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A delicious tray bake dish, where the juicy lamb chops and vegetables are all cooked together. Oven Baked Lamb Chops are quick and easy to make, with a light and fresh lemon and rosemary marinade. Just a few minutes prep time, these are easy to adapt with different vegetables and they are a great way to make the most out of the incredible flavour from Welsh Lamb chops.
We love a recipe where the main and the sides are all baked in one pan - delicious food and less washing up. That's a win for us! We love lamb chops because they are so quick to cook, they have lots of flavour and they look far more impressive than they are. In this Baked Lamb Chops recipe, we share all of our top tips for getting juicy, tender and perfectly cooked lamb chops every time.
If you are looking for more one pan dishes to make, then why not try our Honey Garlic Side of Salmon, Sticky Chicken Tray Bake, Orzo Soup or Spanish Bean Stew?
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Ingredients needed
- Lamb chops - We used bone in, Welsh Lamb chops as they have the best flavour. We have spoken more about the lamb we used below.
- Oil - We used olive oil as we love the flavour. Try to use the best quality olive oil you can, as you really will be able to tell the difference.
- Garlic - Freshly crushed is always best, however you could use crushed garlic in a tube to save time. Because the garlic is an important part of the flavour, you need to make sure it is fresh and firm to touch. Make sure it is finely crushed, almost in a paste, as this ensures even distribution in the marinade.
- Rosemary - Lamb and rosemary are a perfect match and fresh is always best. You could use thyme instead of rosemary if you prefer.
- Potatoes - We used new potatoes, and quartered them. However, you could use a larger potato and then cut it in the smaller chunks.
- Tomatoes - These not only add colour to the baking tray, but they had a burst of juice when you bite in to them too, which stops the whole dish from being too dry.
- Lemon - We used lemon juice and zest in the marinade and it adds a lovely freshness for the lamb. Plus, rosemary and lemon go so well together.
- Shallots - These are mixed in with the potatoes for some extra texture. Shallots add a nice sweetness, however you could swap them for a red onion cut in to small chunks.
- Salt and pepper - Season to taste.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step by step
One: Put the lamb chops, 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, rosemary, lemon juice and zest and the salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix well so that the lamb is coated. Cover and leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Two: Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Parboil the potatoes for 5 minutes. Drain and leave to steam dry for a few minutes.
Three: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan and add the marinated chops. Brown for 1 minute per side.
Four: Put the browned chops onto a large baking tray and add the shallots.
Five: Add the potatoes to the tray. Drizzle the remaining oil over the potatoes and add any oil from the pan. Put in the oven for 5 minutes, or 8 minutes if you prefer your lamb more well-done.
Six: Add the tomatoes to the pan and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes.
Why should you try it?
- A delicious way to cook Welsh Lamb chops - If you haven't cooked lamb chops before and are unsure what to do with them, then this is a foolproof recipe. It's so easy.
- All done in one pan - The potatoes do need to be par boiled and the lamb chops are best when browned first, but once it goes in the oven, it is all done in one baking tray.
- Easy to adapt - Use this recipe as a guide and then adapt it to suit your own tastes, or what you have that needs using up. There are lots of different vegetables that can be added and we have given suggestions for that below.
- Can be prepared in advance - You can marinate the lamb in advance and par boil the potatoes in advance and then keep them in the fridge until you are ready to cook them.
What lamb to use
We used Welsh Lamb loin chops for this recipe. Lamb loin chops and lamb rib chops are two different cuts of lamb, and the cooking time will vary. The loin chops are cut from the waist of the lamb and they don’t have any rib bones, but they do have a small bone in them still.
Lamb is such a great source of protein, zinc and Vitamin B12 and has high amounts of omega 3, vitamin E, beta carotene and beneficial fatty acids.
Why Welsh Lamb?
Because the lamb chops are fairly small, the flavour needs to be mighty and that's exactly what you get with Welsh Lamb. The flavour is like no other, and you can really taste the quality. Welsh Lamb farmers are famous all over the world for producing lamb that tastes superb. The non-intensive environment in which livestock are reared develops succulent, sweet and tender meat. The sheep in Wales have thrived for centuries on the natural grassland available all year round, in one of the most unspoilt corners of the world, and you can really taste the difference.
Where does the distinctive taste come from? The green pastures of the hills and valleys, a temperate climate, mineral rich soils and unspoilt environment. It all comes together to produce lamb of the highest quality. As climate change is such a hot topic right now, it is worth mentioning that grassland in the Welsh hills captures carbon from the atmosphere, and Welsh farmers make a positive contribution to mitigating climate change; managing this grassland by combining traditional practices with new innovation.
Find out more at Welsh Lamb, and look out for more recipes using Welsh Lamb coming from us soon.
Marinade
It really is worth marinating the lamb before cooking it. Mix all the marinade ingredients into the lamb and then put in the fridge for 30 minutes. You can be getting all the other ingredients ready, and the potatoes par boiled whilst it is marinating. Marinating it allows all the flavours to really intensify. You can marinate them for up to 24 hours, but no longer than that because the lamb will become mushy.
You can swap the rosemary for thyme if you prefer, but rosemary and lamb really is the perfect combination. If you love garlic, then feel free to add a couple more cloves in to the recipe for a more intense flavour.
If you like spicy food, then I would recommend putting a small spoon of harissa paste in to the marinade. It will add so much flavour, and a little spice.
Variations
This is a deliciously simple recipe with the lamb, potatoes and tomatoes. However, there are a few ways that you can adapt it when it comes to adding more vegetables.
When you add the potatoes to the tray, you can also add some chunks of bell pepper, aubergine and courgette. You need to make sure that there is enough room in the baking tray though, because you want everything to get crispy edges, rather than it to just steam.
