These grilled lamb chops with pistachio mint pesto is a flavor-packed main course that is sure to impress! Great for holidays or deliciously quick weeknight meal that looks like it took hours to complete.
It wasn’t until years ago that I realized my true love for lamb.
I’m unsure what young Brandy was thinking, but lamb is delicious!
Then again, young Brandy made a lot of bad food decisions, so I should give her a break. There was a point in time when I thought the following was delicious:
- canned enchiladas
- Pizza rolls (I still might think these are acceptable)
- fish sticks dipped in yellow mustard
- Homemade orange Julius, which consisted of mixing orange juice, vanilla extract, and milk
- Cold pizza Lunchables
But, now that I know my tastes extend beyond those listed foods it’s nice to know that lamb can be in full rotation!
Plus, this dish takes only about 30 minutes to be fully cooked and is delicious when served with roasted vegetables or a side of couscous.
Table of Contents
Grilled lamb chop ingredients:
- Frenched lamb chops – “Frenched” is a fancy way of saying that the skinny bone at the end of the chop is cleaned off and exposed.
- Kosher salt and pepper – This simple seasoning blend works well with lamb as it highlights its natural flavor.
- Mint leaves – Mint and lamb are a classic pairing!
- Pistachios – This is the nut we are adding to our pesto. It pairs nicely with the mint and lamb.
- Lemon – I’m adding both lemon zest and juice to add a bright flavor to the pesto.
- Olive oil – This is the base of a classic pesto.
- Water – I like to add water to my pesto to make it less oily and to create a nice spoonable texture.
Other ways to cook lamb
If you don’t have a grill for your lamb chops you can also cook your lamb chops under the broiler in your oven or on the stovetop!
To cook your lamb on the stove top, add one tablespoon of olive oil to a 12-inch high-sided skillet and set over medium-high heat.
When the oil is hot, add the lamb and cook on both sides until cooked to your desired doneness.
To cook your lamb under the broiler, turn your broiler on high, add your lamb chops to a high heat-safe sheet pan, and cook for about 5 minutes per side directly under the broiler.
Internal temperature of cooked lamb
This handy chart shows exactly what you need to roast your lamb perfectly. Now, whatever doneness you desire, you will have the perfect internal temperature!
More lamb recipes
- Garlic Rosemary Roast Leg of Lamb
- Sheet Pan Easter Dinner with Lamb
- Moroccan Lamb Couscous
- Lamb Bolognese
Grilled Lamb Chops with Pistachio Mint Pesto
Ingredients
For lamb:
- 8 lamb chops
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
For pesto:
- 1/2 cup firmly packed mint leaves
- 1/3 cup shelled pistachios
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest about 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice about 1/2 lemon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
For lamb:
- Preheat grill to medium high heat.
- Remove lamb from the fridge and let them sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Season with kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
- Add to the grill and cook until each side is browned and has grill marks. About 5 minutes per side for a medium-rare doneness.
- Serve lamb chops warm, topped with pistachio mint sauce.
For pesto:
- In a small food processor add mint, pistachios, lemon zest, lemon juice, kosher salt and black pepper. Pulse to help break down the mint and pistachios.
- Turn the food processor on full speed and while the processor is running drizzle in the olive oil and blend until combined.
- Take off the lid and scrape down the sides. Put the lid back on and drizzle in the water while the processor runs until you have reached your desired consistency. I like my pesto to be a bit thiner so it drizzles nicely and is more "saucy" than a thick sauce.
- Note: For serving I grilled up a few lemons and cut up some red onion. Not necessary but makes for a pretty presentation.
Nutrition
Grilled Lamb Chops with Pistachio Mint Pesto
Ingredients
For lamb:
- 8 lamb chops
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
For pesto:
- 1/2 cup firmly packed mint leaves
- 1/3 cup shelled pistachios
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest about 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice about 1/2 lemon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
For lamb:
- Preheat grill to medium high heat.
- Remove lamb from the fridge and let them sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Season with kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
- Add to the grill and cook until each side is browned and has grill marks. About 5 minutes per side for a medium-rare doneness.
- Serve lamb chops warm, topped with pistachio mint sauce.
For pesto:
- In a small food processor add mint, pistachios, lemon zest, lemon juice, kosher salt and black pepper. Pulse to help break down the mint and pistachios.
- Turn the food processor on full speed and while the processor is running drizzle in the olive oil and blend until combined.
- Take off the lid and scrape down the sides. Put the lid back on and drizzle in the water while the processor runs until you have reached your desired consistency. I like my pesto to be a bit thiner so it drizzles nicely and is more "saucy" than a thick sauce.
- Note: For serving I grilled up a few lemons and cut up some red onion. Not necessary but makes for a pretty presentation.
Aida@TheCraftingFoodie
Wednesday 23rd of March 2016
What a gorgeous dish! I love the lamb (I also am a lamb convert), and that pesto looks out of this world. My mouth is totally watering!
Nancy | The Bitter Side of Sweet
Wednesday 23rd of March 2016
Oh my gosh! These look fabulous! Lamb for Easter is a must!
Kaitie
Wednesday 23rd of March 2016
First off your photos are gorgeous!! also i love love love your recipe! this looks amazing and a great recipe for having guests over!!
Serene @ House of Yumm
Wednesday 23rd of March 2016
Loving the colors in this dish! And is sounds amazingly delicious. Plus..I never knew there was such a thing as canned enchiladas..
Joanie@ZagLeft
Wednesday 23rd of March 2016
This is a seriously beautiful dish! It sounds incredible!