Pan Seared Lamb Shoulder Chops

These pan seared lamb shoulder chops are a delicious. The lamb chops are seared to perfection, resulting in a juicy, tender interior and a beautifully caramelized crust. This easy recipe is perfect for a special dinner or a cozy weeknight meal. The simple homemade lamb rub bring out the rich savory flavor.

Serve with some buttered noodles or roasted garlic mashed potatoes and sauteed broccolini. Enjoy!

Jump to:

• ❤️ Why I Love This Recipe
• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🔪 How To Pan Sear Lamb Chops
• 💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
• 🥡 Storing & Reheating
• 🥩 Great Game Meat Recipes
• 📖 Recipe Card
• 💬 Comments & Reviews

Pan-seared lamb shoulder chops are exquisite, not gamey, and not your average cut of beef either. They're a great way to introduce lamb into your families go-to meaty main dishes.

Tired of the same meats over and over? Pork, chicken, beef, seafood, rinse and repeat? Lamb is the perfect game meat to cross the bridge from plain and simple meats to the more exotic meats. 

Tender, but with a delicious, crisp crust, these pan-seared lamb shoulder chops provide delicate flavor and versatile texture. Our amazing lamb rub provides a great combination of herbs to compliment the lamb's natural flavor.

❤️ Why I Love This Recipe

Luscious. Lamb has such a subtle, but beautiful flavor, similar to beef, but a bit stronger. This recipe simply showcases that flavor. 

Tasty. Gorgeous in flavor, while also very aesthetically pleasing with the golden-brown crust and bold red color of the meat itself. 

Simple. With only a few steps, this recipe is straight-forward and easy to follow, perfect for anyone who wants to get into cooking or loves to cook in general. 

🥘 Ingredients

This succulent dish only requires a few ingredients to really let the flavors shine through.

• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil – Fat is always a crucial element when cooking, olive oil provides a healthy fat to help create a nice crust on the lamb while preventing sticking. 
• 1 pound Lamb Shoulder Chops – When selecting your lamb shoulder chops, you want to find the freshest ones available. Try to find the cuts that are almost a ruby or dark red. Succulent meat with a delicious flavor, similar to a strong beef. 
• 2 teaspoons Lamb Rub – Our lamb rub is the best pairing for lamb because it has a wonderful combination of herbs as well as the dried orange peel, which adds an alluring citrus note. 
• 1 tablespoon Butter – Butter is absolute perfection when you are pan-basting your meat. Salty and fatty additions to enhance the flavor of the lamb meat. 
• 2 Garlic Cloves – Pungent and fragrant, garlic is always your best friend.  
• Optional Fresh Herbs – Thyme and rosemary are very complimentary to this recipe, fresh herbs really add a nice natural flavor to the lamb. 

🔪 How To Pan Sear Lamb Chops

Whip up this restaurant-style main dish at home in no time. Grab a heavy bottomed skillet (cast iron is ideal for pan searing meats) and let's get started.

1. Prepare. Place a large skillet or non-stick sauté pan on medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. While waiting for the olive oil to come to a shimmer, pat 1 pound of lamb chops dry with paper towels and season them generously with 2 teaspoons lamb rub (or more, to taste).
2. Sear. Once the oil is hot, almost to the point of smoking, carefully place your seasoned lamb chops in the pan. In order to avoid crowding the pan, you can cook the chops in batches. Sear the first side of the lamb for 5 minutes, then flip and sear the other side for an additional 4-5 minutes.
3. Baste. When you have a nice golden brown crust on both sides of the lamb, add the tablespoon butter and 2 cloves of garlic to the pan. If using the optional fresh herbs, add those to the pan as well. Using a large spoon, ladle the melted butter over the lamb chops (also known as 'basting' or 'arosser') until they reach 125°F (52°C) for medium-rare or your desired temperature. (*see note).
4. Rest. Once the chops have reached the doneness you prefer, place them on a cutting board or large plate and loosely 'tent' aluminum foil over the top. Allow them to rest for 5-7 minutes before serving.

💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes

• To get a great crust on your lamb shoulder chops, you really need to make sure that you pat them dry, then leave them out for about 30 minutes to get to room temperature. After the 30 minutes, pat dry again to get rid of any excess moisture.
• To avoid your lamb chops sticking to the pan and losing some of the seasoning and crust, make sure your pan is hot and your oil is evenly spread. Do not try to lift the chops, just let them sear for the full 4-5 minutes, otherwise you will have a gray, not golden-brown sear.
• If you're not a fan of an herb seasoning, simple salt and pepper provides a delicious and easy alternative and provides great crust and texture.
• The USDA states that lamb should be 145°F (63°C) before eating, which is considered well-done. If you like your lamb to be cooked to a different doneness consult the chart below:
  Rare: 120°F-125°F
  Medium-rare: 125°F-130°F
  Medium: 130°F-135°F
  Medium-well: 135°F-140°F
  Well-done: 140+°F

🥡 Storing & Reheating

You can refrigerate leftover lamb for up to 5 days in an airtight storage container.  

Freeze the shoulder chops wrapped in heavy duty aluminum foil then stored in a freezer storage bag or container for up to 6 months. Allow to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Reheating - For the best overall reheating results, place a pan on medium-high heat with a tablespoon of olive oil. When the oil begins to shimmer, re-sear the lamb chops for about 60-90 seconds per side.

🥩 Great Game Meat Recipes

• Ground Venison Tacos
• Air Fryer Lamb Chops
• Venison Meatballs
• Lamb Breast
• Venison Chili

📖 Recipe Card