Mint Chimichurri Lamb Chops
Looking for delicious grilled lamb recipes for Spring? Mint, tarragon and parsley are the basis for the grilled lamb marinade and a tangy, bright mint chimichurri finishes the grilled lamb loin chops. This is an easy, healthy and satisfying low-carb, paleo meal. Mint Chimichurri Lamb Chops are great for weekend grilling and entertaining.
Lamb is arguably one of the foods most associated with Spring… I mean, yes, there’s asparagus and baby lettuces, not to mention the first crop of strawberries, but to me, lamb is like Spring with an exclamation point at the end. My favorite preparation will always be a whole leg of lamb, but since there’s only two of us, those occasions are few and far between. So the next best thing are lamb chops with a bright, fresh herbal sauce. Mint Chimichurri Lamb Chops are here… Fire up the grill.
I love lamb. In my family we would always fix a leg of lamb at Christmas and Easter, thus it became synonymous with “special occasion” food to feed a crowd. They would roast it with lots of garlic and fresh herbs and serve it with au jus or gravy made from the drippings.
Being empty nesters, a whole leg of lamb would overwhelm Scott and I, so I scale it back to a couple of lamb chops. Actually, I think I like this better because it’s not a whole roast — and everyone gets a bone to nibble on! (By nibble, I mean two hands and a disturbingly aggressive intent to glean every last morsel from the bone.)
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The recipe for the marinade is perfect for 2 lamb chops or 12, so use as many as you need… but because the marinade is primarily fresh herbs, it has a short shelf life — a day or so.
Coat the lamb with the marinade and let it rest to absorb the flavors.
I thought grilled vegetables would be a nice accompaniment for the lamb. I used fresh squash, zucchini and sweet peppers, but sliced eggplant, red onions or thick slices of par-cooked sweet potato would be great with these grilled lamb loin chops. The marinade adds a fresh flavor while the tantalizing char and slight smokiness from the grill will take the veg to another level of flavor. In other words, Yum! 😛
The penultimate for this grilled lamb recipe is the mint chimichurri. It’s chunky and vibrant, the ideal condiment for dunking a seared piece of lamb. The mint chimichurri is a chunky blend of mint, tarragon and parsley with finely minced shallots, red pepper flakes, red wine vinegar and olive oil. Don’t forget the salt and pepper. A quick whisk and the the chimichurri is done.
Full Disclosure: Scott is my grill-master, but he gives me the 4-1-1 on temperatures and timing. We have a Weber Genesis gas grill and it’s a workhorse, but if you don’t have one, these chops can be made in a grill pan.
The vegetables will take between 10-12 minutes on a hot grill (425°-450°). Depending on how thick your chops are, figure 10-15 minutes for medium rare.
With the exception of the marinating time, this is a pretty quick meal to make. Quicker if you have a grill-master and can split the tasks like we do. While Scott handles the meat and veg, I assemble the mint chimichurri. We didn’t even have time to finish a glass of wine while we were prepping the meal — that’s fast!
Grilled lamb loin chops and tender grilled vegetables are always a treat, but when they’re paired with that herbaceous grilled lamb marinade and the spiky mint chimichurri, these simple ingredients really shine. Pair with a fruity Shiraz or chilled sparkling rosé for a light, delicious Spring or Summer meal.
More lamb recipes:
- Juicy Tender Lamb Meatballs
- Irish Lamb Stew w/Guinness Stout
- Wine Braised Lamb Shanks
- Traditional Shepherd’s Pie
- Grilled Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb
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Mint Chimichurri Lamb Chops
INGREDIENTS:
For Marinade:
- ½ cup mint leaves
- ½ cup parsley leaves
- 2 large cloves garlic
- ¼ cup tarragon leaves
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- ½ cup olive oil
For Grilling:
- 8 lamb chops about 1 1/2-2″ thick
- 1-2 large zucchini sliced in 1/2″ thick slices on a bias
- 1-2 large squash sliced in 1/2″ thick slices on a bias
- 1-2 large sweet peppers stem, seeds and ribs removed, cut into quarters
For Mint Chimichurri
- ¼ cup mint leaves finely minced
- ¼ cup parsley leaves finely minced
- 2 tablespoons tarragon leaves finely minced
- 1 medium shallot finely minced
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3½ tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
For The Marinade:
- Combine all ingredients in a mini food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
For The Chops & Vegetables:
- Pat the lamb chops dry with a paper towel. Pour half of the marinade over the lamb and coat all sides evenly. Cover and refrigerate for an hour.
- Coat the vegetables with the remaining marinade and let sit at room temperature for an hour.
For The Mint Chimichurri:
- In a small bowl, combine the chopped mint, parsley, tarragon, shallots, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper, whisk to combine and set aside.
For Grilling:
- Preheat the grill to a medium high heat, about 425-450°. Take the lamb out of the fridge and let it warm up for about 10 minutes in the ambient air while the grill heats.
