This post was sponsored by the American Lamb Board.
All thoughts and ideas are my own.
Whether it’s Easter Lunch or a typical weekend cookout, grilled lamb loin chops made with American Lamb are the perfect way to enjoy springtime outside!
With Spring fast approaching, many of us are looking to fire up our grills and get outside. My grilled lamb loin chops recipe is perfect for every type of cook from beginner grillers to seasoned experts.
Is lamb healthy?
Before we jump into specific tips for cooking lamb, let’s chat a bit about the nutritional profile of lamb. American Lamb is naturally nutrient rich and packed with many essential nutrients.
Lamb nutrition facts
A 3oz serving of American Lamb is an excellent source of protein, zinc, selenium, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B12, and vitamin B6.
A 3 oz. serving of American lamb also contains 3g of heart healthy monounsaturated fat. And to look at it from a different perspective, 57% percent of the total fat in American lamb is heart healthy monounsaturated fat. And, furthermore, 3oz. Of American lamb fits easily falls under the daily fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Leaner cuts of lamb include the leg, loin (like our grilled lamb loin chops), and shoulder.
What does lamb taste like?
Lamb has a very rich flavor profile. The way lamb is raised here in the US results in a deliciously rich and complex meet that is the epitome of “a little goes a long way”. This is one of the reason we talk about a 3oz portion rather than larger amounts like you might see with beef or poultry. The flavor profile of American lamb is so deliciously rich that a little really does go a long way!
What is the difference between lamb chops and lamb loin chops?
Lamb chops some in variety of shapes and sizes and can come from a different places on the animal: rib, loin, sirloin, and shoulder. Thus, a lamb loin chop is a type of lamb chop.
Lamb loin chops are one of the easiest cuts to find here in the US at your local grocery store or butcher shop. They are lean, tender and delicious! (They are also sometimes called T-bone chops because of the bone that runs through the middle of them.) Lamb loin chops are usually that perfect 3-4oz size that we described previously and are very simple to fix!
How to grill lamb chops on a gas grill
Grilling is the perfect way to cook lamb loin chops AND it spend less time cooking with minimal clean up. Put simply, it is fast, delicious, and practical.
So, let’s learn how to grill lamb loin chops. To start, preheat your grill to medium high heat. And then grill until medium rare (see recommended cook times and temperatures below). Do not cut into your grilled lamb loin chops to check doneness! Remove it from the grill when it is 10 degrees less than your desired internal temperature and let them “rest”.
Should you salt lamb chops before grilling?
If you want to, yes! As you’ll see in the recipe below, we want to marinate the lamb chops for 30 minutes to an hour before cooking.
Do lamb chops have to be cooked all the way through?
You’ll cook lamb loin chops similar to other cuts of red meat… according to your desired level of doneness. The American Lamb Board website has a great cook time and temp chart to reference based on how you prefer your grilled lamb loin chops cooked. (I like mine medium rare!)
Recommended lamb chops grill time
If you’re like me, and want them medium rare, they’ll need about 10-12 minutes over medium- high heat.
How do you know when lamb chops are done?
Use a meat thermometer! Do not cut into your meat. We want those juices to stay nice and sealed inside, so using a meat thermometer is your best choice!
Best lamb internal cooking temp
When thinking about what is the best temperature for lamb to cook to, remember that we’re going to need to let the lamb rest after it comes off the grill. And it will continue to cook even after we pull it off. So, we can pull it off at 135 degrees F, before it actually reaches our final desired temperature of 145 degrees F.
How long do you rest lamb for after cooking?
Let the lamb chops rest for 5-10 minutes after you pull them off the grill.
Some tasty grilled lamb chops recipes
And if you want to try even more delicious American lamb chop recipes, check out some of these:
- Super Simple Lamb Lollipops
- Peach Honey Grilled American Lamb Chops
- Grilled Ginger American Lamb Chops
Grilled Lamb Loin Chops with Corn on the Cob and Grilled Romaine
Equipment
- gas grill
Ingredients
For the marinade/sauce:
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- Zest from 1 lemon
- ¼ cup dijon mustard
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- ¼ cup water
Lamb loin chops:
- 1 lb (5-6) lamb loin chops
Veggies:
- 4 ears of corn husks removed
- 2 heads of romaine
- 1 Tbsp softened butter
Instructions
For the marinade:
- Pre-heat your grill. Ideally we want to get the grill temperature above 400 degrees before putting the lamb loin chops on so it doesn’t hurt to give it a nice long time to warm up!
- While your grill is heating, remove the lamb loin chops from the refrigerator, and combine the garlic, lemon zest, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper, oil, and water in a bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Place the lamb loin chops on a plate or in a glass dish. Use 2/3 of the lemon garlic mixture as your lamb marinade, reserving the final 1/3 for the romaine.
- Rub both sides of all of your lamb loin chops with the 2/3 of the marinade, and let them sit for 30 minutes to an hour on the counter to marinate. Remember, to keep the other 1/3 of the marinade for the romaine lettuce.
For the veggies:
- Cut your heads of romaine lettuce in half length wise and brush each half (on the cut side) with the remaining 1/3 of your marinade.
- Next, rub 1 Tbsp of softened butter on the ears of corn.
Let's grill!
- Once your grill is heated, add all of your food to the grill and close the lid. (Make sure to place the cut heads of romaine cut side down on the grill grates.) Let the food cook for 5-6 minutes.
- After 5-6 minutes, carefully open the grill, and flip your lamb loin chops, flip your ears of corn, and remove the heads of romaine from the grill. You can place the romaine heads on a platter next to the grill while you wait for the corn and lamb loin chops to finish cooking.
- Return the lid to the grill, and let the lamb loin chops and corn cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Using your meat thermometer, check your lamb loin chops to ensure they have reached 135 degrees F. Once they have, remove them along with your corn from the grill. DO NOT CUT INTO THE LAMB CHOPS JUST YET! Let me them rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting in.
- Serve everything together and enjoy!
