Grilled Lamb Chops with Herby Yogurt Sauce

5.0
(1)
Add your rating & review

Plain yogurt is an excellent base for a marinade. It slowly tenderizes meat, rendering it juicy but never mealy or tough, and leaves a pleasantly tangy flavor behind. This simple sauce, a blend of yogurt, shallots, salt, and lemon, is a perfect match for lamb's richness. This recipe cleverly sets aside a portion of the seasoned yogurt to puree with tender green herbs and lemon juice for a quick finishing sauce after the lamb is done. Serve the lamb with a quick salad of couscous and cucumbers for a meal.

By
Kelsey Jane Youngman
Photo of Kelsey Youngman
Kelsey Jane Youngman

Kelsey Jane Youngman is a New York–based cook, baker, writer, and editor for Food & Wine with over 7 years of experience in food media. Kelsey has developed recipes, worked in culinary production, starred in cooking videos, and baked cookies for Cookie Monster.

Expertise: recipe development, cooking, baking, food styling.

Experience: Kelsey Jane Youngman has spent her life in kitchens, and began her professional training at the San Francisco Cooking School before moving to New York City to attend the Natural Gourmet Institute. She completed an externship in the Good Housekeeping test kitchen and cooked on the line at several city restaurants before joining Food & Wine's test kitchen editorial team. There, Kelsey has managed the kitchens, tested and developed recipes, written feature stories, worked as a culinary producer on multiple video series, and starred in her own series, "The Best Way," as well as several episodes of "F&W Cooks."

Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines
Updated on August 2, 2023
Tested by
Food & Wine Test Kitchen
Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen
Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time.
Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen
Herby Yogurt Sauce with Grilled Lamb Chops and Couscous Salad
Photo: Photo by Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Active Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
2 hrs 30 mins
Servings:
4
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups plain whole-milk yogurt

  • 1 tablespoon minced shallot (from 1 shallot)

  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon), divided

  • 24 baby rib lamb chops (about 3 ounces each)

  • Black pepper, to taste

  • 1 cup packed mixed fresh tender herbs (such as parsley, dill, and mint leaves), plus more for serving

  • Cooked couscous and sliced cucumbers, for serving

Directions

  1. Stir together yogurt, shallot, salt, and lemon zest in a medium bowl. Measure 1 cup of the mixture into a large ziplock plastic bag. Cover and refrigerate remaining 1/2 cup yogurt mixture until ready to use. Add lamb chops to ziplock bag; seal bag, and turn to coat lamb in sauce. Let marinate in refrigerator at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

  2. Preheat grill to high (450°F to 500°F). Scrape off excess marinade from lamb, and discard remaining marinade in bag. Sprinkle chops evenly with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange chops on oiled grill grates; grill, covered, turning once or twice, until browned and a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of meat registers 135°F for medium-rare, about 6 minutes, or to desired degree of doneness. Transfer chops to a platter; let rest 5 minutes.

  3. Transfer reserved yogurt mixture to a food processor. Add fresh herbs and lemon juice; pulse until smooth, about 20 pulses. Serve chops alongside sauce, cooked couscous, cucumbers, and additional herbs.

Make Ahead

Sauce may be kept in an air-tight container in refrigerator up to 3 days.

Note

Alternatively, to broil the lamb: Arrange marinated lamb on a greased baking sheet. Broil 4 1/2 inches from heat source until browned and no longer pink on the inside, about 6 minutes, flipping chops halfway through broiling time.

Suggested Pairing

Savory Rhône-style red: Hahn GSM

Originally appeared: August 2022

Related Articles

Card Placeholder Image
Grilled Herbed Baby Lamb Chops
25 mins
Grilled Lamb Chops with Tahini Sauce
Grilled Lamb Chops with Tahini Sauce
25 mins
Grilled Lamb Chops with Red Wine Pan Sauce
Grilled Lamb Chops with Red Wine Pan Sauce
Provencal Grilled Lamb
Provençal Grilled Lamb
45 mins
Card Placeholder Image
Roast Rack of Lamb with White Beans and Watercress
45 mins
Slow-Cooked Leg of Lamb with Spiced Yogurt and Herbs
Slow-Cooked Leg of Lamb with Spiced Yogurt and Herbs
4 hrs 30 mins
leg of lamb
Leg of Lamb with Fingerling Potatoes and Leeks
11 hrs 30 mins
Braised Lamb Shanks with Trahana Pasta and Ricotta Salata
Braised Lamb Shanks with Trahana Pasta and Ricotta Salata
3 hrs 30 mins
Sichuan Racks of Lamb with Cumin and Chile Peppers
Sichuan Racks of Lamb with Cumin and Chile Peppers
1 hr 45 mins
Braised Lamb Shanks with Peas, Mint & Rhubarb
Braised Lamb Shanks with Peas, Mint & Rhubarb
4 hrs
Braised Lamb Shanks with Garlic and Indian Spices
Braised Lamb Shanks with Garlic and Indian Spices
3 hrs
Tandoori Lamb Chops
Luscious Tandoori Lamb Chops
1 hr 10 mins
Leg of Lamb Cooked Over New Potatoes with Spicy Mint-Rum Sauce
Leg of Lamb Cooked Over New Potatoes with Spicy Mint-Rum Sauce
1 hr 55 mins
Braised Lamb with Syrah Jus
Braised Lamb with Syrah Jus
Braised Lamb Shanks with Peppers And Garlic
Braised Lamb Shanks with Peppers And Garlic
Roasted Lamb Chops with Brown Sugar Rum Glaze
Roasted Lamb Chops with Brown Sugar-Rum Glaze
1 hr 25 mins