Mediterranean Grilled Lamb Chops

Name: Mediterranean Grilled Lamb Chops Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: PT-475997H24M40S
Yield: 3
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 6 grass-fed lamb chops; 4 tablespoons avocado oil; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 6 cloves garlic, minced; ½ teaspoon fresh thyme; 2 teaspoon fresh rosemary; 5 basil leaves, chopped; ¼ teaspoon nutmeg; ½ teaspoon cinnamon; ½ teaspoon coriander; Sea salt and pepper to taste

March 23, 2023 by Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CN

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No matter how much you love food or cooking, it’s easy to get stuck in a food rut. I know at my house, there have been plenty of cases when I’m stuck at dinnertime trying to come up with a clever way to cook chicken breasts for the fifth night in a row or experimenting with how to spice up grass-fed beef again.

So often, we limit ourselves to the same types of meat. But it’s time to broaden your horizons and add lamb onto your family’s menu, and these grilled lamb chops are the perfect way to do it.

Is Lamb Healthy?

Despite being crazy delicious, lamb and lamb chops don’t enjoy the same popularity in the U.S. as they do in other countries, like Greece or Turkey. I hope it becomes more common here, because lamb can be quite healthy. It’s a type of red meat, so it’s full of zinc and iron, similarly to beef.

In fact, one ounce of lamb has about the same calorie count as grass-fed beef but even more of the omega-3 fatty acids that most of us are lacking in our diets.

Grilled lamb chops ingredients - Dr. Axe

Lamb is excellent at boosting your immune system, thanks to its high levels of zinc. The mineral is essential for helping to balance hormones, reduce inflammation, fight free-radical damage and even slow down the aging process.

And holy protein! Lamb is packed with the stuff and contains all of the essential amino acids we’re meant to get through our foods, because our bodies can’t make them. If you’re physically active, getting enough protein is even more important, and this lamb chops recipe is a tasty choice.

Nutrition Facts

Lamb chops are a terrific source of B vitamins, especially vitamin B12. This is one of the most common deficiencies, but it’s so vital to our overall health.

You’ll also notice that we’ll use avocado oil here instead of an oil you’re more familiar with, like olive oil. While olive oil has plenty of health benefits, it’s not the best for cooking at high temperatures. I like using avocado oil for those times because it has a higher smoke point.

And if you’re worried about the meat drying out, there’s no need. First, the lamb will be nice and tender from the lamb chop marinade we’ll leave it in for two hours. Then, we’ll lightly baste the chops as they grill to keep them nice and juicy.

How to Make Grilled Lamb Chops

But how do you cook lamb chops? Let’s get started. Start by adding all of the ingredients except for the lamb chops to a large bowl.

Mix them all up. Then add the meat to the lamb chop marinade.

Stick the lamb chops in the refrigerator to marinate for at least two hours. Let the lamb chops come to room temperature before grilling. Keep the marinade but set it aside.

Once the grill is hot, place the lamb chops on it.

As the lamb chops cook, spoon the reserved marinade over the meat. This will keep the lamb nice and juicy!

Grill the lamb chops for about 4–6 minutes on each side to serve them medium-rare. I love serving these grilled lamb chops with roasted potatoes and veggies on the side. It also goes perfectly with tzatziki sauce.

Try these other delicious and healthy Mediterranean meat dishes: