Our delicious Smoked Lamb Chops have a perfectly seared outside, juicy and tender inside, and the best smokey flavor! Serve with our flavorful mint chimichurri sauce and any of your favorite side dishes. The whole family is going to love them!
The Best Smoked Lamb Chops
Sometimes you need to switch up the cut of meat that you are using for your main course and these easy smoked lamb chops are the perfect option! They are simple enough to enjoy for a family dinner, but can also be dressed up to serve for a special occasion or date night.
And any day we can cook dinner on our Traeger Pellet Grill is a good day! Doing the majority of the cook time on the smoker and then finishing it with a quick sear on the stovetop is the best combination. It is a new family favorite in our house and will be at your house too!
Have you ever tried lamb chops on the gas grill? If not, you should definitely checkout our Grilled Lamb Chops!
What You Will Need
- fresh lamb chops – you should be able to find these at the meat counter of your local grocery store or butcher shop.
- kosher salt & black pepper – simple seasonings that are always a must when cooking any type of meat.
- butter – just a little bit in the hot pan when it is time to give the smoked chops a final sear.
- fresh thyme – a fresh herb that brings great flavor, option to sub with fresh rosemary if you want.
- mint chimicurri sauce – this mint sauce is optional, but so easy and delicious!
How To Make Smoked Lamb Chops
The first steps to making these reverse seared lamb chops are to let the chops come up to room temperature. Pat them dry with paper towel and then season all sides with salt and pepper.
After preheating the smoker to 225 degrees F, place the seasoned lamb chops directly on the smoker rack.
While the individual chops are smoking, place all the chimichurri sauce ingredients in a food processor or high-powered blender and blend on high until fully combined.
How Long Does It Take To Smoke Lamb Chops
With the lamb chops placed directly on the smoker grate, let them smoke until the internal temperature at the thickest part of the meat reaches between 123-125 degrees F for a medium doneness (then we will finish cooking with a sear to get it up to a fully cooked internal temp). Use a digital meat thermometer or probe to track the internal temperature. The overall cook time will vary depending on the cut of lamb chop you use, how thick it is, etc.
Now that the lamb chops have reached an internal temp around 125 degrees F, it is time to bring a large skillet to a medium heat. Add butter to melt, toss in the fresh thyme, and sear lamb chops on both sides in the cast iron pan.
Finally, let the seared lamb steaks rest for about 10 minutes before serving or until the internal temp reaches 127 degrees F. They will continue cooking while they rest and get up to a medium-rare internal temp of 130-135 degrees F.
Best Way To Serve Smoked Lamb Chops
There are so many delicious options for serving these classic lamb chops. We love to drizzle plenty of mint chimichurri sauce on top, but you could also serve with a lamb sauce. Some of our favorite side dish recipes are a Mediterranean Couscous Salad, Shaved Brussel Sprouts, Garlic Green Beans, Candied Carrots or a Greek Orzo Salad. Those classic Greek flavors pair so well with this lamb chop recipe!
Recipe FAQ
This recipe card kept it simple by just using salt and pepper, plus some butter and thyme during the searing process. If you want to amp up the flavor even more, we suggest seasoning the chops with our lamb seasoning! It’s packed with so many flavors that you probably have on hand in your pantry.
Our simple lamb chop marinade is another great way to add extra flavor and juiciness to lamb chops! However, the best part of this cooking process is getting that smoke flavor and when you marinate meat that also adds a lot of flavor and these flavors can interfere or compete with each other.
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Other Lamb Recipes You Might Like
Smoked Lamb Chops Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner/Entree
- Method: Smoker
- Cuisine: American
Description
Learn how to make the perfect smoked lamb chops with this simple and delicious recipe! Packed with flavor and perfect for any holiday meal!
Ingredients
Smoked Lamb Chops:
- 8 lamb chops, 1 1/2 inch thick
- kosher salt
- ground black pepper
- 1–2 tablespoons butter
- 2–3 sprigs fresh thyme (or rosemary)
Mint Chimichurri:
- 1 cup fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1/3 cup extra light olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1 tablespoon shallot, minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- (optional) 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Prep: Ensure the grill grates are clean and preheat smoker to 225 degrees F. Let lamb chops sit out for 1-2 hours to come up to room temp. Season lamb chops with kosher salt and ground black pepper.
- Smoke: Place lamb chops directly on the grill grates and let smoke until the internal temperature at the thickest part reaches between 123-125 degrees F. Use an internal meat thermometer or probe to track the internal temperature.
- Mint Chimichurri: Meanwhile, add Mint Chimichurri ingredients to food processor. Blend until it has a smooth consistency. Taste and adjust salt, red pepper flakes (if using) or garlic. Set aside.
- Sear: Bring a large cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Add butter and let melt. Add thyme. Sear lamb chops on both sides (do in batches if need be) until the internal temperature reaches approx. 126-127 degrees F. Remove and let rest 10 minutes. The internal temp will continue to rise while you sear and then rest your lamb chops – the internal temp needs to get to 130-135 degrees F. for medium-rare.
- Serve: Serve with the Mint Chimichurri (or this Lamb Sauce) along with a Couscous Salad and Shaved Brussel Sprouts!
Notes
- Smoke Time: how long these will ultimately take to get up to temp will depend upon a variety of factors such as hot spots on your smoker, humidity, air temp, wind, thickness of lamb, etc. Use an internal meat thermometer or probe to track the internal temp.
- Lamb Loin Chops vs. Lamb Lollipops: either work in this recipe, but if they are thinner or thicker than about 1 1/2 inches simply adjust the cook time.
- Lamb Marinade: if you want to go for a marinade first we have a great lamb chop marinade on the site – I don’t normally marinade a lot of meats prior to smoking as it can sometimes overpower the smokiness, but totally up to you!
- Lamb Seasoning: if you want something more fancy than the salt and pepper seasoning, feel free to try our lamb seasoning!
- Storage: store leftovers in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 oz
- Calories: 243
- Sugar: 0.2 g
- Sodium: 194.6 mg
- Fat: 16.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 1.2 g
- Protein: 24.6 g
- Cholesterol: 79.7 mg
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