Sous vide lamb chops — our preferred cooking method! — results in tender, juicy, and perfectly cooked lamb every single time! Season with Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic, lemon, and fresh oregano, then place in a vacuum seal bag and submerge into a preheated water bath.
Sous vide cooking is a gentler way to cook proteins, and with a little practice you’ll see how foolproof it can be.
This is a great recipe whether you’re looking for an easy, impressive date night in or a family holiday meal (Easter!)!
*This post was sponsored by the American Lamb Board. All opinions are my own. I only support and promote brands that I believe in and use in my own kitchen – I hope you’ll check them out! Thank you for supporting the brands that make Well Seasoned possible.
What Is Sous Vide Cooking?
You will love how easy sous vide cooking is! Place food in an airtight container, such as these vacuum seal bags, remove all the air, then cook at a pre-determined temperature with a sous vide circulator.
Why does sous vide cooking work? It offers a more precise way of cooking proteins to a desired temperature. You add any marinades or seasonings right into the bag before sealing. Once the air is removed, place the sealed bags directly into a water bath. This method of slowly and gently cooking proteins results in a perfectly tender lamb chops, served precisely at your desired level of doneness, which until reverse searing is entirely hands off.
Trust us, it’s foolproof!
If you want to cook sous vide lamb chops, but you don’t have a vacuum sealer, try using the water displacement method with a Ziplock bag. It works well!
Ingredient Notes
We’re featuring bone-in American lamb loin chops. We love to support our local farmers and ranchers (some of the hardest working folks we’ve ever met, by the way) — shop local whenever you can.
To flavor and season the lamb, grab Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, a few garlic cloves (thinly sliced), fresh oregano or rosemary, and lemon peel. After cooking for 3 hours in the sous vide circulator, we recommend finishing the lamb loin chops in a cast-iron skillet with butter, oregano, and more garlic.
You’ll also need a sous vide circulator and a vacuum seal bag (or a Ziplock bag if using the water displacement method – more on this below!).
For more lamb chop recipes, be sure to try our Rosemary Roasted Lamb Chops, these Pan Fried Lamb Chops, or this beautiful Roast Rack of Lamb next!
How To Cook Lamb Sous Vide
This recipe is so simple to prep! Season lamb chops generously on both sides with Kosher salt and black pepper, then place in vacuum seal bags with thinly sliced garlic cloves, fresh oregano (or fresh rosemary sprigs), and some strips of fresh lemon peel. Use a vacuum sealer to remove air from bags, then place directly into a water bath fitted with an immersion circulator. Set a timer for 3 hours, then walk away!
Lamb Chops Temperature
We enjoy lamb cooked to medium-rare. That means the internal temperature on the thickest part of the lamb should register between 125F and 134F. To achieve this, set the immersion circulator anywhere in this temperature range (ours was set to 132F). The total cook time should be 3-4 hours.
For medium, set the temperature between 135F and 144F. We do not recommend serving it any more well done (or less done, for that matter), as the meat will become extremely tough.
Reverse Sear In A Cast Iron Skillet
While sous vide cooking is definitely the most reliable way to cook to a desired temperature, one shortcoming is that you don’t get a beautiful golden sear or crisp edges on the meat.
You have two options: pat lamb chops dry with a paper towel, then either place the cooked protein on a sheet pan and set it under a broiler at the end or reverse searing, which is our preferred method.
While it does require extra work, reverse searing is really quick! Remove the sous vide lamb chops from the sealed bag, then preheat a cast-iron skillet over high heat. When very hot, add two tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter. You can also add aromatics, such as garlic cloves and fresh herbs. Sear lamb for 45-60 seconds per side, or until golden brown all around. Allow meat to rest for 5 minutes so the juices can redistribute, then serve immediately.
You can also throw the sous vide lamb chops on a hot grill for the same length of time if you’d rather!
How To Serve
We’re serving these sous vide lamp chops with a light, refreshing Israeli couscous recipe (lemon, oregano, shallots, and crumbled feta cheese!). Roasted vegetables make great side dishes too! Roasted broccoli, broccolini, crispy brussels sprouts, and tandoori carrots are our classic go-to veggie sides.
For potatoes, try our red skin mashed potatoes or roasted potato wedges. The latter is served with a chimichurri sauce, which would totally be delicious spooned on top of the lamb!
If you make this Sous Vide Lamb Chops recipe at home, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
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More sous vide recipes to try!
More lamb recipes to try!
- Lamb Shawarma
- Stuffed Tomatoes with Lamb and Rice
- Lamb Ragu with Mint and Ricotta
- Braised Lamb Tacos
- Lamb Burger
Sous Vide Lamb Chops Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lbs bone-in lamb loin chops about 8 chops
- 1 ½ tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3 large garlic cloves peeled and thinly sliced, plus 2 additional peeled, smashed cloves
- 1 lemon peeled into strips
- 3 oregano sprigs divided
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- Flaky sea
Instructions
- Prepare the sous vide circulator. Fill a large bucket or pot with water, then attach your sous vide circulator and set desired temperature for lamb. For medium-rare lamb, internal temperature should be between 125F and 134F. For medium, the internal temperature should be between 135F and 144F. I set mine to 132F.
- Season the lamb chops. Sprinkle lamb evenly on both sides with 1 ½ tsp Kosher salt and ¼ tsp black pepper.
- Cook the lamb chops. Place sealed bag with lamb chops in the preheated pot of water, then set a timer for 3 hours (or up to 4 hours). Remove bag from water, cut open, and dry lamb on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Reverse sear the lamb. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. When very hot, add 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil and 2 Tbsp unsalted butter. Add 2 smashed garlic cloves and remaining sprig of fresh oregano. Carefully add lamb chops, then sear for 45-60 seconds per side, flipping once. Allow lamb to rest for 5 minutes before serving with a pinch of flaky sea salt on top.
Notes
- Because the lamb cooks slowly and at a low temperature, the thin layer of fat on the side of the lamb chops is unlikely to break down. You can either trim the fat away before cooking or leave it on and trim away later.
- You can prepare the lamb chops and vacuum seal them then refrigerate up to 24 hours before cooking. Alternatively, you can place the vacuum sealed bag directly into a freezer, then cook sous vide frozen. You’ll need to allow an extra hour if cooking from frozen.
Let us know your thoughts!