This year on the first day of spring, I wanted to prepare a meal that would combine the bright flavors of mint with lamb. Mint is an excellent herb to pair with lamb since it is has tasting notes that are peppery, sharp, and slightly sweet. In contrast, when you consider the taste of lamb – lamb is earthy, gamey, with slightly sweet undertones as well. So for dinner, I thought why not create a quick and easy pan seared lamb chops dish topped with a bright mint sauce.
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Pairing lamb and mint together is nothing new, it’s actually traditionally served in a lot of places I’ve visited throughout the world such as Morocco, Italy, and even England has their own rendition of a mint jelly. However, you don’t need to travel some place exotic to enjoy this culinary tradition right at home. This classic food pairing is simple and vibrant. Especially with a drizzle of mint sauce found in the recipe below.
The mint sauce drizzled on top of these lamb chops is my fun twist on a “pesto” sauce, just without bay leaves. If you’re not a fan of green sauces on your food, you can also try my air fryer rack of lamb recipe or traditional pan seared rosemary garlic lamb chop recipes. However, why not be adventurous, try something new, and experience lamb in a new way with vibrant, deep herbaceous undertones! Here’s what you will need:
Ingredients:
For the Lamb:
- 6 lamb chop loins
- Fresh thyme
- Fresh Rosemary
- Olive oil
- Butter
- Freshly cracked salt and pepper, to taste
For the Mint Sauce:
- 4 Garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup roasted pine nuts
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup olive oil (or until the desired texture is reached)
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Tips for Cooking Lamb
- Lamb temperature: When cooking lamb, do not cook it straight from the refrigerator. Allow lamb to come to room temperature for 20-30 minutes prior to cooking. This will ensure even cooking.
- Don’t be shy with seasoning: Lamb is rich in flavor and can withstand a lot of seasoning. For robust flavor, season lamb chops generously with salt and pepper. You may also add other seasonings such as garlic, rosemary, or thyme for additional flavor. In this recipe, I infused the lamb with a thyme butter sauce during the cooking process.
- Preheat your pan: Try to find the heaviest skillet you have, and heat olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. If you’re on a diet, you can skip the butter, but it adds so much flavor to this dish! High heat will allow these lamb chops to develop a beautiful crust during the searing process.
- Rest your lamb chops: Before serving and cutting into your lamb chops after cooking, allow lamb chops to rest for 5 minutes. This will allow juices to settle and redistribute throughout your meat without spilling on to the plate.
- Garnish with freshness: After lamb chops are ready to serve, finish your dish with a dash of freshness by using the mint sauce found in this recipe. You can also add fresh herbs, lemon juice, or more other sauces to brighten the flavor of this dish. Experiment and have fun!
Internal Temperatures for Cooking Lamb:
Everyone also has different preferences when it comes to the internal temperature for their meat. As a quick guide, here are the temperatures you should look for to ensure your lamb is cooked to perfection:
- Rare: 115 to 120°F
- Medium-rare: 120 to 125°F
- Medium: 130 to 135°F
- Medium-well: 140 to 145°F
- Well-done: 150 to 155°F
Mint Sauce for Lamb Chops
While your lamb chops are resting, you can take a food processor (I cheated and used my NutriBullet) blend together garlic, mint, parsley, pine nuts, parmesan cheese salt, pepper, olive oil, and fresh lemon juice to whip up the mint sauce or “pesto”. This sauce adds a bright burst of flavor to this dish. To serve, simply take a spoon and drizzle the mint sauce on top of the cooked lamb before serving.
Lamb with Mint Sauce Serving Suggestions
This dish pairs beautifully with a variety of sides. This evening for our dinner, I decided to serve a rustic side of roasted vegetables. This dish would also pair well with roasted sweet potatoes, mash potatoes, or a simple green salad. It’s the perfect dish to enjoy with friends or a cozy night-in with wine.
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Pan Seared Lamb Chops with Mint Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
Lamb Chops
- 6 Lamb chop loins
- 1 tbsp Fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 tbsp Fresh Rosemary, chopped
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1 tbsp Light Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
Mint Sauce
- 4 Garlic Cloves
- 1/4 cup Roasted Pine Nuts
- 1 cup Fresh Mint Leaves, stems removed
- 1/2 cup Fresh Parsley Leaves
- 1/4 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1/2 Lemon
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring lamb chops to room temperature and pat dry. Season both sides of lamb chops with salt, pepper, chopped parsley, and chopped thyme. Set aside
- Take a cast iron skillet and heat the skillet until it is hot and ready. Drop in 2 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp of light olive oil. Once the butter and oil are melted, place the lamb chop loins into the cast iron skillet. You should hear a sizzling sound. If you do not hear a sizzle, your skillet is not hot enough. After adding all of the lamb chops, add in 1 sprig of thyme to the butter and oil mixture for additional flavor.
- As the lamb chops are cooking, occasionally pick up the lamb chops with a pair of tongs and press the fat against the pan. This will render or melt the fat for additional flavor. You will start to notice a nice even brown sear on your lamb chops.
- As the lamb chops are cooking, occasionally tilt your pan, and use a spoon to scoop up the butter, fat, and thyme renderings, and drizzle these on top your lamb. This base will allow you to add these amazing flavors back into the open pores of your lamb. Repeat this process until your lamb reaches the preferred temperature: Rare: 115 to 120°F | Medium-rare: 120 to 125°F | Medium: 130 to 135°F | Medium-well: 140 to 145°F | Well-done: 150 to 155°F.
- While your lamb chop loins are cooking, take a smaller nonstick pan and roast 1/4 cup of pine nuts (no oil needed). Pine nuts will add a rich buttery flavor to your mint sauce. Allow your pine nuts to roast on medium to low heat until they turn golden and you smell a nutty aroma. Turn off heat since these will be used for your mint sauce later.
- Once preferred temperature is reached, remove lamb chop loins from cast iron pan, place them on a plate to rest for 5 minutes.
- While lamb chops are resting, take a food processor or blender and combine 4 garlic cloves, 1/4 cup roasted pine nuts, 1 cup fresh mint leaves, 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup olive oil (or until the desired texture is reached), the juice of 1/2 lemon, salt and pepper to taste. Blend. If your sauce is too thick, add more olive oil.
- Plate your rich flavorful lamb chops and drizzle mint sauce on top. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Perfect for Easter! This looks amazing! I can’t wait to make it the mint sauce looks especially delightful! Yummy!
oh wow – that mint sauce is to die for. Pinenuts and mint with lamb. This is going on the weekly menu plan.
Confused. The recipe calls for Rosemary. Maybe I missed it. When and where do we add it?