How long to bake lamb shoulder chops

These baked lamb chops are beautifully tender and have a delicious rosemary cream sauce. The recipe makes a nice main course alternative to pork or beef. I’ve you’ve never tried baked lamb, you are in for a treat.

Lamb loin chops are a tender cut of meat and much less expensive than the fancy rack of lamb so often seen in gourmet dining establishments.  You can cook it many ways, but I like to bake lamb chips in the oven.

My husband and I lived in Australia for 15 years. While we were there, we often had lamb which is very commonly found in the grocery stores there. It is not as commonly seen here but worth searching for it.  Many grocery stores stock it now.  The flavor of baked lamb chops is amazing.

How to make Baked Lamb Chops

Every year I make some recipes featuring lamb for Richard’s birthday. This recipe for oven baked lamb chops is easy to do, and yet so delicious. The lamb chops are placed in a baking dish surrounded by onion chunks and baked till done. While the chops are cooking, you make the delicate sauce which is a combination of rosemary, onion, milk, veggie stock and cream. 

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 20 ounces lamb shoulder chops
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground cracked black pepper

For the sauce:

• 1/4 cup of onion, peeled and diced
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 cup of skim milk
• 1/2 cup of vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp of heavy cream
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

To garnish:

• sprig of rosemary

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Place the lamb chops in an oven proof baking dish with the onion chunks around the chops. Season with salt and pepper then place them in the preheated oven to bake - 30-45 minutes depending on how well done you like them.
3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt the butter and cook the onions over a low heat for 5 minutes. Add in the rosemary, and continue to cook gently, uncovered, for a further 15 minutes without letting the onions get too brown.
4. Combine the cornstarch with the skim milk till smooth, then gradually add the milk mixture, followed by the stock, a little at a time stirring constantly.
5. Season with salt and pepper and let the sauce simmer for 2 minutes, and then add the cream.
6. Serve the chops with a garnish of rosemary with the sauce poured over.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Nutritional information is approximate due to natural variation in ingredients and the cook-at-home nature of our meals.

I love lamb.

Growing up, lamb was a staple in my family's home. It may or may not have anything to do with being Greek. Either way, both of my parents knew how to cook up a tasty dish.

Although, my mom could never make a simple box of mac and cheese for some reason. I think the idea of just adding a cheese pouch to cooked pasta was too easy, so she added her own seasonings to mix it up a bit.
It didn't always turn out well. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

However, ask her to whip up a complicated Greek dish that takes hours to make? No problem! And it will taste damn good, too.

Going back to what's important here, this post is all about tasty, broiled lamb shoulder chops! I sometimes think shoulder chops don't get enough love as a leg or rack of lamb might get - which is crazy to me because they're rather inexpensive compared to other cuts and if you cook them right, you've got yourself a kick-ass meal!

I almost always have lamb shoulder chops in my freezer. They're great for braising, but also do really well on the grill or under the broiler! These are especially a lifesaver when I'm feeling tired after a long day at work.

As much as I love cooking, there are some nights I don't want to deal with anything that would take up a lot of hands-on time or take longer than thirty minutes to make. Broiling them means I have food on my plate in less than fifteen minutes, usually accompanied by a giant salad or sauteed greens. Yum!

My go-to seasoning for something fast and delicious is a simple mixture of salt, pepper, and Greek oregano with olive oil and lemon. It's so tasty and versatile; I use it as a dressing on salads and pretty much all meats and fish. I also use it as a marinade!

I should mention I use different olive oils depending on the food. For dressings alone, I use extra virgin. If I'm cooking with it, I go with a light olive oil. There are some dishes I use extra virgin for cooking (like shrimp scampi, for one example), but it has to be at a very low heat. We're going to use extra light olive oil for this recipe.

Here's what I did for the broiled lamb shoulder chops:

I turned the broiler on high and gathered all the ingredients. I rubbed the chops with olive oil and seasoned them with salt, pepper, and oregano (save the lemon for after it's cooked).

The hard part is over. I placed my chops in the broiler pan (I use this one) and threw them under the broiler, five minutes per side.

While the chops were broiling, I got my lemon ready. For two chops, I use a quarter of a lemon. If the lemon happens to be on the smaller side, like a Meyer lemon, I'll use half.

After ten minutes, the chops are done! I squeezed fresh lemon over them and stuffed my face. Easy peasy.

• 2 lamb shoulder chops
• ½ tablespoon light olive oil
• kosher salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried Greek oregano
• 2 lemon wedges

• Turn broiler on high and line the broiler pan with aluminum foil for easy clean-up.

• Put the chops on a plate or in a large bowl and pat dry with a paper towel. Then rub with olive oil. Season both sides with salt, black pepper, and oregano.

• Add the chops to the pan and place about 5 inches away from the heat source. Broil for five minutes per side for medium rare.*

• Take the chops out of the broiler and let them rest for 5-10 minutes.

• Squeeze lemons over them and serve.

I almost always cook with Greek oregano because it has a stronger aroma and flavor than other types. That said, it can also make a dish bitter if you use too much!

Cooking five minutes per side is for medium rare, though if the cut is on the thinner side, it would be cooked closer to medium.

While this is a broiler recipe, these chops are just as delicious on the grill and I highly recommend them that way too!