Lemon and Mint Lamb Chops

Whether you decide to prepare them in a grill pan or a regular pan, these easy Paleo Pan-Fried Lamb Chops with Lemon and Mint Marinade will be your new favorite way of cooking lamb! 

In a quest of always adding more food to my "I like that" list, lamb has been the latest item I've been focusing on. It's not that I don't like lamb but most of the time I find the flavor too strong.

So I've been admittedly shying away from it a little. Except I discovered a few months ago that I actually LOVE lamb loin aka. backstrap.

 It's so tender and delicate, you have to try it! (You can find two recipes using it here and here). I decided to continue on this lamb-loving path and try another cut. Introducing...paleo pan-fried lamb chops aka. lamb cutlets!

With this recipe for marinated pan-fried lamb chops, I wanted to balance the strong flavor of the lamb with light and fresh ingredients.

Lemon, mint and olive oil were the perfect candidates for that. The lamb chops marinate for a few hours and are then grilled or pan-fried for a few minutes on each side.

While you need to plan a little bit ahead for this meal, the hands-on time is very minimal and the chops cook in no time.

Serve these delicious pan-fried lamb chops with a side of quinoa salad, summer couscous salad or my summer bulgur salad. You've got yourself a delicious lunch or dinner ready!

If you tried this paleo pan-fried lamb chops recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe below and let me know how it went in the comments – I love hearing from you! You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for more deliciousness and behind-the-scenes!

5 from 1 vote

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Lemon and Mint Lamb Chops

Whether you decide to prepare them in a grill pan or a regular pan, these easy paleo Pan-Fried Lamb Chops with Lemon and Mint Marinade will be your new favorite way of preparing lamb! 

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mediterranean

Keyword easy dinner recipes, elegant dinner ideas, healthy lamb recipes, lamb chops, lemon and mint marinade for lamb, pan-fried lamb chops

Prep Time 2 hours 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 365 kcal

Ingredients

For the marinade

• the juice of 1 large lemon
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 6 large fresh mint leaves chopped
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1 small white onion chopped
• sea salt + freshly cracked pepper

Other ingredients

• 1.2 lbs lamb chops 550 g, also called lamb cutlets, with bones - about 8 small chops
• the juice of 1 lemon to serve
• 6 fresh mint leaves chopped, to serve

Instructions

1. In a bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, mint leaves. Add garlic and onion. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place lamb chops in a baking dish and pour marinade over. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
2. Take the lamb out of the fridge. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat (I used one very similar to this one). When hot, add 2 to 4 chops (depending on the size of your pan) and cook for 3 minutes on each side if you like your meat pink or 4-5 minutes if you like it well done. 

3. Remove from the pan using tongs and set aside in a plate to rest for a couple minutes. Repeat with remaining chops. NOTE: you can also use a regular frying pan.
   

4. Optional: pour marinade (including garlic and onion) in a pan and bring to a boil, scraping the pan to get all the cooking juices. Cook for about 2 minutes and set aside. [see notes]

5. To serve, drizzle with lemon juice and scatter with mint leaves. Serve with cooked marinade on the side as a sauce if using. Adjust salt and pepper if needed.
6. Side suggestions: quinoa salad - summer couscous salad - summer bulgur salad

Recipe Notes

I preferred them without the cooked marinade and Solal preferred them with it, so it's really up to you! The nutrition facts include the marinade.

Nutrition Facts

Lemon and Mint Lamb Chops

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 365 Calories from Fat 207

% Daily Value*

Fat 23g35%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Cholesterol 102mg34%

Sodium 82mg4%

Potassium 468mg13%

Carbohydrates 3g1%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 33g66%

Vitamin A 125IU3%

Vitamin C 3.2mg4%

Calcium 29mg3%

Iron 3.3mg18%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.