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These easy and quick Lamb Chops with Mustard-Thyme Sauce make an amazing family favorite dinner! Creamy mustard sauce is made with garlic, Dijon mustard, red wine (or white wine), and fresh thyme. Lamb chops are tender and juicy.
These Mediterranean pan-fried lamb chops can be cooked in a stainless steel skillet or in a cast iron pan. The pan-searing process is very similar to how I cooked garlic lamb loin chops. Your family will love the creamy mustard sauce texture and the savory flavor of lamb chops! They will go great with green beans and bacon or with oven-roasted asparagus with bacon.
The best part about the sauce? It takes just 4 ingredients. Garlic, fresh thyme, wine, and Dijon mustard. This combination produces the best sauce for lamb chops. I used white wine, but you can definitely use red wine for the sauce.
The best part about the lamb chops? It takes only 10 minutes to pan sear them. And, thanks to the creamy garlic sauce, the lamb chops are moist and tender!
The whole recipe takes only 30 minutes to make! Perfect choice for a weeknight dinner1
How long does it take to cook lamb chops?
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in stainless steel or cast iron skillet until hot.
- Pan sear 4 lamb chops for about 4 minutes on each side.
- Cover with the lid. Remove from heat.
- Allow the pan-seared lamb chops rest, covered, for about 5 more minutes.
What herbs go with lamb chops?
The best herbs for lamb are fresh herbs:
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Parsley
- Sage
- Oregano
Seasoning for lamb chops
Lamb has such a distinctive strong flavor, it doesn't need much seasoning. Salt and pepper and some garlic usually will do. If you want more flavor, try these seasonings:
- Cumin
- Coriander
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Garlic
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Oregano
- Paprika
- Curry Powder
- Mint
Lamb Chop Marinade
- In a medium bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 0.4 oz fresh thyme, ¼ teaspoon of cracked black pepper, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, 4 garlic cloves, minced. Mix.
- Arrange 4 lamb chops on a large plate. Pour the marinade over the lamb chops. Make sure that each side of lamb chops is coated with the marinade.
- Allow the lamb chops rest for 30 minutes in the marinade before cooking.
How to cook lamb chops
- Pat dry lamb chops with paper towels to get rid of extra moisture. Coat the lamb chops with the marinade (as described in the previous section) and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat in a large skillet until hot.
- Add lamb chops.
- Cook on medium heat about 4 minutes per side.
- Remove the lamb chops from the skillet.
How to make a sauce for lamb chops
- Add wine, Dijon mustard, fresh thyme, and minced garlic to the skillet and bring to boil.
- Continue boiling to reduce the sauce, until it thickens.
- Add back cooked lamb chops.
- Simmer on low-medium heat to heat them through.
- Spoon the creamy mustard sauce over the lamb chops and serve.
What to serve with lamb chops
- Roasted potatoes
- Sauteed spinach
- Oven-roasted broccoli with cheese
- Roasted butternut squash and Brussels Sprouts
- Scalloped potatoes
Salads to serve with lamb
- Tomato cucumber avocado salad
- Cilantro lime potato salad
- Pesto Mozzarella salad with avocado
- Greek Tortellini Salad
- Greek Pasta Salad
Pan-Seared Lamb Chops with Mustard-Thyme Sauce
Ingredients
Marinade
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons snipped fresh thyme no stems
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper cracked
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 3 cloves minced garlic or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Lamb Chops
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 lamb chops
Sauce
- 1 cup white wine or red wine
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
How to marinate lamb chops:
- Combine olive oil, lemon juice, thyme, blacked cracked pepper, sea salt, minced garlic in a medium bowl. Mix.
- Arrange lamb chops on a large plate. Pour the marinade over the lamb chops. Make sure the lamb chops are covered with the marinade from all sides.
- Let the lamb chops sit at room temperature in this marinade for 30 minutes.
How to sear lamb chops:
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat in a large skillet until hot. Add lamb chops.
- Cook on medium heat about 4 minutes on one side. Then 4 minutes on medium heat on another side.
- Remove the lamb chops from the skillet.
How to make the sauce for lamb:
- Add wine to the same skillet and bring to boil.
- Add mustard, fresh thyme, and minced garlic.
- Bring to boil and reduce the sauce, until it thickens. It should take a couple of minutes.
- Add 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. It's optional but it might be good for mellowing the strong flavors! Taste the sauce and add another tablespoon or two of cream, if desired.
- Add back the pan-seared lamb chops.
- Simmer on low-medium heat to heat them through.
- Season the sauce with salt and cracked black pepper, if needed.
- Note: Make sure the lamb chops are cooked to medium. If not, cook them in the sauce, covered with the lid, for a couple of minutes. Then, remove from heat, and allow the lamb chops rest, covered until they are cooked through.
