Air Fryer Lamb Chops offer a quick and easy way to enjoy tender, flavorful meat. Marinated in a vibrant blend of fresh mint, citrus, and herbs, these chops are perfectly cooked in just 15 minutes, making them a great choice for a fast and delicious meal.
Must Try Chops
Lamb chops are a favorite in our house. If you should know one thing about my kiwi husband, it’s that he has very strong opinions about lamb. Lamb is a staple dish in New Zealand, and (according to him) you cannot serve lamb without fresh mint.
So when I decided to try cooking lamb chops in the air fryer, I knew that a light and refreshing mint and citrus marinade would be the perfect choice for a juicy and lighter lamb dish. This recipe is an Easter lunch favorite, served with fresh spring vegetables like braised green beans and a shredded brussels sprouts salad.
Seriously, cooking meat in an air fryer is easy and a must try!
Why You’ll Love Air Fryer Lamb Chops
- Cooking lamb in the air fryer is quick and easy. Yup, the air fryer isn’t just for healthier fried items, it’s also great for quickly cooking meats. You can cook lamb loin, shanks, chops, and even a rack of lamb chops in the air fryer.
- Mint marinade makes for a tasty and juicy lamb chop. This light and fresh mint, citrus, and her marinade softens the meat and adds a pop of flavor.
- It’s a lighter meat dish that’s perfect for holidays and small gatherings. We love making these lamb chops on Easter and the flavor is light, fresh, and perfect for spring.
Lamb Chop and Marinade Ingredients
All you need are simple real food ingredients and minimal prep. See the recipe card for other tips and substitutions.
- Lamb chops: I used about 1 ¼ to 1 ⅓ rd pounds bone-in lamb chops for this recipe, which comes out to be about 4 lamb chops. If your chops are fatty, trim excess fat before cooking and marinating.
- Olive oil: Olive oil serves as the base of the marinade and coats the lamb in a thin layer of fat that also helps it to cook well in the fryer.
- Raw honey: Honey adds a thick consistency to the marinade, and the sweet flavor pairs well with the fresh herbs and natural lamb flavor.
- Balsamic vinegar: A small amount of balsamic vinegar rounds out the base of the marinade, adding acidity to the oil and sweet honey.
- Fresh mint: Chopped fresh mint leaves are a MUST with lamb and gives a fresh flavor to the marinade.
- Cumin: Ground cumin, a flavorful ground seed that is often used in Middle Eastern cuisine, pairs well with the freshness of mint in the marinade.
- Chili powder: A dash of ground chili powder adds a small spicy kick to the marinade and helps bring out the flavors of the other herbs and spices.
- Garlic: Either minced whole garlic cloves or ground garlic powder is used to flavor the meat marinade.
- Lemon juice and lime zest: Lemon juice adds acidity to the marinade and shaved lime zest rounds out the strong flavors with a bit of a citrus bite.
- Shallots: Sliced shallots are fried in the air fryer and served on top of the lamb chops for a crispy garnish.
How to Make Lamb in The Air Fryer
Prep Tips– Pat the lamb chops dry before marinating. This helps remove excess moisture, allowing the marinade to adhere better and promoting a good sear in the air fryer.
Don’t have an air fryer? There’s an oven option in the recipe card! But I highly recommend one for quick even cooking that’s also flavorful.
- Mix the marinade: The first step to make these tasty lamb chops is to marinate them! My favorite marinade is super easy, simply add olive oil, a bit of raw honey, balsamic vinegar, and lemon juice to a medium mixing bowl and whisk together to combine. Then add chopped fresh mint, ground cumin, garlic powder, and a little chili powder for spice. That’s it!
- Marinate the lamb: After making the marinade, place the lamb chops in a ziplock bag or glass container, pour the marinade over, and massage the marinade into the meat to evenly coat the lamb chops. Let the lamb marinate at room temperature for 20-30 minutes (if marinating longer, refrigerate and bring to room temp before cooking).
- Prep the Air Fryer: While your lamb chops are marinating, preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C). Preheating ensures even cooking and helps achieve that beautiful caramelized sear on the outside of the chops.
Pro-Tip: If your air fryer doesn’t have a built-in preheat function, you can warm it up manually by setting it to 400°F for 2 minutes. Then open the basket, add the chops, and restart it at the same temperature and set the cooking time.
