These Rosemary Garlic Sous Vide Lamb Chops are super tender, juicy, and so flavorful! The sous vide technique allows you to cook better lamb than the restaurant. The lamb loin chops are precisely and evenly cooked to the temperature you set with your desired doneness!
Serve with a side of salad or vegetables for a stunning meal!
Why Sous Vide Lamb Chops?
- Lamb chops are usually bone-in lean meat that is loaded with flavor. They cook very quickly and can easily be overcooked. Sous vide cooking allows you to set the temperature precisely, therefore avoid the risk of overcooking.
- With traditional methods, the outside of the lamb is often overcooked and chewy when the middle of the meat is still raw. With the sous vide method, it will cook the chops evenly all the way through, and you’ll get a juicer and more tender meat with an even doneness edge to edge.
- You can walk away while it’s cooking, as it’s low-stress cooking by eliminating short windows of time for perfect doneness.
What is sous vide? It means “under vacuum” in French. It’s a water bath cooking method by sealing food in a bag, then cooking for a long time to a very precise temperature in the water bath. If you are new to sous vide cooking, you’ll find everything you need to know in this Sous Vide Cooking Guide.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Lamb Chops: Lamb chops are usually bone-in meat chops. You can also use lamb steaks, forequarter chops, rib chops, or cutlets instead of these loin chops.
- Olive Oil: Use regular olive oil for this recipe. Avoid extra virgin olive oil as it has a lower smoke point.
- Garlic: Use fresh garlic for the best results.
- Rosemary: It adds a smoky, flavorful boost to the lamb seasoning. I used fresh rosemary, but you can use dried ones.
- Lemon Juice: It helps to tenderize the meat while adding a wonderful flavor.
- Salt: I used regular salt, but you can use coarse salt or sea salt.
- Pepper: Freshly ground black pepper works the best.
How to Make Sous Vide Lamb Chops
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together garlic, rosemary, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
2. Rub the mixture into the lamb and place the seasoned lamb chops in a zip-top bag.
3. Seal the bag using the water displacement method: Seal all but one corner of the bag, and slowly place it in the water bath. Make sure everything below the zip-line is covered by water. Then seal the rest of the bag.
- Place the bag in the sous vide water bath and cook for 2 hours at 135°F (57°C).
5. When the lamb chops are cooked, remove the bag from the water and transfer it to the refrigerator. Let it chill for about 10 minutes.
6. Pat dry the lamb completely. Grill or sear for about 2 minutes per side, just to caramelize the outside.
Important Tips
- Season generously before sous vide cooking for the best flavor.
- Buy thick lamb chops: Look for thicker chops. Ideally, you want to buy lamb chops that are more than an inch thick, as thicker chops produce juicer meat.
- Cool down the chops before searing: After the chops are cooked in the sous vide machine, it’s best to cool it down in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before searing.
- Pat dry the meat before searing: Use paper towels to wipe off any extra moisture on the surface of the meat as it inhibits proper searing.
- Cook to medium-rare to medium: It’s best to cook it to medium-rare or medium for the most tender texture. Don’t cook your lamb beyond medium.
Temperature and Doneness
Target 131°F for medium-rare, or 135°F for medium. My favorite doneness is to cook the lamb to medium doneness which is very tender and juicy. If you’d like to try other doneness, below are the guidelines:
While a vacuum sealer is the best way to vacuum seal the food, they are quite expensive and can be messy with liquid marinade. I find high-quality Zip-loc Bags are perfect for sealing the food, either wet or dry. The trick is called the “water displacement method” by using the pressure from the water to force all the air out of the bag.
| Sous Vide Lamb Temperature | Doneness |
| 115°F to 124°F | Rare |
| 125°F to 134°F | Medium-rare |
| 135°F to 144°F | Medium |
| 145°F to 154°F | Medium-well |
| 155°F and above | Well-done |
How Long Does it Take to Sous Vide Lamb Chops?
Like central steak cut, lamb doesn’t require a long cook time. It varies slightly depending on the thickness of your lamb chops. For the 1-inch thick lamb chops, it takes about 1 hour to cook, and thicker ones will take about 2 hours to cook. It’s ok to leave the lamb in the water bath for an extra 1 or 2 hours.
Seal the Bag without a Vacuum Sealer
Just place your food in the bag, including seasonings or marinades, and seal all but one corner of the bag. Slowly place it in the water bath, and make sure everything below the zip-line is covered by water. Then seal the rest of the bag.
Serving Suggestions
These lamb chops go well with many side dishes like potatoes, broccoli, and carrots.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you sous vide lamb chops ahead of time?
Yes, one of the best things about sous vide cooking is that you can cook it in advance. For this lamb chop recipe, you can make everything ahead before searing.
What does lamb taste like?
Lamb chops are tender meat with a gamy flavor. When properly prepared, the flavor is nice and pleasant.
Can you sous vide frozen lamb chops?
Yes, you’ll need to add 30 minutes of cooking time in the sous vide water bath.
Equipment for this Recipe
If You Like this Try Out These Sous Vide Recipes:
If you’ve tried these sous vide lamb chops, leave me a comment. I love hearing from you!
Sous Vide Lamb Chops Recipe (+VIDEO)
Ingredients
- 8 lamb chops (loin chops or rib chops)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary (plus a few more sprigs for searing)
- kosher salt to taste (I used 1 teaspoon salt)
- ground black pepper to taste (I used 1/2 teaspoon pepper)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
Instructions
- Preheat the sous vide machine: Fill a large container or pot with water, attach the sous vide precision cooker and set the temperature to 135ºF/57ºC for medium doneness*.
- Season lamb chops: In a medium bowl, whisk together garlic, rosemary, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
- Sous vide lamb chops: Rub the mixture into the lamb chops and place them in a zip-top bag. Make sure to arrange them in a single layer.
- Seal all but one corner of the bag, and slowly place it in the water bath. Make sure everything below the zip-line is covered by water. Then seal the rest of the bag. (You can also use a vacuum sealer if you have one.)
- Leave the bag in the sous vide water bath and cook for about 2 hours.
- Once the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water bath. Chill the lamb in the fridge for about 10 minutes and then cook them immediately or store them in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Remove the lamb from the bag and wipe off any extra moisture with paper towels.
- Sear lamb chops: Place the skillet on medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon oil. Once it’s smoking hot, add the lamb chops and sear for about 2 minutes per side until nicely browned. (You can also add some rosemary sprigs if preferred).
- Transfer the lamb to a cutting board, and cover it with foil and let it rest for 5 minutes, and serve.
Notes
- * 135°F is my favorite doneness as the lamb is super tender and juicy at this temperature. Anywhere between 125°F to 134°F will produce medium-rare doneness, if it’s below 125°F, it will be very rare and tastes almost raw.
Video
Nutrition
UPDATED JULY 16, 2020: This post was originally published on January 16, 2020. We spiffed it up and added a brand new video to make it sparkle!
Ashley says
These were so good and came out perfect!
Beth says
This recipe was so delicious! My husband loved it! I can’t wait to make this again!
izzycooking says
Thanks Beth. Glad your family like it.
Emanuel says
Loved them‼️❣️
Michele Sweeney says
getting ready to try this out, do you cover the instant pot or not?
Jane says
Was perfect at 130 degrees. Thank you