Mint and lamb are a classic pairing. This simple gluten-free mint sauce for lamb chops, which also uses fresh lemon and parsley, does double duty as a marinade and then gets drizzled on top of the seared rib chops. The bright, herby sauce offsets the fatty, juicy lamb perfectly no matter how you cook it—baked, broiled or grilled. It also works for a whole rack of lamb!
In my adult life, I’ve come to think of cooking lamb as a special occasion undertaking, despite growing up with lamb chops as a semi-regular dish on our weeknight rotation. I say semi-regular, because my dad always found it too gamey.
So it’s one of those dishes that just my mom and I enjoyed together. Usually, with our hands, bone to the face, without anyone more mature around to police our table manners (chicken wings were another “when dad is away, the girls will play…with our food” kind of dish.)
I’ve recently resurrected this tradition with my own daughter, who is a toddler and not huge on red meat yet, but like me, enjoys anything with a bone that she can gnaw on. Enter: these marinated lamb chops with mint sauce.
Mint sauce for lamb chops
This isn’t your grandma’s mint jelly! Instead, this gluten-free dairy-free mint sauce is packed with bright acid to help tenderize the meat and then offset the fat on the cooked chops.
The mint marinade uses both mint and parsley, which helps maintain the green color, and like a chimichurri or salsa verde, is punched up with red wine vinegar. There’s also fresh lemon juice and lots of zest, which gives the cooked lamb an almost floral flavor. It’s also the secret ingredient in my boneless leg of lamb with rosemary and garlic.
Marinating lamb chops: step by step
Because of all the wonderful acid, the mint sauce also works as a dressing with a simple green salad served on the side.
Though the marinade can be made in advance, if you want it to maintain a maximum green hue, don’t add the lemon juice until the day of. It will be delicious regardless.
Working with lamb chops: some pro tips!
- You can use this mint marinade for lamb chops in a variety of ways: baked, seared or grilled. I’ve included instructions for each method, including lamb chops in the oven, below.
- Lamb stands up well to a long marinade time, so feel free to leave your meat in the mint sauce overnight in the fridge. But for a weeknight meal, a quick 10 minutes at room temperature will do. The lamb rib chops cook so fast, dinner will still be on the table in 20 minutes!
- Ask your butcher for lamb rib chops, and if you like the elegance of having the bone exposed, ask for it to be “Frenched.” This means they scrape away the fat so you can handle the bone with less mess—it makes for great finger food, but is not necessary!
- A whole rack of lamb is simply rib chops before they’ve been separated, so if that’s all they have at the store, you can cut them into chops yourself.
- Alternatively, for a larger group, bake the whole rack of lamb and serve the mint sauce on the side!
Read on for these delicious marinated lamb chops! If you’re looking for another spin on mint sauce, also check out these Greek lamb burger patties which use an herby tzatziki!
With health and hedonism,
Phoebe
Juicy Marinated Lamb Chops with Mint Sauce (Seared, Baked or Grilled!)
The instructions below are for seared lamb chops, but here is how to adjust the cook time for boiling, grilling or baking these lamb rib chops. If you don’t like your lamb chops pink in the center, cook for longer than stated.
Broiled lamb chops: Cook under the broiler for about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare.
Baked lamb chops in the oven: In a 400 degree F oven, bake the lamb chops for about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare.
Grilled lamb chops: Similar to searing, grill the lamb chops over high heat for about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare.
Ingredients
- 1 cup mint leaves
- 1 cup roughly chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 lemon
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- Sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Olive oil
- 2 pounds lamb rib chops about 12
Instructions
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In a small food processor, combine the mint leaves, parsley, and vinegar. Add the lemon zest and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and the red pepper flakes. Pulse until the mint marinade is well-combined, then drizzle in ½ cup olive oil and puree until smooth. Taste for seasoning and add more salt as needed.
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Place the lamb rib chops in a shallow baking dish and pour 1/3 cup of mint sauce on top. With your hands, make sure every nook and cranny of the chops are coated in the mint marinade. Set aside for at least 10 minutes—or transfer to the fridge to sit overnight.
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Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Scrape off any large clumps of marinade and season the chops with more salt. Add a thin layer of oil to the skillet and sear the marinated lamb chops in batches for 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium rare (depending on the thickness of your rib chops – if thicker than an inch, cook longer). See notes above for instructions on grilled, broiled or baked lamb chops. Remove the lamb chops to a platter.
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Serve the marinated lamb chops with the remaining mint sauce drizzled on top or on the side.