Easy Lemon Thyme Lamb Chops

My Lemon Thyme Lamb Chops recipe is an elegant 30 minute meal that’s as vibrant and delicious as it is quick and easy to put on the table.  Treat yourself and your partner to something special tonight!

My Lemon Thyme Lamb Chops is a classic Provencal recipe

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?

Grilled lamb chops is a super elegant 30 minute meal

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 rib 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.  For the rest of the year I use a good heavy grill pan on the stove and it works just fine. 

How to get great grill marks on your lamb chops

• The key is letting it get nice and smoking hot before the food touches down. 
• Don’t shift the meat around, let it sit in one spot.  
• Gently lift the meat up to check for browning before you flip.
• Grill marks not only look enticing, they enhance 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, you don’t need much in the way of seasonings.  I love the simple fresh thyme and grilled lemon in this recipe.

The ideal temperature for lamb chops

• Aim for medium rare, or 145F on an instant read thermometer.

Some servings suggestions to go with your lemon thyme lamb chops

Depending on the season…

• Cauliflower Rice Tabbouleh
• Fattoush Salad
• Strawberry Salad with Arugula and Salted Caramel Walnuts
• Greek Lemon Potato Salad
• Winter Slaw with Citrus Vinaigrette
• Chopped Greek Salad

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3.21 from 39 votes

Lemon Thyme Lamb Chops

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.  Treat yourself and your partner to something special tonight!

Course dinner

Cuisine American

Cook Time 6 minutes

marinating 20 minutes

Yield 2 servings

Ingredients

• 4 small 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

You can use larger lamb loin chops for this recipe, they will just take a little longer to cook.

*recipe from Patricia Wells' Cooking in Provence

VINTAGE VIEW ~ these easy lamb chops are from TVFGI archives, first published in 2014. As part of a series on the blog I’m reviving some of the best recipes that you may have missed over the years ~ I’ve updated my notes, taken new photos, and enjoyed making this wonderful meal again. Hope you enjoy it too!