Lamb Loin Chops Recipe (Cast Iron)

This easy lamb loin chops recipe will be your family's favorite. Lamb loin chops marinated in olive oil, lemon, paprika and garlic make a delicious dinner for everyone!

When it comes to cooking, we always try to use seasonal produce. Fresh and in season ingredients give such an amazing flavor to the dish and we try to use them as much as possible. These lamb loin chops are the perfect family dinner, served with seared onions and tomatoes. I love serving these pan seared lamb loin chops with some Mediterranean salad or Mediterranean potato salad for more flavor. 

In addition to beef, chicken, and seafood, lamb is also a favorite as its extraordinary flavor and tender texture are perfect for many different recipes. Some of our favorite lamb recipes are braised lamb shanks, lamb stew and stuffed eggplant with lamb and walnuts. 

What's the difference between lamb loin chops and lamb chops?

Lamb loin chops are cut from the waist of the lamb and have a small piece of bone. Lamb chops are basically rib cuts and have the rib bone. They are both perfect for pan searing and grilling. In general, lamb has more fat than meat so you might want to trim the fat a bit before marinating and cooking the lamb. 

Do lamb loin chops have bones?

Yes. Lamb loin chops have a T shaped bone about halfway down the cut and you can easily remove it when eating. 

Like other Mediterranean recipes, this delicious lamb loin chop recipe is made with olive oil, a generous amount of garlic and a good squeeze of fresh lemons. It's tender, savory and definitely super tasty! This is an easy cast iron lamb loin chops recipe that you can make at home for a nice family dinner. 

To make this tasty meal, I used Open Nature™ products from my local Star Market which are high quality, minimally processed products and are free of any artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners or preservatives. Open Nature products have none of the "bad" stuff: no chemical additives, no high fructose corn syrup, and no unrecognizable ingredients.

Pan seared lamb loin chops ingredients

To make this delicious lamb loin chops recipe, you need the following ingredients:

• Lamb loin chops
• Olive oil 
• Lemon
• Garlic
• Onion powder
• Paprika

I love using smoked paprika for this recipe but you can also use regular paprika for this recipe. This recipe calls for 6 cloves of garlic but you can use more or less depending on your preference. Fresh lemon and extra virgin olive oil play an important role in this recipe as they are the base of the marinade. 

What I love the most about Open Nature products is that they are good, clean, and I feel good about using them for me and my family. The quality and value that I get from Open Nature is great and the flavors are completely on point.

What do you marinate lamb chops in?

These lamb loin chops are marinated in a combination of olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, minced garlic, onion powder and paprika. Marinate the lamb loin chops for at least 30 minutes, up to 5 hours. The lemon garlic marinade brings out the delicious flavor of lamb and makes it so tender.

How to cook lamb loin chops in a skillet

Lamb loin chops can be cooked pretty quickly, especially if you like your meat medium rare to medium. Four minutes on each side in a hot cast iron skillet would work perfectly. Once you've seared them on both sides, turn the heat off, cover the pan and let the lamb loin chops rest in the pan for ten minutes if you like them to be medium. If you like them on the well done side, cook them in the oven at 350°F for ten minutes after you've seared them on both sides.

What is a good sauce for lamb chops?

I love serving lamb loin chops with a delicious Mediterranean yogurt and mint sauce. This fresh sauce is simple, yet so flavorful as it contains garlic, fresh mint and Open Nature plain Greek yogurt. Simply chop the mint and mix it with Greek yogurt, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Serve this sauce on the side with pan seared lamb loin chops. 

What is a good side dish for lamb loin chops?

Roasted potatoes are a great side dish for this lamb loin chops recipe. I prefer to roast them with salt, pepper and just a little bit of thyme, keeping them quite simple as the lamb loin chops bear most of the flavor of the meal. A large bowl of fresh green salad with tomatoes is another good compliment to the lamb loins, especially when served with delicious Open Nature balsamic vinaigrette. I also love serving these pan seared lamb loin chops with Caprese Pasta Salad and Greek Potatoes Oven Roasted.

Notes and tips for making this lamb loin chops recipe

• Marinate the lamb chops for 30 minutes up to five hours. Lamb absorbs flavors pretty quickly therefore you can just start cooking them after marinating them for 30 minutes. 
• Before pan searing the lamb, make sure it is at room temperature. If the lamb is cold, the center is going to be completely raw after cooking both sides.
• Pan sear lamb loin chops anywhere between 4 to 6 minutes per side and then turn the heat off, cover and let it sit for ten minutes. The internal temperature should be 150° if you like it to be medium.
• If you would like it to be more done, after searing it on both sides, cook it in the oven at 350°F for ten minutes.
• Cast iron skillet is the best option to sear lamb loin chops.

This post was sponsored by Star Market. As always, all opinions are mine. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Unicorns in the Kitchen!