Greek-Style Lamb Chops Recipe

Deniz Vergara/Daily Meal

Cooking lamb chops might be intimidating for less-experienced cooks, but there's nothing complicated about this delicious, Greek-style lamb chop recipe. Courtesy of Daily Meal recipe developer Deniz Vergara, this dish is packed with a savory taste thanks to the delicious marinade. "My favorite part about this recipe is the flavor," Vergara says, adding, "I love pairing Greek or Mediterranean spices and flavors with lamb." The ingredient list is nice and short, and chances are that you have most of the items on hand already.

If you're not accustomed to eating meat on the bone, Vergara raves, "I just love the bone-in lamb rib chops. They are tender and juicy and they cook really quickly." That's all the praise we need to get on board with this lamb chop recipe. It's easy to make, delicious, and an excellent accompaniment for dozens of side dishes — this is an obvious addition to our weekly menu.

Deniz Vergara/Daily Meal

For these Greek-style lamb chops, you'll need extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, freshly squeezed lemon juice, minced garlic cloves, Kosher salt, ground black pepper, dried oregano, and bone-in lamb rib chops. If desired, chop fresh parsley leaves and cut lemon wedges for serving.

Deniz Vergara/Daily Meal

In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of the olive oil with the lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper.

Deniz Vergara/Daily Meal

Deniz Vergara/Daily Meal

Place the lamb chops in a baking dish, or leave them in the package they came in, and pour the marinade over the lamb chops, rubbing the marinade into both sides of the meat.

Deniz Vergara/Daily Meal

Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator. If you marinate overnight, allow the lamb chops to sit at room temperature for about 20–30 minutes prior to cooking.

Deniz Vergara/Daily Meal

Heat an oiled cast-iron pan over high heat until it just starts to smoke.

Deniz Vergara/Daily Meal

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, then add lamb chops in batches to avoid overcrowding and cook for 2-4 minutes on each side, depending on thickness and your preference.

Deniz Vergara/Daily Meal

Let the lamb chops rest for 5 minutes, then garnish with a pinch more dried oregano, chopped parsley, and lemon wedges, if desired.

Deniz Vergara/Daily Meal

Serve hot with your choice of sides.

Deniz Vergara/Daily Meal

These Greek-style lamb chops boast delightful Mediterranean flavors thanks to the notes of lemon, garlic, and herbs. Consequently, they make a pretty versatile pairing that works equally well when served with a side dish or as part of a buffet with assorted options. Vergara says, "I like to serve the lamb chops with a Greek Salad and roasted potatoes tossed with lemon zest, garlic, parsley, and crumbled feta cheese." This combination rounds out the profile of the meat with a blend of tangy and herbaceous flavors.

Alternatively, these chops could even work well with mashed potatoes if you want to take the dish firmly into comfort food territory. Wild rice would add a nutty and earthy element to this meaty main, or you could keep things on the lighter side by serving the lamb chops with a leafy green salad dressed with a citrusy vinaigrette. 

Deniz Vergara/Daily Meal

Ideally, you'll only want to cook the amount of meat you plan on eating, but it's natural to end up with extras. "If you anticipate having leftovers, I would recommend cooking those chops a little less, that way when you reheat them they aren't over-cooked," Vergara says. She instructs that once you finish your meal, "You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days."

The next time, you don't have to serve the lamb chops in the same way as when you first prepared the meal. "I have cut the meat off the bone, sautéed it in a little butter, and made gyro-ish sandwiches stuffed into warm naan with tzatziki, chopped romaine, diced tomatoes, and pickled red onions," Vergara says. With that in mind, we might just prep more chops than needed so that we can whip up this tasty dish with leftovers.

• 2 + 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• Zest from ½ a lemon
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (from ½ lemon)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 bone-in lamb rib chops (about 1 pound)

• Chopped parsley
• Lemon wedges

1. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of the olive oil with the lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper.
2. Mix in the oregano.
3. Place the lamb chops in a baking dish, or leave them in the package they came in, and pour the marinade over the lamb chops, rubbing the marinade into both sides of the meat.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator. If you marinate overnight, allow the lamb chops to sit at room temperature for about 20–30 minutes prior to cooking.
5. Heat an oiled cast-iron pan over high heat until it just starts to smoke.
6. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, then add lamb chops in batches to avoid overcrowding and cook for 2-4 minutes on each side, depending on thickness and your preference.
7. Let the lamb chops rest for 5 minutes, then garnish with a pinch more dried oregano, chopped parsley, and lemon wedges, if desired.
8. Serve hot with your choice of sides.