If you’re looking for that perfect recipe to make for a romantic dinner for two or just want to WOW your friends and family, look no further. Lamb has a sophisticated flavor that will make any dinner feel special. And the use of fresh herbs in this recipe makes it a real show stopper!
I love lamb, especially lamb chops! Just ask my husband. If we go out to a nice restaurant and there is lamb on the menu, there is no debating; I order the lamb!
But for years cooking lamb at home intimidated me. I don’t know why…I guess I assumed it wasn’t easy. But a few years ago, I found a recipe for lamb that looked amazing. My husband had been away on a business trip, and I wanted to cook him a special meal to welcome him home. So I thought I would try to cook lamb. I grilled the lamb (the only way I cook it), and it turned out amazing!! I don’t even remember the recipe, but it was just the first of many times that I have now cooked lamb. I don’t do it often, lamb can be expensive, and the stores here don’t always have it. But l can say that lamb no longer intimidates me! And my whole family loves eating it, including my kids!
The Recipe:
This recipe is so easy and simple and really lets the lamb shine. The key is fresh herbs. You would not get the same result with dried herbs. Honestly, I’ve never tried it with dried because this recipe is fantastic the way it is. We grow rosemary and thyme in our garden, so getting fresh herbs is not a problem. Before growing them, I just picked up the fresh herbs at the grocery store.
Take all of your marinade ingredients and blend them in a mini blender until everything is thoroughly combined and you have a paste.
Trim the extra fat off of the lamb. Lamb always seems to have quite a bit of fat on it. When I first started grilling lamb, I had a big problem with the fat catching on fire and ending up with a grill fire…charred lamb was not what I was going for! However, I have learned that trimming off most of the fat almost eliminates this problem, and the grilling is much more manageable.
Once your lamb is trimmed, brush the marinade generously onto all sides of the lamb. Next, lightly salt the lamb and let it marinate for at least an hour in the refrigerator.
When you are ready to grill the lamb, take it out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature (about 20 minutes). Preheat the grill on medium-high to high heat. Once the grill is heated, place the lamb onto the grill. Grill for about 2 to 3 minutes and flip. Grill for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. You are going for a sear on the outside and medium-rare on the inside. If you want to temperature check your lamb for doneness, medium-rare is 130F to 135F. Lamb shines when cooked to medium-rare, so I recommend not grilling it longer. Trust me; it will be juicy, full of flavor, and tender!!
When the lamb is done, remove it from the grill and let it rest for 10 minutes before you serve it. Enjoy!!
Grilled Rosemary Lamb Chops
Equipment
- Grill
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons fresh garlic, or 4 to 5 cloves
- 4 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
- 4 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 6 Tablespoons olive oil
- 8-10 lamb chops
Instructions
- In a small food processor, blend together the garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, and olive oil. Pulse until combined and creamy.
- Trim excess fat off of lamb chops (see notes).
- Lightly salt both sides of the lamb chops and then generously brush marinade on both sides of the chops. Let them marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
- When ready to grill, remove the lamb chops from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
- Heat the grill over medium-high heat, giving it a few minutes to heat up. Add the chops and sear for about 2-3 minutes. Flip the chops over and cook for an additional 3 minutes. You should have a nice brown sear on the outside and still have pink on the inside. Lamb is best-served medium-rare; the internal temperature should be around 125°F. (See below for a more well-done lamb chop).**If you want a well-done lamb chop, cook 5 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 150°F.
- When done, remove from grill and let rest for 10 minutes for serving.