Turkish Lamb Chops

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These spicy marinated Turkish lamb chops are simple and satisfying. You will only need a few ingredients, a skillet, and about 5 minutes to sear these mouthwatering lamb chops.

This Turkish lamb chops recipe is one of our favorite ways of cooking this cut of lamb. Check out our Air Fryer Lamb Chops as well; you could also cook these Turkish marinated chops in the air fryer.

Why will you love this recipe?

• Simple ingredients: The Turkish marinade for lamb chops is made with just a few cupboard ingredients; it’s fresh and delicious.
• Quick: Gathering ingredients and seasoning lamb chops takes about 5 minutes, and pan-searing the lamb chops takes another 5.
• Serve: This meal is simple and fast enough to make the perfect busy weeknight dinner for the whole family, yet it is elegant enough for a romantic dinner or an evening with friends.
• Cooking method: For example, I cooked these Turkish lamb chops in a cast-iron skillet on the stovetop, but you can also grill them in a griddle pan, on the grill outside, or air fry them.

Recipe ingredients

• A rack of chops: I had frozen New Zealand lamb rib chops cut into individual rib chops. Defrost them in the refrigerator overnight.
  • The racks were cut into single pieces. If yours are not, cutting lamb chops is easy. Just cut between the bones using a sharp knife.
  • 8 ribs weigh about 2.2 lbs (1 kg); they will serve 2-3 people as a main dish or 4 as an appetizer.

• Marinade ingredients: garlic, lemon zest, and juice of one unwaxed, organic lemon, dried oregano, thyme, rosemary, red chili flakes, fine sea salt or Kosher salt, ground black pepper, and olive oil.
• If authentic Turkish pul biber (red chili flakes) is available, do use it!
• More olive oil to pan sear the meat.

How to make Turkish lamb chops?

• Marinade: Stir grated garlic cloves, lemon juice and zest, dried herbs, red chili flakes (or red pepper flakes), salt, pepper, and olive oil in a small bowl until thick paste forms. Pour the spice mixture over the chops and turn them in the marinade to coat them all over.

• Marinating time: Remove the meat pieces from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking so that they can come to room temperature (1). 
  • If you choose to marinade them for 30 minutes, do that immediately and then leave the meat on the counter until ready to cook (2).
  • If you want to marinade the chops for longer than 30 minutes (2-3 hours), marinate them in the refrigerator and take them out 30 minutes before cooking.

Cook the lamb chops:

• Heat the cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat. Add oil to the pan.
• Place the chops in the hot pan on the narrow fat side and cook the fat for 2 minutes until a bit of the has been rendered.
• Arrange them in a single layer in the pan and cook the first side for about 2 minutes (3).
• Flip with tongs and cook the other side for another 2-3 minutes (4).
• Don’t overcook; check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer.
• Let the lamb rest for 2-3 minutes before serving.

Internal temperature for lamb chops before and after resting

• Medium-rare: 130°F/ 55°C; after resting 140°F/ 60°C
• Medium: 150°F/ 65°C; after resting 160°F/ 71°C
• Well-done: 160°F/ 71°C; after resting 170°F/ 77°C

Expert Tips

• The best pan to use is a cast-iron skillet; it retains the heat best and helps sear the meat perfectly. If you don’t have one, use another large thick-bottomed frying pan.
• Don’t overcrowd the pan, or the meat will steam instead of being nicely seared.
• Frying the narrow fat strip of the chops first helps protect the meat keeping it tender and adding flavor.

Recipe FAQ

What to serve with lamb chops?

• Arrange them on a large platter on a couscous or bulgur wheat bed.
• You can also serve them with potatoes or rice. Try them with this Potato Salad with Green Onion, Creamy Pesto Gnocchi Recipe, and Baked Sweet Potato Slices.
• Roasted or boiled baby potatoes, mashed potatoes, baked potato wedges, or smashed potatoes are great sides.

• Make a simple green salad on the side, green beans, this Beet Apple Salad, Air Fryer Asparagus, or cook some Canned Corn. Grilled vegetables, cucumber salad, tomato, red onion salad, or chopped vegetable salad are all great.

• Make a yogurt mint sauce or a tahini-lemon sauce like in this post for Easy Falafel Sandwich (with Pita and Tahini Sauce).
• You can also sprinkle the Turkish lamb chops with a dash of sumac or fresh pomegranate seeds before serving.

We have curated a selection of delectable side dishes that perfectly complement lamb chops.

Check out the web story for this recipe: How to make Turkish Lamb Chops

More Easter recipes

Turkish Lamb Chops

These spicy marinated Turkish lamb chops are simple and satisfying. You will only need a few ingredients, a skillet, and about 5 minutes to sear these mouthwatering lamb chops.

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Turkish

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Marinating time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 2 – 4

Calories: 837kcal

Author: Adina

Equipment

• Skillet
• Meat thermometer

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Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• 8 single-rib lamb chops Notes 1,2,3
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Marinade:

• 3 large garlic cloves grated
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest Note 4
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• ¼ – ½ teaspoon red chili flakes to taste, Note 5
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt or Kosher
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 4 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

• Lamb chops: Remove them from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Place them in a baking dish in a single layer.

  8 lamb chops
• Marinade: Mix all the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over the lamb chops and turn the meat into the marinade to coat it all over.

  3 garlic cloves (grated) + 1 tsp lemon zest + 2 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 tsp oregano + 1 tsp thyme +1 tsp rosemary + ¼ – ½ tsp red pepper flakes + ½ tsp sea salt + ½ tsp pepper + 4 Tbsp olive oil
• Marinating time: You can marinate the chops for the 30 minutes they need to reach room temperature or for 2-3 hours.
• Heat the cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to the pan.
• Place the chops in the hot pan on the narrow fat side and cook the fat for 2 minutes until a bit of it has been rendered.
• Arrange them in a single layer in the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Then, flip with tongs and cook the other side for another 2-3 minutes.
• Check: Don’t overcook; check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer (Note 6).
• Rest the chops for 2-3 minutes before serving.

Notes

1. Racks of lamb that are cut into single chops. You can buy them already cut, or you can cut them yourself. One individual rib weighs about 2.5 oz/ 75 g.
2. Servings: 8 lamb rib chops serve 4 as an appetizer or 2-3 as a main dish.
3. The nutrition is calculated for 2 lamb chops per serving.
4. Preferably from an organic, unwaxed lemon.
5. For an authentic flavor, use pul biber – Turkish red chili flakes. Alternatively, use red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to taste.
6. Internal temperature for lamb chops before and after resting:

• Medium-rare: 130°F/55°C; after resting 140°F/60°C
• Medium: 150°F/65°C; after resting 160°F/71°C
• Well-done: 160°F/71°C; after resting 170°F/77°C

 

Nutrition

Serving: 2lamb chops | Calories: 837kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 60g | Fat: 63g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 37g | Cholesterol: 198mg | Sodium: 812mg | Potassium: 859mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 145IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 6mg

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