Lemongrass Lamb Chops

By
Gene Gerrard
Gene Gerrard
Gene Gerrard
Los Angeles food writer and personal chef Gene Gerrard shares his years of cooking experience and expertise by leading cooking demos at culinary expos.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 06/20/22
Tested by
Diana Andrews
Headshot of Diana Andrews
Tested by Diana Andrews
Diana earned her B.A. in Fine Art at Queens College and her culinary certification from the Institute of Culinary Education. Diana has served as head recipe developer and editor for Emmy-nominated PBS series Moveable Feast, food editor and test kitchen manager at Fine Cooking Magazine, and recipe developer, and product tester at Food Network.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Lemon Grass Lamb Chops

The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Marinating Time: 3 hrs
Total: 3 hrs 40 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Yield: 4 lamb chops
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
321 Calories
15g Fat
31g Carbs
18g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 321
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g 20%
Saturated Fat 6g 31%
Cholesterol 49mg 16%
Sodium 1454mg 63%
Total Carbohydrate 31g 11%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 18g
Vitamin C 25mg 125%
Calcium 72mg 6%
Iron 6mg 36%
Potassium 778mg 17%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Lemongrass has the amazing ability to tame the "gamy" flavor of lamb. In this Vietnamese recipe, lemongrass is finely chopped and combined with fish sauce and sweet mushroom sauce to give a robust flavor to the lamb chops. The chops need to marinate overnight, but then you can sear and bake them, as this recipe calls for, or pan-fry or barbecue them.

"I never would have thought of marinating lamb chops with a Vietnamese flavor profile that included lemongrass and fish sauce. I love learning something new, and I'll definitely be making this very flavorful recipe again. I suggest marinating the lamb overnight for maximum flavor." —Diana Andrews

Lemongrass Lamb Chops/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

For the Marinade:

  • 3 large stalks fresh lemongrass

  • 1 Thai bird chili pepper, finely chopped

  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic, more to taste

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 tablespoon palm sugar

  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce

  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

  • 1 tablespoon sweet mushroom soy sauce, or dark soy sauce

  • 4 (8-ounce) lamb chops, about 3/4-inch thick

For the Dipping Sauce and Cooking the Lamb:

  • 2 large cloves garlic, crushed

  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar

  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

  • 1 Thai bird chili pepper, very thinly sliced

  • 2 tablespoon canola oil

  • 1/2 cup cucumber, seeded and diced

  • 1 small tomato, diced

  • Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Lemon Grass Lamb Chops ingredients

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  2. To make the marinade, cut each lemongrass stalk with a sharp knife about 3 to 4 inches from the bottom, where the light and green portions meet. Peel and discard the top layer of the light part of each stalk, revealing the tender, white inner hearts.

    cut each lemongrass stalk with a sharp knife about 3 to 4 inches from the bottom

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  3. Thinly slice these and then mince them finely.

    Slice the lemongrass and mince them finely

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  4. In a medium bowl, combine the lemongrass, chili pepper, garlic, black pepper, salt, sugar, fish sauce, lemon juice and sweet mushroom soy sauce. Stir until well combined.

    combine minced lemon grass, chili peppers, garlic, black pepper, salt, sugar, fish sauce, lemon juice and soy sauce

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  5. Place lemon grass marinade in a large shallow pan. Add lamb chops, spooning marinade all over the meat to ensure each chop is well-coated. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or up to overnight.

    lemongrass mixture on top of lamb chops in a baking dish

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  6. To make the dipping sauce, in a small saucepan combine 1 cup water, garlic, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, constantly stirring until sugar melts, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

    in a saucepan combine water, garlic, and brown sugar

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  7. Add lemon juice, vinegar, and chili pepper. Stir well. Transfer to a small bowl. The dipping sauce will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 to 4 weeks.

    Add lemon juice, vinegar, and chili peppers to the sauce in the bowl

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  8. About 30 minutes before cooking, remove lamb chops from the refrigerator. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 400 F.

    marinaded lamb chops in a baking dish

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  9. Heat the canola oil in a large, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Let the marinade drip off the lamb chops (reserve any remaining marinade), then add them to the skillet. Brown one side of the chops for 2 minutes. Turn lamb over and brown for another 2 minutes.

    lamb chops cooking in a frying pan

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  10. Spoon the remaining marinade over the lamb, transfer the skillet to the oven, and roast until cooked to medium-rare, about 5 minutes, or until desired doneness. Take the skillet out of the oven, and let rest, 5 minutes.

    lamb chops in a frying pan

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  11. Place cucumbers, tomatoes, and cilantro in individual small serving bowls. Transfer the lamb to a large platter. Spoon any remaining sauce from the skillet over the lamb. Serve the dipping sauce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and cilantro with the lamb.

    Lemon Grass Lamb Chops

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi


From East Meets West: Traditional and Contemporary Asian Dishes from Acclaimed Vancouver Restaurants © 2012 by Stephanie Yuen. Reprinted with permission of Douglas & McIntyre, an imprint of D&M Publishers.