This is my personal twist on pan-seared lamb chops! Succulent lamb chops are marinated in a fragrant blend of herbs, sliced garlic, warm ground cardamom, mustard, and a touch of maple syrup. Searing them over high heat creates a beautiful crust, while sautéing finely cut onion, extra garlic, and the leftover marinade before deglazing with rich red port wine and cream makes a silky, flavor-packed pan sauce.
Finely cut 1 small onion and slice a garlic clove and set aside for later. In a large bowl, combine 2 tbsp mustard, black pepper to taste, 1 tbsp thyme, 1 tbsp oregano, 1 tbsp rosemary, 1 tbsp paprika, 7 sliced garlic cloves, 2 tsp ground cardamom, and 2 tsp maple syrup. Add the 800g of lamb chops and coat thoroughly.
If you are only marinating for 30 to 60 minutes, add salt to taste into the marinade now. If marinating for multiple hours or overnight, cover and chill without salt, then sprinkle salt generously over the chops right before cooking.
Place a heavy skillet over high heat until smoking hot. Shake off any excess marinade and garlic slices from the chops. Lay the chops in the pan and sear for 3 minutes per side for medium doneness. Transfer the cooked chops to a plate to rest.
Turn heat down to medium. Add 1 tbsp of butter, pour the remaining marinade left in the bowl straight into the hot skillet along with the finely cut small onion and 1 extra sliced garlic clove. Stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes until the onion softens and becomes fragrant. Immediately pour in 60ml (1/4 cup) of red port wine to deglaze, using a wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom. Let the wine bubble and reduce by half.
Turn the heat down to low (or off). Stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of light cream (half-and-half). Add another tbsp of butter and return the seared lamb chops and any accumulated juices back into the pan, tossing to coat them completely in the glossy sauce, then serve immediately.
Pan-Seared Lamb Chops with Port Wine & Cream Sauce
Ingredients
Lamb Chops & Marinade
- 800g lamb chops
- 2 tbsp mustard
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp dried rosemary
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 7 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 tsp ground cardamom
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Pan Sauce
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter (divided into 1 tbsp portions)
- 60ml (~1/4 cup) red port wine
- 1–2 tbsp light cream (half-and-half)
- 1 small onion, finely cut
- 1 garlic clove, sliced
Instructions
- Mix the mustard, pepper, thyme, oregano, rosemary, paprika, sliced garlic, cardamom, and maple syrup together in a bowl. Coat the lamb chops evenly.
- Add salt now if marinating for 30–60 minutes; if marinating for several hours or overnight, add salt right before cooking.
- Heat a skillet over high heat. Shake off excess marinade and garlic, then sear the lamb chops for 3 minutes per side for medium. Set meat aside on a plate.
- Lower heat to medium, melt the first 1 tbsp of butter in the pan drippings, and sauté onion, garlic, and leftover marinade for 1–2 minutes.
- Deglaze the hot skillet with red port wine, scraping up the bottom bits until reduced by half.
- Reduce heat to low/off, stir in the light cream, and another tbsp of butter and return the lamb chops to the pan, coat in the sauce, and serve hot!
Notes
- 3-Minute Sear: 3 minutes per side on high heat yields a solid medium doneness for average-thickness chops.
- Storage: Best served fresh, but leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Tips for Success
Salt Timing Matters: Salt draws moisture out of meat over time. If you are marinating for 30 to 60 minutes, add the salt upfront. If you are marinating for multiple hours or overnight, hold off on the salt until right before cooking!
Don’t Burn the Garlic: Shake off excess garlic slices and marinade before placing the chops into the skillet so they don’t burn and turn bitter during searing.
Searing Time for Medium: Searing for 3 minutes per side over high heat is accurate for achieving medium doneness on standard (~2cm thick) lamb chops. If your chops are extra thick, give them 3.5 to 4 minutes per side.
Sauté the Aromatics: Sautéing the fresh onion and extra garlic with the leftover marinade for 1–2 minutes softens the onion and blooms the herbs before adding the wine.
Why You’ll Love This Dish
Bold Herb & Spice Blend: Mustard, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and cardamom create a rich savory-sweet flavor profile.
Caramelized Pan Base: Cooking down finely cut onion, extra garlic, and leftover marinade before deglazing lifts up all the delicious browned bits from the pan.
Quick High-Heat Sear: Cooks in under 10 minutes for a fast, restaurant-quality meal.
High-Protein Main: Delivers 40 grams of protein per serving, making it as satisfying as it is flavorful.