If you wanted a lower in carb version, then swap the potatoes for celeriac or swede. Or, why not try our Roasted Swede or Celeriac Chips recipe?
What to serve with oven baked lamb chops
This recipe has it all, as the baked lamb chops are cooking with the potatoes and tomatoes at the same time. If you just wanted to cook the lamb by itself and then serve it with another potato side, then we would recommend our Greek Potatoes, Hasselback Potatoes or Crispy Garlic Smashed Potatoes.
You don't have to serve it with potatoes though. The lamb also goes well with Easy Greek Rice, Gigantes Plaki, or Cilantro Lime Rice.
Why not add some vegetables or salad to the side! Try our Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli, Tabbouleh, Little Gem Salad, Roasted Lemon Asparagus or Broccoli Salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
Firstly, there are all the health benefits of lamb that we have mentioned above. We have also baked them (apart from browning them in the pan a little first), so you save on oil. You can also add lots of vegetables for a nutrient boost.
We cooked ours in the oven for 15 minutes, as we still like our lamb to be a little bit pink. However, if you prefer your lamb more well done, then cook it for 18 minutes.
The best way to check that lamb is cooked is to use a meat thermometer. The safe internal temperature for cooked lamb is 62°C/145°F, and this will give you medium rare baked lamb chops. The meat thermometer should be inserted into the thickest part of the meat that's not touching any bone.
Yes, it is fine for there to be some pink in the middle of the lamb chops and if you cook them to medium rare, then they will be.
Yes, you can cook these on the BBQ and they will take around 3-4 minutes each side.
If you have leftovers, you can store them in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
You can, however we would say they are best kept in the fridge and eaten after 2 days. The lamb can become a bit tough once defrosted and reheated.
Yes, as long as you make sure that there is no cross contamination, these are gluten free.
Yes, you can easily double or triple the ingredients and there is no change to the cooking method.
As we are using lamb loin chops, which are smaller, we served 2 per person, but you might want to serve 3. If you are doing rib chops, then one per person will be enough.
Extra tips
- If you have the time, we would recommend marinating the lamb chops for at least 30 minutes before cooking. This allows the flavours to really come together.
- Make sure that the frying pan is heated to a high heat when you brown the lamb chops. This makes sure that you give the outside some crispiness.
- Add some extra flavour by mixing some sun-dried tomato paste into the marinade.
- Make sure to rest your lamb chops for 5 minutes before serving. This keeps all the juices in and helps keep the lamb lovely and moist.
More lamb recipes
If you’ve tried this oven baked lamb chops recipe, then let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - You can use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Baked Lamb Chops
Ingredients
- 800 g Welsh Lamb chops - about 100g/3.5oz
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves - crushed
- 10 g fresh rosemary - finely chopped
- 800 g new potatoes - quartered
- 0.5 lemon - juice and zest only
- 4 shallots - quartered
- 2 pinch sea salt and black pepper
- 200 g cherry tomatoes
Instructions
- Put the lamb chops, 2 tablespoon olive oil, garlic, rosemary, lemon juice and zest and the salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix well so that the lamb is coated. Cover and leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes.800 g Welsh Lamb chops, 2 tablespoon olive oil, 3 garlic cloves, 10 g fresh rosemary, 0.5 lemon, 2 pinch sea salt and black pepper
- Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6.
- Parboil the potatoes for 5 minutes. Drain and leave to steam dry for a few minutes.800 g new potatoes
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan and add the marinated chops. Brown for 1 minute per side.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Put the browned chops onto a large baking tray and add the shallots.4 shallots
- Add the potatoes to the tray. Drizzle the remaining oil over the potatoes and add any oil from the pan. Put in the oven for 5 minutes, or 8 minutes if you prefer your lamb more well-done.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Add the tomatoes to the pan and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes.200 g cherry tomatoes
Notes
- If you have the time, we would recommend marinating the lamb chops for at least 30 minutes before cooking. This allows the flavours to really come together.
- Make sure that the frying pan is heated to a high heat when you brown the lamb chops. This makes sure that you give the outside some crispiness.
- Add some extra flavour by mixing some sun-dried tomato paste into the marinade.
- Make sure to rest your lamb chops for 5 minutes before serving. This keeps all the juices in and helps keep the lamb lovely and moist.
Alison
I love that this is all baked together for simplicity. It really makes for a beautiful presentation. Perfect for a dinner party!
Heidy
These Baked Lamb Chops were so tender and juicy. I love lamb, so I was glad I spotted this recipe on Pinterest. I will be making this again around Easter! Happy New Year.
Anjali
Baking these lamb chops made them super tender and flavorful! They turned out perfectly in the oven and my family loved them!
Kristen Wood
Pinned to make for family next weekend! Thank you!
sonia
My family and I love lamb.
This recipe is just right for us!
Lisa
My family loves lamb chops and this is a perfect easy dinner to make!
Claudia Lamascolo
This recipe made me wish for lamb immediately, I am doing this over the weekend love it!
MJ
I'm always looking for new ideas for sheet pan recipes and am so glad I found this one! Such a delicious and easy way to cook lamb!
Jenn
The rosemary is a must! So cozy and comforting for all this cold weather we've been having -- thanks for the recipe!
Valerie
My Mom likes lamb but she doesn't cook anymore and my Dad won't cook it. This recipe sounds perfect for surprising her this holiday season.
Gina
This is a really great easy way to enjoy lamb for dinner without it needing to be a special occasion. Love all the garlic flavor and roasting the tomatoes on the tray with everything.
Natalie
Wonderful dinner idea. I'm going to make this for dinner on Sunday. Looks easy and delicious. And healthy.
Katherine
This is such a tasty way to enjoy lamb! I love all the fresh flavors.
Kate
One-tray dinners are just perfect for a weeknight supper - love this, packed with so many lovely flavours!