- Place the lamb on the grill, followed by the vegetables and cook for 5-8 minutes until a nice char has developed on one side and the lamb releases easily. Turn the lamb and vegetables and continue to cook for an additional 5-7 minutes depending on the doneness you desire and the thickness of your chops. 130° for medium rare (that’s how I like it.)
- Transfer the lamb and vegetables to a serving platter. Serve, lightly napped with the mint chimichurri.
NUTRITION:
Pin “Mint Chimichurri Lamb Chops For Later!
My husband and I were *just* talking about chimichurri yesterday! I *rarely* buy red meat since my husband has adapted pretty well to my pescetarianism and has sort of gradually forgotten about it (out of sight, out of mind?) but he still enjoys it at restaurants. BUT ANYWAY. All that to say that we were toying with the idea of trying it out with salmon. However. I think I’ll have to treat him to something like this soon because this looks DAMN good. You photos are so so summer-y and bright, too. Just lovely <3
Glad you like it, Dana. That chimichurri would be great with grilled fish or seafood.
That marinade sounds absolutely divine and oh man, I’m totally drooling over those perfectly grilled chops (nice work Scott!). Lamb is one of our favorite meats as well and I’m printing this one off to try next weekend.
Scott is a good grill-master!
I’m so excited for grilling season to arrive here in the North East, and lamb chops are one of my favorite things to grill. Mint Chimichurri sounds like a great way to brighten the flavor of the meat. Onward to summer!
I’m sorry you have to wait so long for it!
This chimichurri sauce looks so good!!! I’ve tried making chimichurri before, but I want to try this version. Plus it looks so bright and springy on those veggies!!
I love herb-y sauces on grilled meat!
We love lamb, just like you, and we think of it as a special occasion dish. We’ve never put the chimichurri sauce on it although we have on our chicken. We’ll have to try it on the lamb. We are empty nesters so we save our leg of lamb when the family gets together. I’m pinning.
Our chick has left the nest too — it’s an adjustment!
We love lamb, in fact there isn’t a lamb recipe so far that we haven’t liked. Yours looks amazing, definitely saving this for later. It’s always a nice treat with lamb, your mint sauce looks perfect!
Lamb makes a regular appearance around here! I’m so glad you like the recipe!
I am SO game for this! I love a good chimichurri sauce and I haven’t added mint to mine yet. What an easy way to add a kick of flavour to it. I’m usually very picky about my lamb but I think this will be on my top 10 with that amazing sauce.
Thanks, Carmy! It’s a quick and easy recipe — and we love grilled lamb!
YES…bring on grilling season. We LOVE lamb, and this looks so good. I love Chimichurri and it is the perfect combo for this. What a great dinner….I will have to hubby out there cooking.
That mint chimichurri sounds amazing. This whole recipe sounds delicious! Lamb is one of my favorite meats. It’s only 2 of us, so I love the lamb chop version you show here. YUM!
My husband and I usually buy a 4-H lamb at the fair every year, and you’re absolutely right, lamb is so totally a spring thing, I just never realized it. This recipe is one that I absolutely need to try… and I have the perfect wine to go with it! ?
I hope you enjoy it!
Lisa, I never cook with lamb…and I’m pretty sure I’m totally missing out! Your recipe looks scrumptious and that chimichurri…let’s just say I’m pretty sure that’s “the hook”. Another one for the “make that” list! Thanks for the recipe inspiration!
These lamb chops look fabulous, I love all the colors and flavors! Definitely making this for my family for dinner this week.
I think Chimichurri might be my favorite sauce for meats of all times. I love that you added tarragon to it. Lamb is my husband’s favorite meat and for some reason I don’t cook it often enough. I’ll have to make your recipe very soon :0
We don’t have it often enough either. I hope you and your husband enjoy!
What a creative spin-off from classic lamb flavors!! I love chimichurri and a mint version is absolutely perfect with those chops.
My Mom used to make lamb from time to time growing up but that was my only experience with it. I really don’t ever remember it looking this mouthwatering though. Great pictures and the spring onion looks like the perfect addition.
OK, I’ve got you on this — my grandmother on my Dad’s side used to make lamb — always overcooked (because that’s how Grandad like it) and I was a firm believer in gravy for those roasts. These lamb chops don’t need it!
That lamb looks mouthwatering and the chimichurri sounds so light and fresh! Thanks for sharing this, can’t wait to make it ASAP!
Thanks, Sarah! Let me know what you think!
Lamb is usually a special occasion dinner around here, need to find an excuse to try this recipe.
I hear you! But – St. Patty’s Day is next week and Easter’s not far behind!
These lamb chops looks so perfect….and juicy! What an amazing recipe.
And simple – those are the best!
These look simply spectacular, Lisa! I’d love to have these very soon, especially since it’s been ages since I had lamb. Thanks for the great recipe!
Of course, they’re lamb chops so by definition, they’re spectacular — but the mint chimichurri is a great enhancer.
I love lamb with a simple green sauce. I’ve done salsa verde before but I love this chimichurri version. Also love the simple grilled green onions on the side.
Thanks Nicola! Everything tastes better on the grill and the fresh herbs in the chimichurri make it pop!