Ingredients
Scale
For the marinade and chops:
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 shallot, diced
- 1½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2½ pounds frenched rack of lamb, excess fat trimmed and cut into individual chops
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
Instructions
- Make the marinade. In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, minced garlic, diced shallot, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, rosemary, thyme, and lemon zest. Season generously with kosher salt and black pepper.
- Marinate the chops. Place the lamb chops in a large zip-lock bag or shallow dish. Pour the marinade over the chops and turn to coat evenly. Marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours for deeper flavor.
- Bring to room temperature. If you refrigerated the chops, remove them from the fridge about 20 minutes before cooking. Pat each chop lightly with a paper towel to remove excess marinade so they sear rather than steam.
- Heat the pan. Place a large cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan over high heat. Add the canola oil and let it heat until shimmering and just starting to smoke, about 2 minutes.
- Sear the chops. Working in batches to avoid crowding, add the lamb chops to the pan. Sear for 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium-rare (internal temperature of 130°F to 135°F), or 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium (140°F to 145°F). You want a deep brown crust on each side.
- Rest before serving. Transfer the cooked chops to a plate and tent loosely with foil. Let them rest for 5 minutes before serving. This keeps all the juices inside.
Notes
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. Searing in batches is key. If you add too many chops at once, the temperature drops and you get steaming instead of browning.
- Use a meat thermometer. Lamb goes from perfect to overcooked quickly. A thermometer removes all the guesswork.
- Make-ahead tip. You can marinate the chops overnight in the fridge. Just bring them to room temperature before cooking.
- Scaling up. This recipe doubles well. Just make sure you have a large enough pan or use two skillets at the same time.
- Resting is not optional. Five minutes of rest makes a real difference in how juicy the chops are.
- Cast iron is your best friend here. It holds heat evenly and gives a better crust than a nonstick pan.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Pan-Seared
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 lamb chops
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 320 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg