These Lamb Chops are the perfect springy meal to serve for Easter! The lamb is marinated in a simple mixture of rosemary, lemon, olive oil, and spices to keep it incredibly flavorful, and it pairs beautifully with the quick oven-roasted lemony asparagus.
Thanks to our friends at the American Lamb Board for sponsoring this post! All opinions are my own.
Easter is just around the corner, and lamb is the perfect main dish to serve for your celebration. These Lamb Chops are surprisingly easy to prepare at home, and the best part is that you can cook them on the stovetop while your asparagus roasts in the oven. Serve it all up on a simple platter for a gorgeous centerpiece on your Easter or spring table.
For this recipe, we’re starting by marinating our lamb in a simple marinade made with olive oil, thyme, oregano, fresh rosemary, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Oh – and don’t forget a bit of salt and pepper! This can marinate for at least an hour or up to overnight – meaning it’s one more thing you can prep the night ahead of your meal to save a bit of time.
First, prep your asparagus so it can roast in the oven while you cook the lamb. Toss the asparagus with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and a little lemon juice and add a few lemon slices. So simple, and so delicious!
Now that the asparagus is going, start on your lamb chops! One tip I always stand by is to make sure you buy locally produced lamb – it’ll ensure that you’re getting the freshest cut and best flavor possible. And, it helps support our local producers & farmers. Win win!
Cook them in a bit of butter (hey, it is a holiday after all!), for about 4-6 minutes on each side, making sure they get that nice, dark crust on each side. You really want to use a meat thermometer for this recipe, so you can check for proper doneness, and so you can control whether your meat is medium rare, medium, or well done. (This will be elaborated on in the recipe below!)
If the lamb is all done before your asparagus is out of the oven, remove from your pan and tent it with foil to keep warm.
Serve the lamb and asparagus together on a platter for something that will look gorgeous on your table, without too much fuss! You can even use a few extra sprigs of fresh rosemary to decorate the platter with. If you remember the lamb chops I shared in December, we made a pan sauce – I didn’t add that this time because I felt that marinating the lamb provided plenty of flavor, and I wanted to keep things as simple as possible so you can save some energy for the other parts of your meal.
But, the pan sauce from those lamb chops (linked here) would go well with these, if you do want to add it on! Either way, this is a meal that’s sure to be a hit with your family. However you celebrate, Happy Easter and happy spring!
For help sourcing locally-produced lamb, visit American Lamb’s website and use their “where to buy” page – linked here.
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Lamb Chops with Rosemary and Pan-Roasted Lemony Asparagus
Ingredients
For the Lemon Roasted Asparagus
- 2 lbs fresh asparagus
- 4 large cloves garlic
- 1/2 tsp salt
- generous sprinkle black pepper
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large lemons
For the Lamb Chops
- 8 medium lamb loin chops Mine were about 2.7 lbs total
- 6 large cloves garlic
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large lemon, juiced + zested
- 1/2 tsp salt
- generous pinch black pepper
- 1 1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tbsp salted butter
Instructions
- Prep: Mix together all the lamb ingredients in a large tupperware container. Add the lamb chops and rub with the marinade mixture. Secure the lid and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to overnight before cooking. Let the lamb sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before cooking.
- Roast the Asparagus: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Rinse, dry, and trim the ends of your asparagus. Slice one of the lemons into thin slices. Toss the asparagus all the asparagus ingredients, and a squeeze of lemon juice from the second lemon. Divide between two parchment-paper lined baking sheets. Roast for 8-13 minutes, depending on how tender you want the asparagus to be.
- Cook the Lamb Chops: While the asparagus roasts, cook your lamb. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 4 of the lamb chops at a time, and cook 4-6 minutes, until there's a nice dark crust on the bottom. Flip, and repeat, using a meat thermometer to check for doneness. We're looking for 145 degrees F for medium rare chops, 160 for medium, and 170 for well done. Make sure to stick the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, and stick if halfway through the meat - don't let it touch any bones or the pan, for an accurate reading. Once they're done, set aside on a clean plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
- Serve + Store: Serve the lemony asparagus and lamb together. Keep leftovers in the fridge for 4-5 days.
- Optional: You can make the shallot + thyme sauce from my other lamb chop recipe to top these with, if desired. (We found that these have plenty of flavor from the marinade, but if you really want a sauce, try this one!).
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