Seared Lamb Chop
Juicy, tender garlic butter lamb chops are seared in a hot skillet and basted with a rich garlic herb butter for a flavorful, restaurant-quality meal made right at home. This quick and easy lamb chop recipe delivers perfectly cooked meat with a golden crust and melt-in-your-mouth texture in under 20 minutes.
Garlic Lamb Chop Ingredients
To make this recipe, you’ll need:
- Lamb chops: The star ingredient in this dish, the lamb chops provide a rich, meaty flavor and a tender texture.
- Italian herbs, fresh thyme and rosemary: The chopped fresh thyme, rosemary, and Italian herbs leave an earthy and herbaceous flavor to the dish that pairs well with the lamb.
- Kosher salt: The kosher salt is used to season the lamb chops and enhance their flavor.
- Black pepper: The freshly ground black pepper is used to add a subtle spiciness to the dish and balance the other flavors.
- Unsalted butter: The unsalted butter is used to cook the lamb chops and create a rich and flavorful sauce.
- Shallot: The finely chopped shallot adds a subtle onion flavor to the dish and helps to build the base of the sauce.
- Garlic: The smashed garlic clove adds a strong and pungent garlic flavor to the dish that pairs well with the lamb.
- Dry white wine or low-sodium chicken broth: The dry white wine or chicken broth is used to deglaze the pan and create a flavorful sauce.
Steps to Make Garlic Herb Lamb Chops
Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, you will use the following process:
Ingredients
Assemble all your ingredients, minced the fresh herbs.
Season
Season the lamb chops with salt, pepper, and herbs on both sides.
Sear
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the lamb chops to the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until browned and cooked to your desired doneness. Remove the lamb chops from the skillet and let them rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Make Sauce
Add the minced garlic and shallot to the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant. Add white wine or chicken stock to the skillet and scrape the pan to deglaze. Add Italian Seasonings and stir to combine, reduce until it becomes a thick sauce, pour it over your lamb chops.
Finish
Optional: Sprinkle fresh parsley and herbs over the lamb chops before serving. Serve the garlic butter pan seared lamb chops with your favorite side dishes such as roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, or a simple salad.
Tips and Tricks For Perfect Lamb Chops
Use high-quality lamb chops: Choose lamb chops that are fresh and of good quality. Look for chops that are pinkish-red in color with a small amount of white marbling.
Use unsalted butter: Using unsalted butter will allow you to control the amount of salt in the dish.
Let the lamb chops rest: Allowing the lamb chops to rest for a few minutes before serving will allow the juices to redistribute and ensure that the meat is tender and juicy.
Experiment with different herbs: You can add different herbs such as rosemary, thyme, or oregano to the skillet for extra flavor.
Adjust the seasoning to your taste: Taste the garlic butter mixture before adding the lamb chops and adjust the seasoning to your taste.
Pan-seared lamb chops: Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat until it’s hot. Season the lamb chops with salt and pepper and place them in the skillet. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side for medium-rare, or 5-6 minutes on each side for medium. The internal temperature should be around 145°F (63°C) for medium-rare, or 160°F (71°C) for medium.
Grilled lamb chops: Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Season the lamb chops with salt and pepper and place them on the grill. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side for medium-rare, or 5-6 minutes on each side for medium. The internal temperature should be around 145°F (63°C) for medium-rare, or 160°F (71°C) for medium.
Roasted lamb chops: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Season the lamb chops with salt and pepper and place them on a roasting pan. Roast for 10-12 minutes for medium-rare, or 12-15 minutes for medium. The internal temperature should be around 145°F (63°C) for medium-rare, or 160°F (71°C) for medium.
Lamb cooking temperature:
- Rare: 125°F (52°C) – The lamb chops will have a red center and be very tender.
- Medium-rare: 135°F (57°C) – The lamb chops will have a pink center and be tender and juicy.
- Medium: 145°F (63°C) – The lamb chops will have a slightly pink center and be juicy and flavorful.
- Medium-well: 155°F (68°C) – The lamb chops will have a slight pink center and be less juicy and more firm.
- Well-done: 165°F (74°C) – The lamb chops will be completely cooked through with no pink and be less tender and juicy.
My Pro Tip
Lamb Chop Temperature
It’s important to note that the USDA recommends cooking lamb to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F (63°C) for safety reasons. However, some people may prefer their lamb cooked to a different level of doneness, so it’s important to use a meat thermometer to ensure that the lamb is cooked to your preference.
What to Serve With Garlic Butter Lamb Chops
Try my favorite sides with lamb including vegetables, rice pilaf, crispy roasted potatoes, potatoes, salad, green Greek salad, salade de Chèvre Chaud, tahini roasted cauliflower, no knead bread or a crusty loaf with bread dip.
We also love topping lamb with zhoug sauce – a spicy Israeli cilantro sauce that is crazy addictive – or topping with cool and creamy tzatziki, or even Tahini Sauce!
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Garlic Butter Lamb Chops
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Italian herbs, if using fresh use 4 tbsp, mince and combine
- 6 lamb chops
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 shallot, finely minced
- 4-6 cloves garlic
- 1 cup dry white wine or low-sodium chicken broth
- 1-2 fresh thyme and rosemary, sprigs each, optional garnish
Instructions
- Divide the Italian herbs into two equal portions.
- Season the lamb chops with salt, pepper, and half the fresh herbs on both sides.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt half the butter.
- Add the lamb chops to the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until browned and cooked to your desired doneness.
- Remove chops from pan and let rest on a wire rack.
- As chops rest, add other half butter to pan and melt.
- Add shallot and garlic and heat until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Add the remaining fresh herbs.
- Stir in wine to deglaze pan, stirring up browned bits of lamb.
- Bring sauce to boil and let reduce and thicken, about 2 minutes.
- Drizzle sauce over lamb.
- Optional: Sprinkle fresh parsley or sprigs of rosemary over the lamb chops before serving.
- Serve the garlic butter pan seared lamb chops with your favorite side dishes such as roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, or a simple salad.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Garlic Herb Lamb Chop FAQs
Lamb loin or rib chops are the best cuts for pan searing because they are tender and cook quickly.
Marinating the lamb chops is optional but can add extra flavor to the dish. If you choose to marinate, do so for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight in the fridge.
Cook lamb chops for 3-4 minutes per side for medium-rare or until the internal temperature reaches 145°F (63°C).
Yes, you can use other types of oil such as olive oil or vegetable oil for pan searing.
Lamb chops should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C) for medium-rare, 160°F (71°C) for medium, and 170°F (77°C) for well done.
Yes, you can season lamb chops with other spices such as garlic powder, cumin, or paprika to add extra flavor.
Pan-seared lamb chops can be served with a variety of side dishes such as roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, or a simple salad.
It’s best to cook lamb chops fresh for the best flavor and texture. However, you can sear the lamb chops in advance and finish cooking them in the oven before serving.
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