Lamb Chops with Spiced Yogurt Marinade

Lamb Chops have become one of our spring must have proteins. We have tried so many different ways of making lamb and have loved them all!!! So, trying a yogurt marinated lamb was a fun experience.

The lamb was so tender after marinating for 3 hours we didn’t even need a knife to cut the finished product. In fact, I was asked to leave the kitchen because I ate one of the lamb chops while Amy was trying to take pictures for the blog. I mean, she did ask me to pick one up for a picture and, of course, my natural instinct was to take a bite. So, in my world you don’t even need a knife or fork!

Key steps for making the lamb chops

This is one of those dishes that everyone is going to think you spent hours making. Plus, we found the lamb chops can be cooked rare, medium rare, or well done and they come out tender and full of flavor, so everyone will be happy!

The spices and lemon juice mix right in the yogurt to make a quick marinade. We added habanero, which gave a nice spicy zip to the lamb chop recipe, but peppers are totally optional. If you don’t want it spicy, just leave out the habanero or add more if you want it super spicy. We think the addition of the habanero gives a nice sweet and spicy flavor to every bite and it works well with the other seasoning, but doesn’t necessarily make the entire dish.

How do I cut a rack of lamb?

Don’t be intimated by a rack of lamb. I used to think there is no way I can cut a rack of lamb to make lamb chops. Boy, was I wrong!!! This is so easy. Just stand the rack on its bottom and cut in between the bones. A sharp knife helps make this really easy but, just so you know, my knives are super dull and they worked just fine. 😀

Squeeze lemon juice on the lamb chops than sprinkle salt, pepper, and granulated garlic on both sides.

Place the lamb chops in a container that can be placed in the refrigerator. Coat the lamb chops in the spiced yogurt. Marinate for at least 30 minutes to overnight. We marinate ours for about 3 hours and it works great. This helps break down the meat and makes it soooooo tender.

About 30 minutes before you’re ready to cook, remove the lamb chops from the fridge and remove/scrape off the majority of the marinade. I used a table knife but a paper towel can also be used to remove the marinade. This is to keep the yogurt mixture from burning in the pan while the chops are cooking. You want to get a nice sear and if there is too much marinade on the lamb it can burn before the chops have cooked all the way through.

Cooking the lamb chops

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan. We used 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil to cut some calories. It is ok to use a little more olive oil if you want. Cook the lamb chops 2 – 3 minutes on each side for a medium. We use a meat thermometer to get the preferred temperature. TIP: Place them in a 200 degree oven to keep warm while cooking the rest of the chops.

• Rare – 115 – 120F
• Medium rare – 125F
• Medium – 130F
• Medium well – 145F
• Well done – 150F

How to serve

Serve with rice, risotto or your favorite potatoes. Sprinkle chopped cilantro over the lamb chops. If you don’t like cilantro use parsley, green onions or chives. A Tzatziki sauce would be very nice with the lamb chops.

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