Greek Lamb Chops

 

As a gourmet cook, I don’t need to go to a restaurant to experience Greek Lamb Chops; instead, I make them at home and enjoy the peace and quiet. 

These succulent lamb chops are bursting with flavor, so delicious you'll forget they were home-cooked! Pair them perfectly with refreshing Greek Chickpea Salad or vibrant Pico de Gallo. 

Juicy Lamb Chops are seared to perfection, and I garnish them with zesty lemon slices.

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 the chops and discard any shards or bone fragments.

Mix all the ingredients together in a small 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 flavor, marinate overnight in the refrigerator, turning the chops from time to time (before cooking, let lamb chops sit at room temperature 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 them rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Sprinkle with a little extra dried oregano for added flavor and a little extra lemon juice.

Optional:

For leftover marinade: reduce heat down to medium-low, leaving any leftover drippings in the pan. When the 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 as a gravy.

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 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.

Elizabeth Kilbride is a Writer and Editor with forty years of experience in writing, with 12 of those years in the online content sphere. Author of 5 books and a Graduate with an Associate of Arts degree in Business Management, a bachelor’s in mass communication and cyber-analysis, a master’s in criminology with emphasis on Cybercrime and Identity Theft, and is currently studying for her Ph.D. degree in Criminology. Her work portfolio includes coverage of politics, current affairs, elections, history, and true crime. Elizabeth is also a gourmet cook, life coach, and avid artist in her spare time, proficient in watercolor, acrylic, oil, pen and ink, gouache, and pastels. As a political operative who has worked on over 300 campaigns during her career, Elizabeth has turned many life events into books and movie scripts while using history to weave interesting storylines. She also runs 7 blogs ranging from art to life coaching, food, writing, Gardening, and opinion or history pieces each week.

Greek Cuisine, Kilbride, Potpourri of Frugality, Homemade