Lemon Thyme Lamb Chops is an elegant 30 minute meal that is as vibrant and delicious as it is quick and easy to put on the table.
Morning everyone — it’s Monday again, can you believe it? April has just whizzed by. I’m in one of those roller-coaster periods where I haven’t stopped to take a breath. Luckily for today’s meal I’m escaping to the heart of France, where they’ve made it a point of pride to stop and smell the lavender. Every culture harbors a nugget or two of wisdom about food, and what I take from French country cooking is the courage to go ultra simple.
Lemon, good olive oil, fresh thyme, sea salt. And a hot fire. The flavors are rich and juicy. The meat cooks for a mere 2 minutes per side. Dinner is ready in a flash, and it’s magnificent. I’ve been rereading Patricia Wells’ Cooking in Provence in bed all week, can you tell?
Lamb chops haven’t been on my radar much, I don’t know why. My mom made them all the time, but for some reason I’ve developed a cooking style that doesn’t focus on chops and roasts very often. But everything that goes around comes around, and I’m slowly finding myself tempted by these cuts again lately.
You’ll want the small lamb chops for this dish, they are only about a 1/2 inch thick. The meat marinates for just 20 minutes, so after you’ve set the table and poured yourself a glass of Bordeaux it’s ready to hit the grill. If you serve these beautiful chops with couscous and a simple vegetable like I did, you’ll be amazed at how fast it all comes together.
I can already tell that my spring summer obsession is going to be grill marks. Since I don’t have an outdoor grill I use a good heavy pan on the stove and it works just fine. The key is letting it get nice and smoking hot before the food touches down. It not only looks enticing, it enhances the flavor of whatever you’re cooking. I even grilled the lemons.
Sprinkle a little sea salt on after cooking so it doesn’t draw out the precious juices before their time. Lamb is so flavorful, nothing else is needed. Serve it with couscous and steamed or roasted baby carrots, or asparagus for the ultimate spring dinner.
Don’t forget to pin these easy Lemon Thyme Lamb Chops!
Ingredients
- 4 lamb chops
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 lemon, cut in half
- fresh thyme
- 1/8 cup olive oil
- sea salt
Instructions
- Put the lamb chops in a shallow dish and cover with 1/8 cup of oil, the lemon juice, and a couple of tablespoons of thyme leaves. Cover and let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Turn the chops over a couple of times to allow all surfaces to marinate.
- Preheat a stove top grill pan on high heat for about 5 minutes. Lower the heat slightly and grill the chops for about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Don't move them once you put them down so you will get nice grill marks. Grill the lemon alongside the chops.
- Serve right away sprinkled with sea salt and more fresh thyme leaves.
Notes
Recipe from At Home in Provence
31 Comments
Lisa R
July 8, 2018 at 12:56 amI made the lemon thyme lamb chops. They were quick, easy and delicious and full of flavor. My grill is being repaired so I seared them and finished them off in the oven. I will definitely be making these again soon! Thank you for the great recipe. Now that I have found you I can’t wait to make some more of your recipes.
Sue
July 8, 2018 at 8:00 amWelcome in Lisa, it’s been too long since I’ve made lamb chops, thanks for the reminder!
Barbara
November 16, 2018 at 1:47 pmLisa,
How long did you put them in the oven and at what temperature?
Thanks,
Barbara
Yumvilla
October 21, 2017 at 1:46 amHi, the recipe sounds delicious! thanks so much SUE!
Elizabete
October 12, 2017 at 3:28 pmI added garlic and they turn out perfect.
Sue
October 12, 2017 at 4:03 pmSo glad to hear it!
Elaine
September 18, 2017 at 6:47 amAwesome recipe! Very balanced and the ingredients all look fantastic together! Great work and amazing result!
Sue
September 18, 2017 at 7:41 amThanks Elaine!