Juicy, mouthwatering Pan Seared Lamb Chops are restaurant-quality but made at home with minimal ingredients and a cast iron pan.
Hey there! It’s Amy from House of Nash Eats and I’m so jazzed to be sharing how to make perfectly succulent lamb chops at home in a skillet today. Lamb is one of my favorite proteins because of it’s rich, complex flavor and how easy it is to cook.
We love grilled lamb chops and oven-roasted rack of lamb, but cooking them in a screaming hot skillet on the stovetop is another one of my favorite tried-and-true methods for serving up a dinner that can rival any high-end restaurant.
I really feel like more Americans would be as obsessed with lamb as I am if they would give these pan-seared lamb chops a try. If you are a fan of a juicy, medium-rare steak, then I promise you are going to rave about these perfectly cooked lamb chops. Lamb loin chops even look like mini little t-bone steaks!
What you need to make pan seared lamb chops
- Lamb chops: I used bone-in lamb loin chops because they fit well in the pan although you could also use lamb rib chops if that’s what you have available. If there is a thick layer of fat around your lamb chops, you may want to trim it before cooking since most of it won’t render.
- Salt: Coarse ground kosher is the way to go here.
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Olive oil: A couple of tablespoons of good olive oil are added to the hot pan before the lamb chops.
- Butter: The butter adds such wonderful flavor to the crust that develops on the lamb chops.
- Garlic: Smash some fresh garlic cloves to add to the pan. They will flavor the butter that gets spooned over the top of the lamb chops towards the end of cooking.
- Fresh herbs: These are optional, but I love adding a few sprigs or rosemary or thyme to the pan to add additional flavor to the pan sauce.
How to make pan seared lamb chops
The only tools you need to make pan seared lamb chops are a cast iron skillet or other heavy pan and a pair of tongs to turn the chops.
- Pull the lamb chops out of the fridge and let them sit on the counter for 30 minutes before you plan too cook them. This allows them to come up to temperature and cook much more evenly.
- Season the lamb chops with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper on both sides.
- Heat the pan over medium-high heat until it is good and hot. You can the meat to sizzle immediately when it hits the pan so it develops a wonderful crust. Add the oil so it can get hot before placing the lamb chops in, making sure not to crowd the pan.
- Cook the lamb chops for 3-4 minutes without moving so that they can sear on one side, then use the tongs to flip and cook on the other side for another 3-4 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the butter, garlic, and fresh herbs to the pan. As the butter melts, spoon it over each of the lamb chops for about 5 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let the lamb chops sit for about 10 minutes until they reach a temperature of 125 degrees F when tested with a digital meat thermometer for medium-rare.
The amount of time that the lamb chops need to cook will depend on the pan, the temperature of the meat before adding it to the pan, and the thickness of the lamb chops, so the better way to approach any meat cooked with this method is by using a reliable digital meat thermometer.
Remember that the temperature of the meat will continue to rise by about 5 degrees F after removing it from the heat, so keep that in mind when you are deciding what temperature to cook your meat to.
Temperature guidelines for cooking lamb
- Rare: 120-125 degrees F
- Medium-rare: 125-130 degrees F
- Medium: 130-135 degrees F
- Medium-well: 135-140 degrees F
- Well-done: 140+ degrees F
Pan Seared Lamb Chops
Ingredients
- 8-9 bone-in lamb loin chops, about 1-inch thick
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt adjust as needed
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, for the pan
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
Instructions
- Let the lamb chops sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Pat dry and season the lamb chops with salt and pepper on all sides.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet or other heavy pan on medium-high heat until very hot. Add the olive oil and heat for a minute, then carefully place the lamb chops in the pan, leaving a little space between them.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes until seared on the bottom side, then flip with tongs and cook another 3-4 minutes on the other side to sear.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the butter, garlic, rosemary and thyme. Spoon the melted butter, garlic, and herbs over the lamb chops while continuing to cook for about 5 more minutes or until the temperature on a digital meat thermometer inserted into the meaty part of the lamb chops reaches 125 degrees F for medium-rare. See notes for additional information about cooking temperatures and degrees of doneness.
- Remove from the lamb chops from the heat, cover with a piece of foil, then let the meat rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- Rare: 120-125 degrees F
- Medium-rare: 125-130 degrees F
- Medium: 130-135 degrees F
- Medium-well: 135-140 degrees F
- Well-done: 140+ degrees F
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
OK, let’s pretend we don’t own a meat thermometer…..how do you tell if it is medium rare?
This was AMAZING! Sooo delicious. Never cooked lamb chops before but can’t wait to make them again! Thank you!
Thanks for the the recipe as I’m going to cook the lamb chops today
Keep it up on doing great things on giving us different kind of recipes
This seared lamb chop recipe is simply the best! I felt like a restaurant chef after preparing and tasting it. Thank you!
Works perfectly! Great lamb recipe and so simple!
Absolutely delicious and easy to make! We will be making these again in the future.
Delicious!!!
Simple to cook and great to eat!
This was simple to make and delicious. The temperature guidelines were just right.
I do believe these are the best lamb chops I’ve ever eaten! And so easy!!
So amazing! Served with fresh asparagus, mashed potatoes and gravy made from drippings. Hot buttermilk biscuits and mint jelly were accompaniments, rounding out a most delicious meal. If I could give the lamb more than 5 stars I would! Better than upscale restaurant (and way more affordable) ABSOLUTELY PERFECT RECIPE! MADE EXACTLY AS WRITTEN. THANK YOU for posting it-😊
Thank you for the ideas of what to serve with this! My husband was given 2 beautiful chops from someone who butchers their own. I love lamb but we don’t have it often – maybe once a year if that – so I was struggling this morning putting my shopping list together. I think biscuits, asparagus and potatoes are what I also will be serving with these chops. Cheers!
That sounds amazing enjoy! !!
Oh my! Easy, Delish and requested again. I added a little Fennel Pollen (foodie fairy dust!) because we love it on meat. Thank you – lamb chops used to be such a drill — no more.
Made this tonight (5 chops) . My husband and I both loved the recipe. So full of flavor!! My one change was red pepper flakes in lieu of rosemary & thyme which I don’t like. Added 2-3 more garlic cloves. Used less oil & butter for the 5 chops. A definite keeper! Will be making it again.
Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback!!
What an easy and scrumptious lamb chop! My first time cooking lamb ever (first time eating it in years, too). Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
OMG, these lamb chops were easy and so delicious. High in protein and low in carbs, just what I wanted.
Fabulous recipe! The lamb chops were perfect — even more so than grilled outside on a gas grill. I substituted 3T homemade vegetable stock for 3/4 of the butter, using just one tablespoon of a butter/olive oil blend. The only problem: your nutrition information claims information for a 4-gram serving that’s 871 kcal — it can’t possibly be correct, as 4 grams is just 1-ounce lamb chop. Even at 4 ounces, the calorie content can’t be that much. (I’m counting it as 350 kcal and 12.3 g protein, and that includes the oil and gravy, my way — which could be about 550 your way with butter.)
Absolutely delicious. Easy to make. I just wish there was more meat on them. LOL