- To serve, spoon the sauce over lamb chops and sprinkle more fresh thyme on top.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.
I didn’t use the amount of Dijon I used probably 2 tbsp. But before I did anything after I removed my bone in chops I added a chopped medium onion, garlic, then did wine + bone broth, a sprinkle of flour, after that reduce I added a handful of spinach & sun dried tomatoes with a dash of milk because I didn’t have heavy cream. It was all amazing. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Wow, Bree, I love your version with so many vegetables! ❤️ thank you for sharing your changes - I am sure other people would find them pretty interesting and helpful, too!
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I used 2 Tablespoons of Dijon mustard instead of the full 1/3 cup which I thought was too much mustard. It turned out perfect!
Kathy, thank you for your feedback - very helpful! ❤️ Glad you loved this recipe! 🙂
What did everyone serve the lamb with?
Kim, I recommend mashed potatoes, mashed cauliflower. This time of year, it's great to serve this with roasted spaghetti squash (or angel hair pasta).
SO SO GOOD! I paired with a simple box risotto and spooned the leftover mustard sauce into it and along side the lamb with a glass of white wine, this was the BEST dinner!!! 100% would make again!
Becky, thank you so much for your rave review! ❤️ I am so glad you loved this recipe. I love your choice of side dish - risotto sounds really good with lamb! 🙂
Served chops with roasted parmesan potatoes and sautéed spinach and grape tomatoes topped with crispy shallots. That sauce is such a fantastic flavor bomb, I really wanted to lick the pan.lol
Diane, wow, I am so glad you loved this dish - thank you for such a great review, I really appreciate it! ❤️❤️
And, I love your choices of side dishes - they are perfect!
Next time I will use much less Dijon mustard. I added about 2/3 cup of sour cream to soften the flavor of the sauce and we enjoyed it! Think I’ll use garlic powder in the marinade as the minced garlic burned while cooking the lamb chops.
Haven't tried it yet cuz wondering what happens to the marinade. Throw it out 🙁 or make the sauce with it?
I’m making it this evening and like you I’m confused whether I cook the chops with the marinade or clean it all off.
Donna, cook the lamb chops with the marinade on - don't clean it off. You can use fresh minced garlic in the marinade or garlic powder. Enjoy! 😉
Lamb was cooked to perfection. I found the Dijon way too overwhelming though. Having never made lamb before I'm pleased with the cooking method and the timing but next time I would reduce the amount of mustard. My husband loved it, regardless. Said the lamb was perfect.
I love your feedback! So glad both of you enjoyed it.
The mustard was a tad overwhelming, so I ended up diluting it with 3-4 tbsp of heavy cream and another 3-4 tbsp of water. The flavor does complement the lamb well and I loved the actual cooking method.
Yvonne, thank you for such a detailed and helpful comment. Glad you loved the flavor combo. 🙂
Hi. Should I make any substitutions if I use bone in chops?
Kathryn, no substitutions are needed. Just follow the recipe as is.
My husband does not eat lamb. Can I use steak. Ribeye or t bone
Kallie, steak would be delish with this sauce!
Is there an alternative to the heavy cream that's dairy free?
Chelsey, I think this recipe will work really well with unsweetened coconut milk. Thicker cashew milk will also be a great option.
Thankyou very much for your recipe I'll prepare tonight xxlove ur recipes xxx
Veronica, you are very welcome! Enjoy and Happy Holidays! 🙂 🙂 🙂
10/10 - This recipe is perfect! As I couldn't find fresh thyme I substituted dried + a little fresh rosemary. Absolutely delicious, rave reviews from the husband, too.
Ariel, I love your enthusiasm and your wonderful feedback! 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it. Happy Holidays! 🙂 🙂 🙂
This was so very good. My husband made this and will definitely make again. I suggested using the sauce on steak next.
Can I make this with a loin of lamb instead of chops?
Joyce, this recipe would work great with lamb loin!
Made these tonight and they are delicious!! I’ve wanted to try cooking lamb for some time now, glad to find this recipe!
Leslie, I am so happy this recipe turned out well! 🙂 Thank you for the comment and the 5-stars!
What else can be used instead of wine? I’m clean eating with no sugars.
You can use chicken, beef, or vegetable broth or stock.
Great! Same amount as the wine?
Donna, yes, same amount of chicken stock as the wine. And, so sorry for the late response!
This recipe is a keeper. We can confirm unsweetened coconut milk works, it’s all we had on hand. We also held the chops on a warming plate while making the sauce.
Greg, thank you for the feedback about the coconut milk - super helpful to me and others! 🙂