Grilled Lamb Chops with Olive Relish

Grilled Lamb Chops with Olive Relish are an easy summer grilling recipe you can cook in minutes. Each chop is saturated with rich and earthy flavors thanks to an herbaceous marinade made with simple ingredients, then topped with a tangy lemon-olive relish that livens up every bite!

This post is sponsored by the American Lamb Board. As always, all opinions are my own. 

Why you’ll love them

These lamb loin chops are marinated with a simple and herbaceous mix of lemon, garlic, and rosemary. They take minutes to grill and you can let them sit in the marinade for up to 24 hours! Plus, the simple olive relish utilizes most of the same flavors that go into the marinade, so the ingredient list is short and sweet. 

This is one of the easiest grilled lamb recipes you can prepare and is sure to become a staple at summer barbeques.

Ingredients 

• American Lamb Chops – There are two cuts of lamb you can use for this recipe: loin chops or rib chops. I chose to use loin chops because they’re meaty, lean, and not as delicate as rib chops. Feel free to use whichever one you like more! 
• Olives – I used a mixture of green and black olives that I grabbed from the olive bar at our grocery store. 
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Garlic
• Fresh Rosemary – Or, substitute half the amount of dried rosemary. 
• Lemon 
• Salt + Pepper

I’ve mentioned before how I prefer cooking with American Lamb, but just to recap, here’s why I choose it over lamb from Australia or New Zealand:

• By choosing American Lamb, you’re supporting local farmers and ranchers throughout the US.
• Raising lamb in the US is a family affair with more than 80,000 family owned operations.
• Sheep improve pasture quality by recycling vital nutrients back into the soil, minimizing erosion and encouraging plant growth.
• The majority of sheep in the states graze pastures for most of their lives.

How to make them

Make your marinade by combining the oil, garlic, rosemary, lemon juice and zest, and salt and pepper in a bowl.

Place the lamb chops in a bowl, baking dish, or ziploc bag and pour the marinade overtop. Cover or seal and let the lamb marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge.

This is the perfect time to make your olive relish. To do it, just combine the chopped olives, olive oil, lemon and garlic in a small bowl. Taste and season with salt and pepper, to taste. 

To cook the lamb, heat your grill to around 500-degrees and grill each chop for 4 to 6 minutes per side.

Let the chops rest for 5 minutes off the heat, then enjoy!

If you don’t have a grill

If you don’t have a grill – don’t worry! You have options. You can also make these lamb chops in the broiler or on a grill pan on the stove:

• Grill Pan: Cook on medium-high heat for 4-6 minutes per side.
• Broiler: Preheat your broiler to HIGH. Remove lamb from refrigerator 30-minutes before you plan to cook them. Broil for 5-8 minutes per side.

Lamb chop cooking tips

• Don’t over-marinate the chops. If they’re left marinating for more than 24 hours, the citrus will cause the meat to break down and turn mealy.
• Let the chops come down to room temperature before grilling.
• Use a meat thermometer! It’s much easier than eye-balling the chops. When the internal temperature reaches 135ºF, the lamb chops will be a nice medium rare. 
• Leaving the grilled chops to rest for 5 minutes is necessary to seal in the delicious juices and flavor.

Lamb chops cooking temperatures

• Rare: 115ºF – 124ºF (very pink inside)
• Medium rare: 125ºF – 135ºFF (bright pink inside) 
• Medium: 136ºF – 144ºF (light pink inside) 
• Medium well: 145ºF – 154ºF (barely any pink left)
• Well done: 155ºF (no pink)

Note: The USDA recommends cooking lamb to an internal temperature of 145 degrees. 

Recipe FAQ’s

How long can I marinate my lamb chops?

I recommend marinating lamb chops for 4 to 5 hours for the best results. 30 minutes will do in a pinch or you can leave the chops in the marinade overnight if you prefer to get a head start on this recipe. However, because this lamb marinate contains lemon juice, the acidity will actually start to “cook” your lamb if it’s left to marinate too long. For that reason, I don’t recommend marinating for longer than 24 hours.

What seasonings go well with lamb?

For this recipe, I’m keeping the seasoning simple – using garlic, rosemary and lemon. However, other fresh herbs like oregano and thyme are also delicious. Dried herbs work well too. Cumin, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and dried oregano are all great flavors that go well with lamb.

How do you cook lamb chops so they are tender?

Use a meat thermometer! It’s much easier than eye-balling the chops. When the internal temperature reaches 135-degrees, the lamb chops will be a nice medium rare, which makes for the most tender lamb chops.
Also, be sure to let the grilled chops rest for 5 minutes, to seal in the delicious juices and flavor.

What to serve with them

Wine pairings

• The smoky, earthy flavors of the grilled lamb will balance nicely when paired with a red blend or Pinot Noir.
• A Shiraz will give the lamb an added punch of flavor if that’s what you prefer.
• MORE —-> my 8 favorite lamb wine pairings.

Did you try these lamb chops with olive relish?

If you loved these grilled lamb chops I would appreciate it so much if you would give this recipe a star review! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.

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