Why I love these lamb chops
The first time I had lamb chops, we were visiting Marc’s great uncle on our French road trip. They were served grilled with a simple persillade, and we had a sliced tomato salad and, of course, bread on the side. It was a delicious and light meal, and I was so impressed with the lamb chops that I knew I would have to recreate the meal.
It wasn’t until I was rewatching Gilmore Girls for the thousandth time and lamb chops with rosemary and Sicilian olives was mentioned, that I decided this was the way to do it. The flavor combination was so unique, and for a long time, I wasn’t even certain that it would work.
But it did. It worked out beautifully, and I’m in love with this recipe.
More lamb recipes to try: lamb tacos with mint chimichurri / spiced lamb burger / grilled lamb kabobs / Irish shepherd’s pie
More Gilmore Girls recipes: salted chocolate pudding / rocky road cookies / baked stuffed pork chops / diner style hamburgers
Ingredient notes & substitutions:
- Lamb chops – You can buy lamb chops already separated or you can buy a Frenched rack of lamb and cut them into chops yourself. Either option works. The chops will just look different depending on which you choose.
- Olives – To make the salsa verde, I used Castelvetrano and Kalamata olives – both pitted and halved. If you swap the olives out, you might also need to adjust the levels of salt in your sauce. If you only want to use one, I highly recommend the Castelvetrano olives. They’re the best!
- Cilantro – If you don’t like cilantro, you can replace it with more mint and parsley.
- Olive oil – You want to use a decent olive oil here, especially since we’re not heating it up and it will contribute to the taste of the sauce.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Melissa’s tips & tricks
- Make it ahead of time! The marinade and the salsa verde can be made up to 2 days in advance which can save you a ton of time on the day you want to serve this recipe. I don’t recommend adding the lamb chops to the marinade for more than 24 hours though.
- Don’t have a grill? To cook the lamb chops on the stove: Heat a large skillet to medium-high. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and allow it to heat through. Add the lamb chops, and cook for about 3 – 4 minutes per side for medium rare. If your skillet isn’t large enough you might have to cook your lamb chops in batches.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! If you don’t have a grill, you can easily make these lamb chops on the stove. You’ll just need a sturdy skillet. I suggest a cast iron if you have one. Heat your skillet to medium-high and sear them for about 3 – 4 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your chops.
As long as you follow proper food safety guidelines for handling and store meat, it should be completely safe for you to eat rare lamb.
Yes. Feel free to make the lamb chops without the salsa verde, or you can replace the olives with more capers (about 1 more tablespoon).
More comfort foods with a global twist: chicken tikka masala / crispy pork milanese / Moroccan meatballs / Italian porchetta roast
Grilled Rosemary Lamb Chops with Sicilian Olive Salsa Verde
Ingredients
For the lamb chops:
- 2 racks lamb, cut into chops
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons coarse salt
- black pepper, to taste
For the salsa verde:
- 1 cup parsley leaves
- 1 cup cilantro leaves
- 1/3 cup mint leaves
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1/2 cup Castelvetrano olives
- 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 lemon, juiced and zested
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Mix the marinade. Mix the orange juice, lemon zest, garlic, rosemary, fennel, olive oil and salt & pepper until combined. Add the lamb chops and allow them marinate in the fridge for at least an hour , but ideally all day or overnight.
- Make the salsa verde. Add the parsley, cilantro, mint, capers, garlic and lemon zest to the bowl of a food processor. Blend until roughly chopped. Then, add the olive oil in a steady stream while blending. Next, add the olives and pulse until the olives are finely chopped but not smooth. Adjust seasoning with salt & pepper. Set aside, or refrigerate until ready to use.
- Grill the chops. Preheat your grill to medium-high, direct heat (about 450˚F). Remove the lamb chops from marinade and pat with paper towel to remove excess liquid, if needed. Grill the lamb chops, turning once, for about 8 – 10 minutes, or until they've reached your desired internal temperature (see notes).
- Serve with salsa verde. Remove the lamb chops from the grill and allow them to rest for a few minutes before serving with prepared salsa verde.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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