Grilled Lamb Loin Chops and Onions with Herb Salad

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This simple grilled lamb chop meal is elegant, delicious, and not challenging to make in the slightest.

Grilled Lamb Chops and Onions with Herb Salad

This recipe sounds fancy, it looks fancy, and it tastes fancy, but it takes only a few steps of preparation and some very simple assembly. It’s one of those recipes where you want to buy the best ingredients you can afford, since that will make all of the difference. The good news is that loin lamb chops are actually quite affordable.

Oblong dish of Grilled Lamb Chops and Onions with Herb Salad.

Loin Lamb Chops

Loin lamb chops are one of the most readily available cuts in the case at the grocery store and butcher shop. Lean and tender they are usually 3- to 4-ounce each. They have a small “T” shaped bone that runs through the meat, which is why they are sometimes called T-bone chops. You can also use rib lamb chops, which are a bit pricier, but would be super duper impressive. Both cuts grill up beautifully and quickly on the grill.

Grilling the lemons along with the lamb and onions caramelizes them, and the juice you sprinkle over the finished dish will have a lovely hint of smokiness. These lemons have all kinds of uses beyond the chops, so you may want to grill up a few more lemons to keep around, and use on vegetables, chicken, fish, etc.

Seasoned Lamb Chops on brown paper.

This Grilled Lamb Chops and Onions with Herb Salad looks and tastes fancy, but not hard to make. A perfect grilled meal for entertaining.

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How to Make Grilled Lamb Chops with Onions and Lemons

Make the marinade. Peel the onions, and cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Place them in the baking dish, along with the lemon halves, turn to coat with the marinade (it’s fine to stack the onion slices), and set aside.

Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Grill the onions and the lamb chops for about 8 minutes, about 4 minutes on each side, so that they get nicely browned on both sides, turning the onions with a grilling spatula (you can use a spatula or tongs for the lamb).

Lamb Chops, onion slices, and halved-lemons on a grill.

At the same time, grill the lemons cut side down for about 5 minutes. The internal temperature of the lamb chops should be 130°F for medium rare.

Remove the chops and the lemons from the grill and let sit on a cutting board for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, move the onions to a cooler area of the grill or turn the gas down, and let them continue to soften while the lamb and lemons sit, watching carefully to make sure the onions don’t burn.

Grilled Lamb Chops on a plate.

While the chops sit and the onions finish cooking, place the arugula and parsley in a medium bowl. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon vinegar, then season with salt and pepper and toss. Transfer the greens to a serving platter.

Place the lamb chops and onions on the greens. Nestle the lemon halves into the chops and onions, for people to squeeze over.

Grilled Lamb Chops and Onions with Herb Salad in a white dish.

Grilled Lamb Chops and Onions with Herb Salad: This simple grilled lamb chop meal is elegant, delicious, and not challenging to make in the slightest.

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Arugula and Parsley Salad

Play around with the herb and lettuce mixture. Any assortment of tender lettuces and fresh herbs will be lovely alongside the rich grilled chops and tender, smoky onions.

I think a few pitas or lavash would be great with these. You might brush one side with olive oil and give them a minute on each side on the grill. If you want to cut the meat off the chops and mix it with the greens and herbs with a squeeze of the caramelized lemon juice everyone could fashion their own wraps at the table.

Grilled Lamb Chops, onions, and lemons over an herb salad.

You can let the onions and lemons sit in the marinade at room temperature for an hour or so, or in the fridge for up to 2 days, for even more flavor. If you have a vegetable grilling grate, pull it out. Otherwise (even if you use a wide grilling spatula) you may end up sacrificing a few of the onion rings to the grilling gods.

If you wanted to drizzle this whole thing with a bit of Chermoula sauce, you would take this to another level!

What to Serve with Grilled Lamb Chops and Onions with Herb Salad:

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5 from 1 vote

Grilled Lamb Chops and Onions with Herb Salad

This simple grilled lamb chop meal is elegant, delicious, and not challenging to make in the slightest.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Resting Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4 People

Equipment

Ingredients 

  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
  • ¼ cup dry white wine (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar preferably white balsamic, divided
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 2 large yellow or Vidalia onions
  • 3 lemons halved crosswise
  • 8 loin lamb chops about 1-inch thick
  • 2 cups baby arugula
  • 1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

Instructions 

  • Combine 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the white wine, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper in a shallow baking dish. Peel the onions, and cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Place them in the baking dish, along with the lemon halves, turn to coat with the marinade (it’s fine to stack the onion slices), and set aside.
  • Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Grill the onions and the lamb chops for about 8 minutes, about 4 minutes on each side, so that they get nicely browned on both sides, turning the onions with a grilling spatula (you can use a spatula or tongs for the lamb). At the same time, grill the lemons cut side down for about 5 minutes. The internal temperature of the lamb chops should be 130°F for medium rare.
  • Remove the chops and the lemons from the grill and let sit on a cutting board for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, move the onions to a cooler area of the grill or turn the gas down, and let them continue to soften while the lamb and lemons sit, watching carefully to make sure the onions don’t burn.
  • While the chops sit and the onions finish cooking, place the arugula and parsley in a medium bowl. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon vinegar, then season with salt and pepper and toss. Transfer the greens to a serving platter.
  • Place the lamb chops and onions on the greens. Nestle the lemon halves into the chops and onions, for people to squeeze over.

Notes

Grilling the lemons along with the lamb and onions caramelizes them, and the juice you sprinkle over the finished dish will have a lovely hint of smokiness. These lemons have all kinds of uses beyond the chops, so you may want to grill up a few more lemons to keep around, and use on vegetables, chicken, fish, etc.

Nutrition

Calories: 678kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 40g, Fat: 50g, Saturated Fat: 29g, Cholesterol: 117mg, Sodium: 130mg, Potassium: 932mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 1520IU, Vitamin C: 72mg, Calcium: 128mg, Iron: 6mg
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About Katie Workman

Katie Workman is a cook, a writer, a mother of two, an activist in hunger issues, and an enthusiastic advocate for family meals, which is the inspiration behind her two beloved cookbooks, Dinner Solved! and The Mom 100 Cookbook.

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