Sauces for Lamb Chops: Five Classic Pairings and How to Make Each One

We cut lamb chops off whole lambs for our customers, and the question we hear after "how thick?" is "what do I serve with them?" This guide covers which chop is which, how to cook it, and five sauces made from scratch with ingredients you can find in any eastern North Carolina grocery store. None of them takes more than 15 minutes.

Lamb sauces at a glance

First, know your chop

USDA's lamb fact sheet sorts lamb chops by where they come from. Rib chops come from the rack and loin chops from the loin. These two are the most tender and the most expensive. Blade and arm chops come from the shoulder and sirloin chops from the leg. Those cost less "but may be just as tender" ^[2].

• Rib chops are the little lollipops, often frenched (bone scraped clean). Small, tender and quick. A light sauce like mint or herb butter fits best.
• Loin chops look like tiny T-bones. Meaty and tender, so they can stand up to a red wine pan sauce.
• Shoulder chops (blade and arm) have more fat, more connective tissue and more flavor. Tzatziki and chimichurri cut through that richness.
• Sirloin chops from the leg are lean and work like a small steak.

For the whole animal, including racks, legs and shanks, see our lamb cuts guide.

How to cook lamb chops before you sauce them

USDA's planning time for rib or loin chops 1 to 1½ inches thick is 7 to 11 minutes under the broiler or on the grill ^[2]. That's total time, not per side. A hot cast-iron pan works about the same.

1. Pat the chops dry and season with salt and pepper. Thicker chops cook more evenly, so ask for 1 inch or more on your cut sheet.
2. Sear over high heat until browned, then turn and finish.
3. Check the thickest part with an instant-read thermometer, away from the bone ^[3].
4. Take them off at 145°F and let them rest at least 3 minutes. That's the USDA safe minimum for lamb steaks, chops and roasts ^[1].

Shoulder chops are the exception. They're good grilled to 145°F, but they also braise beautifully if you have the time.

1. Mint sauce

This is the old English sauce for lamb, and it's not the same thing as green mint jelly. Escoffier's 1907 cookbook gives it in four ingredients (chopped mint, a little sugar, vinegar and water) and calls it the "special sauce for hot or cold lamb" ^[4].

Our version (enough for 6–8 chops):

• ½ cup packed fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons boiling water
• ¼ cup white wine vinegar or malt vinegar
• Pinch of salt

Stir the sugar and salt into the boiling water until dissolved. Add the vinegar, then the mint. Let it sit at least 30 minutes so the mint flavors the vinegar. It keeps in the refrigerator for a day or two, but it's brightest the day you make it. Spoon a little over each chop. It's thin and sharp, so a teaspoon goes a long way.

2. Rosemary red wine pan sauce

Make this in the same pan you cooked the chops in, while they rest. The browned bits stuck to the pan are where the flavor is.

You'll need: 1 tablespoon butter, 1 minced shallot, 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary, ½ cup dry red wine, ½ cup beef or lamb stock, 1 more tablespoon cold butter, salt and pepper.

1. Pour off all but a thin film of fat from the chop pan. Turn the heat to medium.
2. Add 1 tablespoon butter and the shallot. Stir for a minute until soft.
3. Add the rosemary, then the wine. Scrape the bottom of the pan and boil until the wine is reduced by about half.
4. Add the stock and boil again until it's syrupy and you have about ¼ cup left.
5. Take the pan off the heat and swirl in the cold butter. Season and pour over the chops along with any juices from the resting plate.

A teaspoon of Dijon mustard or red currant jelly stirred in at the end is an old-fashioned touch that works.

3. Garlic herb butter

A compound butter is the easiest sauce there is, because you make it weeks ahead. Escoffier's maître d'hôtel butter is just softened butter, chopped parsley, salt, pepper and a few drops of lemon juice, served "with grills in general" ^[4]. For lamb we add garlic and rosemary.

You'll need: 1 stick (½ cup) softened butter, 1 small clove garlic grated fine, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary or thyme, ½ teaspoon lemon zest, a squeeze of lemon, ¼ teaspoon salt.

Mash everything together with a fork. Roll it into a log in plastic wrap and chill until firm. Slice a coin onto each hot chop right as it comes off the grill. Keep the log in the refrigerator for the week, or freeze it and slice off what you need.

4. Tzatziki

The Greek yogurt-cucumber sauce is the natural partner for shoulder chops, lamb kabobs and lamb burgers. The cool tang balances the fat.