- Add the Lamb Chops: Once preheated, carefully place the marinated lamb chops and shallots in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Avoid overcrowding to ensure proper air circulation and even cooking.
Pro-Tip: Place the thickest cut of lamb in the back of the air fryer, as the temperature is hotter.
- Air Frying Time & Flipping: Air fry the lamb chops at 400°F for 12-14 minutes, flipping them halfway through the cooking process. For extra flavor, baste the lamb chops with the reserved marinade half way through cooking.
- Rest and Serve: When the chops are done, remove them from the air fryer and let them rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
How Do You Know When Lamb is Cooked?
Lamb chops are recommended to be cooked to medium-well for food safety by the USDA, however like beef each person has a different preference for how well they want their lamb cooked. I like to cook my lamb to about medium to medium-well, though you can cook a bit longer if you like your lamb well done.
I usually eyeball the outside of the lamb to see how cooked it looks, and cut a small slice to view the center (I am for a slightly pink but not red center). However, if you’d like to be exact then use a meat thermometer and cook to the following temperatures based on how well done you’d like your lamb chops cooked:
- Rare: 115-120°F
- Medium-Rare: 125°F
- Medium: 130°F
- Medium-Well: 145°F (recommended)
- Well Done: 150°F
Storage and Freezing
After the lamb has cooled, store it in a plastic bag or airtight container in the refrigerator. Lamb chops keep surprisingly well in the refrigerator and taste great when reheated, and actually are a great meat to freeze after cooking and then thaw when needed.
- Refrigerator: 5 days in an airtight container or sealed plastic bag
- Freezer: 1 month in a sealed freezer-safe bag
More of Our Favorite
Gluten-Free Lamb REcipes
If you’re keen on lamb (like my kiwi husband), then you might want to check out my other recipes with lamb.
Air Fryer Lamb Chops Recipe
- Total Time: 32 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Air Fryer Lamb Chops, a quick and healthy air fryer meat dish recipe with a light and fresh mint, citrus, and herb marinade.
Ingredients
- 4 Bone in Lamb chops (1 ¼ to 1 ½ lbs.). Excess fat trimmed, if desired.
Marinade
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder or 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and pepper each
- 3–4 Tablespoons lemon juice (½ large lemon, juiced)
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1 Tablespoon fresh mint – chopped (extra whole mint leaves for garnishing)
- 2 small shallots, sliced for frying
- Sliced lemon for garnishing
Instructions
- Pat the lamb chops dry with a paper towel. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients. Reserve 2+ tablespoons for basting (set aside before touching the raw lamb to avoid cross-contamination).
- Place the lamb chops in a ziplock bag or glass container, pour the marinade over, and seal. Massage the marinade into the meat for even coating.
- Let the lamb marinate at room temperature for 20-30 minutes (if marinating longer, refrigerate and bring to room temp before cooking).
- While marinating, preheat the air fryer to 400°F. If your air fryer doesn’t have a preheat option, turn it on for 2 minutes, then stop and restart at 400°F.
- Place the marinated lamb chops and sliced shallots in the air fryer. Cook for 12-14 minutes, flipping halfway through and basting with marinade. (Check doneness by opening the drawer if needed.)
- Cook until the internal temperature reaches at least 145°F (for medium-rare) or your desired doneness. Adjust time based on chop thickness.
- Remove the chops from the air fryer and let them rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Garnish with air-fried shallots, fresh mint, and lemon wedges.
Notes
Oven option– Preheat the oven to 400F. Place marinated lamb chops in an oven safe dish or pan for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway and baste with extra marinade. Broil last minute for extra crispy edges. Internal temperature should reach 145F. Once cooked, remove chops from the oven and let them rest before serving/slicing.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 12
- Category: meat
- Method: air fryer
- Cuisine: american/new zealand
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 lamb chop
- Calories: 153
- Sugar: 2.9 g
- Sodium: 197.8 mg
- Fat: 7.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 3.7 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 55.4 mg
I was shocked how good these out, so juicy and delicous!
Okay first off- the addition of the mint with the lamb is amazing! Also, the tips or how to cook the lam are so helpful. So delicious!
This is so good!! My family really loved it!
I don’t make lamb nearly enough. This is a fantastic recipe!
Now is the perfect time!