Capers add just the right amount of a salty zing to any recipe, and they are what make these Lamb Chops in Caper Sauce the best recipe for lamb chops! This easy-to-make lamb chops recipe delivers big, rich flavors with minimal effort.
In this easy recipe, lamb loin chops are pan seared to juicy perfection, and then you’ll make a quick and easy pan sauce that is rich and delicious. This is such a good lamb chops recipe that you’ll want to make it for a weeknight dinner, but it’s also fancy enough to serve at a dinner party. Use any extra capers to make Veal Piccata!
Ingredients needed to make the best lamb chops:
- Butter: Use salted butter for this recipe. Don’t use any butter alternatives. Real butter will be the absolute best!
- Lamb Chops: This recipe calls for using 1-inch thick lamb loin chops. You should be able to find them at your local grocery store (or Costco).
- Flour: I use all purpose flour as the thickener for the caper sauce in this recipe. If you need the recipe to be gluten-free, you can use sweet rice flour or cornstarch.
- Chicken Broth: Low-sodium chicken broth will be perfect for this recipe.
- White Wine: Any dry white wine (sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio) will do. It pairs nicely with the butter and capers for this sauce, but if you don’t wish to use wine then it’s okay to just use a little more chicken broth.
- Capers: Don’t skip the capers! They are perfectly salty and wonderful in the sauce. You can locate capers near the pickles or olives at your local market.
- Salt and Pepper: Add to taste.
- Brown Sugar: Only a small amount of brown sugar is added to the sauce. It just adds a little sweet to the tangy and salty.
- Lemon Wedges: These are optional, but I like to squeeze a little lemon on individual servings.
- Fresh Parsley: There won’t be any flavor here, but it’s a nice garnish.
How to make Lamb Chops in Caper Sauce:
You’re probably familiar with how to sear meats. It’s common to sear pork chops and steaks too. In this recipe, you’re going to sear your lamb chops in a skillet to get them nice and brown, and you’ll get a bit of a crust on the lamb from the sear. You will sear them in butter for about 3 minutes on each side. Since the chops are 1-inch thick, you won’t be cooking them all the way through in the sear. They’ll finish cooking to the right temperature when they cook in the sauce. Once seared, remove the chops from the pan and set them aside.
Next, you’ll make the sauce in the skillet. Whisk flour into the pan juices. Then whisk in the chicken broth, white wine, capers, salt, pepper and sugar. Let the sauce come to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer it a bit until it thickens slightly.
Add the seared chops back to the pan. Spoon some of the sauce on top of the chops. Then cover the pan with a lid and let them simmer for about 5 minutes. Check the temperature of the inside of the lamb chops with a digital thermometer. Lamb is best when it is served medium (pull off the stove at 140 degrees F). If you prefer your lamb to be rare, pull it off at 130 degrees F. Medium-rare is 135. And if you like it more well done, medium-well is 160. The temperature of the lamb will continue to rise about 5 degrees upon removal from heat.
What to serve with lamb chops:
These lamb chops are pretty delicious served over mashed potatoes because the sauce is a natural gravy for both the chops and the potatoes! Other suggestions are melting potatoes, potatoes au gratin or rice pilaf. For a vegetable, I’d choose pan roasted asparagus, lemon broccolini or bacon wrapped green beans.
How to store leftovers:
Any leftover cooked lamb chops and their sauce may be kept in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Lamb Chops in Caper Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 large loin lamb chops (1 inch thick)
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ½ cup low sodium chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons white wine
- 4 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
- lemon wedges and chopped fresh parsley, for serving
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium-high heat. Fry the chops in the butter for about 3 minutes for each side, browning both sides. Remove the chops from the pan and set aside.
- Whisk the flour into the pan juices and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the broth and wine, and then add capers salt, pepper and sugar. Bring slowly to a boil, stirring continuously. Reduce the heat until the sauce is at its simmering point.
- Place the chops back into the pan. Cover with a lid and simmer on very low heat for about 5 more minutes- or until the temperature on a digital meat thermometer inserted into the meaty part of the lamb chops reaches 135°F for medium-rare or 140℉ for medium. Remove the chops to a plate and cover with foil to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. The temperature of the chops should rise about 5° while resting.
- Serve the lamb chops drizzled with sauce.
Notes
- If you are preparing this recipe as gluten-free, just be sure to use an alternative thickener to the all-purpose flour, such as GF all-purpose flour, and be sure to use a brand of chicken broth that is known to be GF.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
