Greek Lamb Chops That Taste Like a Taverna Night in 28 Minutes

Seven o'clock on a Thursday, the agent has already shopped the cart, and one skillet and a pack of lamb chops are about to make it look like you booked somewhere with tablecloths. This greek lamb chops recipe is 28 minutes of lemon, garlic and oregano, and you can let the table believe it took longer.

Lemon and oregano do the talking, the pan does the browning, and the feta shows up last.

The chops sit in the marinade for ten minutes while the pan heats, which is about the length of a glass of wine and a quick tidy of the counter. They cook three to four minutes a side, rest on a plate, and the zucchini goes into the same pan to pick up what the lamb left behind.

Crumble the feta over the top and plate it all together. The whole thing is garlic, lemon and char, and it comes with a built-in excuse to open the good bottle.

How to make it

1. Mince 4 garlic cloves and slice 2 zucchini into 0.5-inch rounds. Pat 2 lb lamb chops dry (about 5 minutes).
2. In a bowl, whisk 2 tbsp olive oil, 3 tbsp lemon juice, minced garlic, 2 tsp oregano, salt, and black pepper. Coat the lamb chops and marinate 10 minutes while the pan heats.
3. Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Add the lamb chops and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare, or to your liking. Rest on a plate.
4. Add remaining 1 tbsp olive oil to the same pan. Add zucchini rounds, season with salt and black pepper, and cook until tender-crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Plate the lamb chops with zucchini, crumble ½ cup feta over the top, and serve warm.

Notes

Cooked leftovers of this greek lamb chops recipe keep three to four days refrigerated, per USDA FSIS. If you reheat the chops, do it gently so they do not turn tough.

USDA's safe minimum for whole cuts of lamb is 145°F with a three-minute rest. The method calls for medium-rare, or to your liking, and medium-rare sits below that number, so how far you take it is a decision to make knowingly. An instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the chop, away from the bone, gives you the number instead of a guess.

The marinade is a whisk of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. It is simple on purpose, since the lamb already has plenty to say.

Rest the chops on a plate while the zucchini cooks, and tip any juices that collect back over the plated lamb. The zucchini goes into the same pan with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, so the browned bits are not wasted.

Your agent puts the lamb chops and the feta in the same cart, and you save yourself a loop of the store.

Swaps that actually work

The lemon, garlic and oregano marinade is the point of this greek lamb chops recipe. That is what makes it taste Greek, and nothing else in the pan does the job.

Dried oregano is what the recipe uses, and fresh oregano or thyme will also work if you have it. Fresh is more delicate, so add it with the garlic rather than expecting it to carry through the heat.

Pork chops work if the lamb is too expensive this week, and the marinade does just as well on them. It is a different date: a nice one, just not the one on the invitation. Pork needs to reach 145°F and rest for three minutes, the same as lamb.

Summer squash, eggplant or green beans can replace the zucchini. Cook them until they are tender but still holding a little bite, and salt them at the end rather than the beginning.

Any brined, crumbly cheese can stand in for the feta, though feta has the sharper tang. Goat cheese is softer and milder.

The swap that costs you the dish is bottled lemon juice for fresh, because the flavor is flatter and you will end up reaching for more salt to make up for it.

If it goes wrong

The chops are gray and tough. The pan was not hot enough or they cooked too long. Heat the pan until the first chop sizzles on contact, and cook three to four minutes a side. If a batch is already overdone, slice it thin and fold it into a warm pita with the zucchini and feta.

There is no crust. The chops were wet or the pan was crowded, so they steamed. Pat them dry before they hit the pan and cook in two batches if they will not fit with space between them.

The garlic burned and tastes bitter. The minced pieces on the surface hit a very hot pan. Wipe most of the loose garlic off the chops before they go in, and the flavor from the marinade will have already done its work. If the pan has black bits, wipe it out before the zucchini goes in.

The zucchini is watery. It was crowded, or it was salted too early. Give it space, keep the heat up, and cook four to five minutes until tender-crisp.

It tastes flat. Salt and lemon. Taste a piece of zucchini, add a pinch of salt and a small squeeze of lemon, and taste again. If the chops come out less glamorous than planned, plate them under the feta and a confident smile, because good feta forgives a lot, much like a good date.

What to serve with it

The default is what the method already puts on the plate: the chops, the zucchini and a handful of feta.

The better version of the default adds something to catch the juices. Warm pita, or a spoonful of rice, will do it, and a plain yogurt on the side balances the lemon.

What in your fridge lifts it is a tomato and cucumber salad with a little red onion and olive oil. It is cold and sharp against the hot lamb, and it takes the five minutes while the chops rest.

Leftovers work cold or gently warmed, sliced into a pita with whatever is left of the feta.

Why this one earns its place

This greek lamb chops recipe reads as an occasion, and it asks for a skillet, a bowl and a whisk. That is a good ratio of effort to impression for a Thursday or a first dinner at your place.

It is also a dish for the week where you are trying to impress someone, including yourself. Swipe it in, let the agent shop the lamb, lemons, zucchini and feta, and keep the credit.

If you want more of the same ideas, beef kofta is the casual Mediterranean cousin, the Greek omelette puts the feta to work at breakfast, and the swipe meal planner shows how the swiping part works.

More like this: all Greek recipes in Crave Corner.