When properly cooked, lamb shoulder chops are tender and delicious. I cook them in the slow cooker and then briefly broil them to brown the fat.
Served with the cooking juices for dipping, they make for a hearty, satisfying meal!
My favorite meat is beef, but I enjoy lamb. I love lamb steak, lamb ribs, and lamb shanks. Roasted leg of lamb is lovely, as are lamb meatballs and lamb burgers.
These chops are one of the lamb recipes I enjoy most. They are flavorful and melt-in-your-mouth tender. They are also easy to make, and the leftovers are just as good as the freshly cooked chops.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
Bone-in lamb shoulder chops: I use six large chops. Their total weight, when raw, should be about 4 pounds.
To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, ground cumin, and dried rosemary. I prefer garlic powder to fresh minced garlic in this recipe. It coats the chops more evenly.
Variations
The best way to vary this recipe is to experiment with different spices. I sometimes add a generous pinch of onion powder and smoked paprika.
If you like spicy food, add a pinch of cayenne, ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes, or ½ teaspoon of chili powder.
Instructions
Lamb shoulder chops are a tough cut of meat with a large amount of connective tissue. Just like any other tough cut of meat (such as beef heart, beef tongue, or beef cheeks), they require low, slow cooking.
This makes them ideal for your slow cooker. You can't quickly pan-fry or grill them. They really do need to be cooked low and slow.
The reward for your patience? Intensely flavorful, delightfully fatty, melt-in-your-mouth meat.
The detailed instructions for making this recipe are included in the recipe card below. Here are the basic steps:
In a small bowl, combine the kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, cumin, and dried rosemary.
Place the chops in your slow cooker in three layers of two chops. Sprinkle each layer with a third of the spice mixture.
Cover and cook them on LOW for 6 hours.
This is what the chops look like when they're fully cooked. As you can see, at this point, they need to be browned:
Remove the chops to a foil-lined baking sheet. Set the oven to broil. Carefully strain the cooking juices from the slow cooker pan into a heatproof glass jar or measuring cup. You can skim the fat layer from the top with a spoon.
Briefly broil the chops to brown and crisp up the fat for 1-2 minutes. Keep an eye on them so they don't burn.
Transfer the chops to dinner plates. Serve them, if desired, with small bowls of the strained cooking juices for dipping.
Expert Tip
Adding liquids to the slow cooker pan is unnecessary, although adding ¼ cup of water or broth is fine.
The meat will release liquids as it cooks, and too much liquid in the pan could result in boiled rather than braised meat.
Recipe FAQs
Like other tough cuts of meat, they can't be cooked quickly. You need to cook them low and slow. That's why the slow cooker is so perfect for them. It creates the perfect cooking environment for tenderizing their meat.
Perhaps because you tried to cook them quickly. They're too tough for a quick sear or grilling. You need to slow-cook them for several hours to ensure they come out nice and tender.
They have the typical, distinct flavor of lamb meat. However, it's milder than lamb meat that you cook quickly, such as lamb steak. The prolonged cooking not only tenderizes them but also makes them taste milder.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve these tasty chops with any side dish you like! They are very versatile. I often serve them with one of the following:
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Gently reheat them in the microwave, covered, at 50% power.
More Lamb Recipes
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Recipe Card
Lamb Shoulder Chops
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or ½ teaspoon of any other salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 6 lamb shoulder chops large, bone-in (4 pounds total weight)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, cumin, and dried rosemary.
- Place the chops in your slow cooker in three layers of two chops. Sprinkle each layer with a third of the spice mixture.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours.
- Remove the chops to a foil-lined baking sheet, arranging them on the baking sheet in a single layer. Set the oven to broil on high (500°F) and position an oven rack 4 inches below the broiling element.
- Carefully strain the cooking juices from the slow cooker pan into a heatproof glass jar or measuring cup. You can skim the fat layer from the top with a spoon if you wish.
- Briefly broil the chops to brown and crisp up the fat for 1-2 minutes. Keep an eye on them so that they don't burn.
- Transfer the chops to dinner plates. Serve them, if desired, with small bowls of the strained cooking juices for dipping.
Video
Notes
- If your chops are relatively small, so that six of them weigh a total of 3 pounds, you can cook them on low for just five hours. They'll be amazing after six hours but so tender that they'll fall apart.
- There’s no need to add liquids to the slow cooker pan. The meat will release juices as it cooks.
- I prefer garlic powder to fresh minced garlic in this recipe. It coats the chops more evenly.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Gently reheat them in the microwave, covered, at 50% power.
Nutrition per Serving
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Rosemarie
My friends said this was the best lamb they had ever had. I was nervous until I tasted the end result. Yum. They have already made a request for the same recipe at Christmas.
Vered DeLeeuw
How wonderful, Rosemarie! This is perfect for Christmas. I'm so glad everyone enjoyed it!
Kim D.
This recipe is EXCELLENT! Until the last couple of years, I hadn't eaten or cooked much lamb, but my husband was in 4-H as a kid, and wanted to support a friend's son in 4-H. We purchased two of his 4-H lambs in the last couple of years, and it's forced me to learn! Â
I wish I had this recipe a long time ago, because it is by far the best method for cooking lamb shoulder chops, and these were the last we had on hand. We are currently camping in an RV, so I didn't take the second step of browning in the broiler, but they still turned out AMAZING.
It's interesting that there is no liquid called for as it cooks down in its own fat and stays very moist and super tender. Seriously delicious! HIGHLY recommend.
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Kim! And how wonderful that you and your husband are supporting the 4-H project.