You'll need: 1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt, ½ English cucumber, 1 small clove garlic grated, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon chopped dill or mint, salt.

1. Grate the cucumber, salt it lightly and squeeze it hard in a clean towel. This step keeps the sauce from going watery.
2. Stir everything together and taste for salt.
3. Chill at least 30 minutes so the garlic mellows.

Yogurt is perishable. Keep tzatziki cold and don't leave it on the table for more than 2 hours, or more than 1 hour if it's above 90°F outside ^[5]. At a cookout, set the bowl on ice.

5. Chimichurri

The Argentine-style herb sauce is usually served with beef, but it's just as good on grilled lamb. It's sharp enough to stand up to shoulder chops and fresh enough for loin chops.

You'll need: 1 cup packed flat-leaf parsley, 2 tablespoons fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried), 2 tablespoons fresh mint for lamb (optional), 3 cloves garlic, 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ½ cup olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt.

Chop the herbs and garlic fine by hand (a food processor works but makes it pasty). Stir in the vinegar, pepper flakes and salt, then the oil. Let it sit 15 minutes before serving.

Storage matters here. Raw garlic and fresh herbs in oil can grow the bacteria that cause botulism if they're kept at room temperature. The National Center for Home Food Preservation says garlic-in-oil should be made fresh and kept refrigerated at 40°F or below for no more than 4 days, or frozen for longer storage ^[6]. Oregon State Extension gives the same 4-day limit for homemade herb oils and pestos and recommends labeling the jar with the date ^[7]. Make what you'll use this week and freeze the rest in an ice cube tray.

Matching a sauce to the meal

• Holiday rack or frenched rib chops: mint sauce or herb butter. Let the lamb be the star.
• Weeknight loin chops in a skillet: the red wine pan sauce, because the pan is already hot.
• Grilled shoulder chops at a cookout: chimichurri or tzatziki, or both.
• Lamb burgers or ground lamb kabobs: tzatziki. Cook ground lamb to 160°F, not 145°F ^[1].
• Leftover lamb: cold sliced lamb with mint sauce is a classic for a reason. USDA says to refrigerate cooked lamb within 2 hours and eat it within 3 to 4 days ^[2].

These sauces also work on goat chops, which are leaner than lamb and cut much the same way. See our goat and chevon cuts guide. If your chops come from an older sheep, the stronger flavor really wants the chimichurri or a long braise. Our mutton cuts guide explains the difference. For steak, see our classic steak sauces guide.

Frequently asked questions

What sauce goes best with lamb chops?

Mint sauce is the classic, because its vinegar and fresh mint cut through lamb's rich fat. A rosemary red wine pan sauce, garlic herb butter, tzatziki and chimichurri are all good choices. Use the lighter sauces on tender rib and loin chops and the sharper ones on fattier shoulder chops.

Is mint sauce the same as mint jelly?

No. Mint sauce is thin and sharp, made from chopped fresh mint, vinegar, a little sugar and water. Mint jelly is a sweet, set jelly. Both are served with lamb, but mint sauce is the older, tangier choice.

What temperature should lamb chops be cooked to?

USDA's safe minimum for lamb chops, steaks and roasts is 145°F, measured in the thickest part, followed by at least a 3-minute rest. Ground lamb needs 160°F.

How long does homemade chimichurri keep?

Because it's fresh garlic and herbs in oil, keep it in the refrigerator and use it within 4 days, or freeze it for longer. Don't leave a jar of it sitting out at room temperature.

Raising lambs? Talk to us

We process lambs as custom work, cut to your sheet and returned to you, not for sale. If you want thick rib chops for the grill, loin chops for the skillet or shoulder chops for the smoker, put it on the lamb and goat cut sheet or call or text 252-885-1892. You can read more on our lamb, goat and specialty page. Flowers Slaughterhouse, 5154 St. Rose Church Rd, Sims, NC 27880.

Sources

1. Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart — USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
2. Lamb From Farm to Table — USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
3. Food Thermometers — USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
4. A Guide to Modern Cookery (A. Escoffier, 1907 English edition) — Project Gutenberg
5. "Danger Zone" (40°F – 140°F) — USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
6. Freezing Garlic-in-Oil — National Center for Home Food Preservation, University of Georgia
7. Herbs and Vegetables in Oil — Oregon State University Extension Service

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