Easy Lamb Loin Chops Recipe, No Nuts, No Dairy

Recipes for Weekend Family Dinners

My dad, who was an Army cook during the Korean war, made a variety of dishes when I was a child. One of my favorite childhood dishes was pan-fried lamb chops, which is the inspiration for this recipe.

I associate lamb chops with relaxing weekend dinners and family time because that’s when my parents would make lamb chops together. However, this lamb loin chops recipe is actually easy enough to make anytime because it’s not very hands-on which allows me to make a salad and a veggie side dish in the meantime.

Usually our family eats chicken, fish, tofu, and beans as our main protein sources. I love lamb and love to make it for special occasions and holidays, such as Easter.

What Are Lamb Loin Chops?

Whenever I shop at Costco, I love to buy their lamb loin chops because they’re so lean. This cut of meat is also known as lamb t-bone chops because of the little t-shaped bone. According to Spruce Eats, this cut of meat is from the lower back area of the lamb, right below the ribs.

It’s the most tender, juicy cut of meat with a little round filet mignon on one side of the t-bone. The meat on the two sides will not look even and the smaller side is a tender filet mignon. Look for a tray where the smaller side looks round-ish.

I like that they’re cut into small 3- to 4-ounce portions. Costco trays of 10 lamb loin chops are usually around 2.5 pounds total weight, more or less. Plan on serving one to two lamb loin chop per person, depending on their appetite.

Tips to Prep and Cook Lamb Loin Chops Just Right

You will want to gently touch the meat to see if there are any small bone fragments on the lamb loin chops. Use damp paper towels to wipe the meat and then pat dry with fresh paper towels.

Season the lamb loin chops with salt and pepper for a simple preparation to appreciate the lamb flavor. If you want to use additional seasonings, I recommend rubbing in ground spices and/or oil rather than a liquid or water-based marinade.

Usually I grind black pepper very generously on both sides of the meat. I pick a slightly coarse grind for bigger black pepper pieces for a spicier taste. It also helps the seared meat not stick to the frying pan as much.

I try to reduce my sodium intake for health reasons so I sprinkle salt lightly. If you are also concerned with low sodium, one easy hack is to sprinkle onion salt or garlic salt instead of salt. Garlic salt or onion salt add a lot of flavor and the little bits of onions or garlic make it visually easier to see how much I’m adding so that I don’t accidentally oversalt the meat.

I like to cook lamb loin chops in a frying pan with my very simple 5 x 5 method. Pan fry on medium heat each side (the two flat sides and three triangle sides) for 5 minutes each side until slightly seared for medium-rare to medium lamb chops, depending on the size of the lamb loin chops.

Allergy Aware Lamb Loin Chops

This recipe is free of the top 9 allergens so it’s great for sharing with others who might have different food allergies than you. Some people or restaurants might cook meats with butter, I usually cook and bake with olive oil, which is a great dairy-free option.

I season simply with ground pepper and a little bit of salt. You can add ground garlic and/or ground onion. Or you could swap the salt with garlic salt or onion salt.