I was never much of a fan of lamb growing up. It has a very particular taste and can sometimes taste gamey or musky. I was most likely scarred from the TV show ‘Lamb Chops’ and the horrific song that doesn’t end.

However, lamb lollipops or lamb chops, slightly charred on the grill has always been the exception. Now, you add fresh garlic and rosemary to that equation and you’ve taken it to yet another level.

The main advantage of cooking lamb chops in a skillet is you can cook within the garlic, rosemary, spices, and olive oil without everything falling through the grill. It lets you cook/sear the lamb within the flavors, while also fortifying your food with some iron (which is a good thing). You’ll be amazed how much flavor you can add to meat during a short cook period.

How to Cook Lamb Chops

Lamb lollipops with garlic and rosemary are very easy to make. I season both sides with plenty of salt, pepper, minced rosemary and garlic, and then sear each side for about 5 minutes in a cast iron skillet on medium-high heat. This yields a perfect medium temp for lamb.

Best Temperature for Lamb?

• Rare at 120° F
• Medium rare at 125° F
• Medium at 130° F
• Well done at 145° F

Medium-rare lamb is served at around 125° F. Use a digital thermometer if you’re unsure. I personally like my lamb served medium.

Let Lamb Rest Before Serving

Like all red meat, lamb benefits from a 5 minute rest period before serving. This will continue to cook the lamb as well as allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, making for juicier bites.

What to Serve with Lamb Chops?

The sky is the limit here, but the group that instantly comes to mind is potatoes. Lamb is red meat, so anything that pairs well with a nice steak will most likely go with lamb. A few personal favs are cheesy rosemary mashed potatoes, roasted red potatoes, and bacon brussel sprouts. Savory, flavorful sides are the perfect complement to lamb.

Then again there is always mint jelly…but I still haven’t come to terms with that yet.

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