Elegant Dinner · Halal · Grill

Herb-Crusted Lamb Rib Chops
with Mint Yogurt Sauce

Halal lamb rib chops marinated in rosemary, garlic, and lemon, then grilled over high heat to a deep char with a rose-pink center. The most impressive dinner you can cook in 12 minutes.

Marinade1–4 hrs

Cook12 min

Rest5 min

Serves2–3

DifficultyEasy

460

Cal / serving

38g

Protein

12 min

Cook time

Halal

Thomas Farms

Lamb rib chops are rack-of-lamb cut into individual portions — each one comes with a long elegant bone handle, beautifully marbled meat, and a natural tenderness that needs nothing more than high heat and a few minutes per side. They are one of the most impressive cuts to put on a dinner table and one of the fastest to cook, a combination that is genuinely rare and genuinely useful.

We use Thomas Farms halal lamb rib chops — naturally marbled, premium quality, and ready for the grill. A simple rosemary-garlic-lemon marinade deepens the flavor without masking the lamb's natural richness. The cold mint yogurt sauce takes five minutes and provides the perfect counterpoint to the hot char off the grill.

Ingredients

For the chops

8 oz packThomas Farms halal lamb rib chops
3 tbspOlive oil
3 clovesGarlic, finely minced
2 tspFresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tspFresh thyme leaves
Zest + juice of 1Lemon
1 tspSalt
½ tspBlack pepper
½ tspRed chili flakes (optional)

Bring to room temperature: Pull chops from the fridge 20 minutes before grilling. Cold chops cook unevenly — the outside overcooks before the center reaches the right temperature.

Mint yogurt sauce

¾ cupFull-fat Greek yogurt
2 tbspFresh mint, finely chopped
1 cloveGarlic, finely grated
1 tbspFresh lemon juice
1 tbspOlive oil
½ tspSalt

Make the sauce 30 minutes ahead: The mint and garlic bloom into the yogurt as it rests. Even a short wait deepens the flavor significantly. Keeps 4 days refrigerated.

Lamb rib chop doneness

Rare 120–125°F Cool red center

Medium-rareIdeal 130–135°F Warm pink, juicy

Medium 140–145°F Slight pink, firmer

Well done 160°F+ No pink, tough

Instructions

Phase 1 — Marinade & sauce

1

Marinate the chops

Whisk olive oil, minced garlic, rosemary, thyme, lemon zest and juice, salt, pepper, and chili flakes together in a bowl. Coat the rib chops thoroughly, cover, and refrigerate for 1–4 hours. Overnight is perfectly fine — the marinade doesn't tenderize so much as flavor, and rib chops are already tender enough that there's no risk of over-marinating.
2

Make the mint yogurt sauce

Combine yogurt, fresh mint, grated garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Stir until smooth. Refrigerate while you cook — the contrast of the cold, herby yogurt against the hot charred lamb is central to the experience of this dish, not just a garnish.

Phase 2 — Grill

3

Grill over high heat

Preheat the grill to high and oil the grates well. Remove the chops from the marinade and let the excess drip off — too much marinade causes flare-ups. Grill 3–4 minutes per side without moving to let a proper charred crust form. Rib chops are thin and cook fast; look for charred edges and a firm but springy feel when pressed.
4

Rest 5 minutes and plate

Transfer to a cutting board and rest for 5 minutes — the internal temperature will rise to 130–135°F. Plate with a generous spoonful of cold mint yogurt spread underneath the chops, a lemon wedge, and fresh herbs scattered over. Serve immediately — the contrast of hot char and cold yogurt fades fast.

No grill? Cast iron works identically: Heat a cast-iron skillet until smoking. Add a drizzle of oil, sear 3 minutes per side, then stand the chops on their fat edge for 1 minute to render the fat cap. Finish with a pat of butter and baste for 60 seconds.

Serving suggestions

Warm flatbread or pita Couscous Tabbouleh Roasted asparagus Extra lemon wedges Hummus alongside

Variations

🧄 Garlic herb butter

Top each chop straight off the grill with a round of garlic herb compound butter. It melts into the crust as the meat rests.

🌿 Za'atar marinade

Replace rosemary and thyme with 2 tbsp za'atar in the marinade for a Middle Eastern flavor profile with sesame and sumac notes.

🌶️ Harissa glaze

Brush with harissa paste in the last 2 minutes of grilling for a smoky, spiced crust over the herb marinade.

🍋 Lemon caper pan sauce

Skip the yogurt. Deglaze the pan with lemon juice, add capers, swirl in cold butter. A bright, quick alternative.

🥗 Chop platter

Serve 2 chops on a bed of arugula, cherry tomatoes, and shaved parmesan with a lemon-olive oil dressing. A full plate.

🫙 Overnight marinade

Marinate overnight in the fridge. The flavor penetrates deeper into the meat and the chops develop a slightly more intense herb crust on the grill.

Storage

Cooked chops

Keep 3 days refrigerated. Reheat in a hot skillet, 90 seconds per side — the crust revives well.

Marinated raw

Marinate up to 24 hours in the fridge. Can freeze in the marinade for 1 month — thaw overnight before grilling.

Mint yogurt

Keeps 4 days refrigerated. Stir before serving — it thickens slightly in the fridge.

Nutrition (per serving, approx.)

460

Calories

38g