When it comes to choosing cuts of meat I’m honestly not that great. Okay, okay I do know breast, thighs, loins and minced meat, that’s a start no? But hear me out before you judge please, I promise I have good excuses. First excuse, language barrier. I have yet to learn all the cut names in Czech, they just don’t stick in my brain. Excuse number 2, I never learned about cuts and their names in either English or Spanish. That is because I only started cooking since we moved to Prague. Last excuse is that the cuts are different in Prague than they are in the states, and I think Mexico. My husband who worked at a butcher shop as a teenager, in the states, verified that the cuts are indeed different. See all good excuses and now you can judge me for not working harder at learning the names in Czech.
You can imagine that one of the good reasons my husband and I do our grocery shopping together is to make sure we have decent cuts of meat to eat. When I go off by myself to pick up some meat its best to stick with fish and the few cuts I know, unless I’m feeling adventurous. Sadly for my husband I’m very curious about food. The other day I saw lamb at the grocery store and it’s not an every day occurrence, woohoo happy dance! Plus it was organic meat, double happy dance! Without much more thinking I took the lamb home. On the walk home I was daydreaming about how soft, tender and juicy it was going to be. I showed my hubby what I bought and he broke the news to me that is was Lamb shoulder. Of course I looked at him completely perplexed and said yeah but it’s going to be good right? Oh.
Lamb Shoulder Chops Searing LambWe both started doing some research online about the best methods to prepare this cut and site after site suggested braising. Braising is a great technique to use on cuts that are tougher or chewier, aka cheaper cuts. But it is also a technique I like to use with other more expensive cuts. Of course good spices must be used and the results are always tender and juicy meat. We ended up with succulent lamb shoulder chops that were so tender, juicy, and the meat just fell off the bone. No chewy or fatty taste at all, Just awesome! 
Braised Rosemary Lamb Shoulder Chops
- Total Time: 255 minutes
- Yield: Serves 2
- Diet: Omnivore
Description
Tender lamb shoulder chops, slow-braised to juicy perfection with rosemary and garlic. A comforting, flavorful weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 1 lbs (550 g) lamb shoulder chops
- 1 medium onion
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) dried rosemary
- 6 whole allspice
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 cups (118 ml) vegetable broth
- fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
- Over medium heat, melt the butter in a frying pan, sauté the onion and garlic for 5 minutes, then add the spices and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Remove the pan contents and set aside.
- Turn the heat to high. Pat the lamb dry, then place it in the frying pan. Brown on both sides.
- Turn the heat off.
- Mix the onion and spice mixture back with the lamb.
- Place the lamb and pan contents into a baking dish and pour the broth over the lamb, then place the dish into the oven.
- Cook the lamb for 3–4 hours, or until the meat is very tender and breaks up easily. Add a little more water or broth as needed to prevent the baking dish from drying out.
- Reserve the pan juices and serve them as a sauce over the meat.
- Serve with fresh rosemary sprigs.
Notes
- For deeper flavor, marinate the lamb chops in the rosemary, garlic, and thyme for at least 30 minutes before braising.
- If lamb shoulder chops are unavailable, bone-in lamb shanks can be substituted, increasing braising time to 4-5 hours.
- Leftover braised lamb can be shredded and used in tacos, salads, or sandwiches for a delicious second meal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 240 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Braising
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 275g
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 400
- Fat: 35
- Saturated Fat: 15
- Unsaturated Fat: 15
- Carbohydrates: 20
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 40
- Cholesterol: 150
I served our lamb with some mashed potatoes, from scratch, and so wilted baby spinach. Enjoy and try my recipe with any lamb cut of your choice. See mistakes always have a way of working themselves out and a cheap cut of meat can still be tasty.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should I braise the lamb shoulder chops?
Lamb shoulder chops benefit from at least 1.5 to 2 hours of braising at low heat, around 325F. They are done when the meat is fork-tender and pulling away from the bone.
Do I need to sear the chops before braising?
Yes, searing them in a hot pan before adding liquid builds a deeper, browned flavor in the braising liquid. Pat the chops dry and sear in batches to avoid steaming.
How much fresh rosemary should I use, and can I substitute dried?
Two or three fresh rosemary sprigs are enough for a full pan of chops. Dried rosemary works, but use about half the amount since it is more concentrated, and crush it between your fingers before adding.
I made this las night and it was delicious. I did a few things differently. I used shallot instead of white onions. Since i had 4 shoulder chops i used 10oz of broth ( i used beef). After about 90 minutes in the oven i flipped them over and only cooked for a half hour longer, so total braising time was 2 hours. Thanks for this recipe, i buy lamb loin chops when i feel like splurging but know i know i can have lamb more often!
I made this but a little bit different. I was making 4 pieces of lamb shoulder which weighed out to 2.25.lb. i also used shallot instead of onion and omitted the allspice. Therefore i used 10oz of broth (i used beef) . I also seasoned the lamb prior to braising but i used salt free butter and broth. I seard each piece (in batches of 2) for avout 2.5 minutes a side in a hot pan. Once i transferred everything (lamb and shallot&herb mixture) i put into a 300°oven uncovered. Afyer 90 minutes i flipped the meat over in the braising liquid. Finally, i let it cook for only a half an hour more. OH MY GOD! it was amazing! I finished off with mashed potatoes and a mushroom and wine grazy (made from the lamb juice). It was the best!!
Thank you f9r such an awesome base recipe :)
Fantastic. They are fall-of-the-bone as others have found. I used a 3 hour roast personally but 30 minutes here or there shouldn’t be too different. A nice red wine for the braising liquid would be an excellent addition.
Wonderful! I like mint jelly with mine too!!!
This was genius. After many years of leg of lamb or the more expensive chops, I blindly bought shoulder chops for my large Christmas dinner. I am an adventurous 82 year old Nana fascinated with the internet instead of my many cookbooks. We went bonkers it was so flavorful, tender and Easy. Congrats Nancy
So good! Used homemade chicken bone broth, a mixed dried spice of Italian herbs, and nutmeg and cinnamon (didn’t have the spices listed). Cut the onions smaller, and braised in iron skillet with some leftover bacon grease. After braising, put onions on top with the broth (didn’t measure broth). Cooked for 2 1/2 hours. Would have had all the fat melt with that last 1/2. It was delicious!!! Ate it with rice and simple arugula salad. I ate a half of a chop but could have had a little less because of how rich it was. For a $6 chop and no new ingredient purchases, it was an amazingly inexpensive and tasty meal.
This was phenomenal. I took ours out after 2.75 hour, and it was perfect. Quite possibly the best dish I’ve ever made in my 32.5 years. 10/10. Will make again. Soon!
Devine!! Mine only took 2 and a half hours, my fork slid right through the meat. There was still a good amount of liquid left as well. Very tender, juicy, and flavorful. No knife needed! Will definitely make again!
I’m going to making this right now because it just looked so good! I’ll let you know how it turns out.
do i cover before putting in oven?
I tried this recipe out. I used one cup of broth to the two shoulder chops. I turned the oven on to 350 degrees. Three hours later, I could smell something burning. The chops were charred and all of the onions burnt and stuck to the bottom of the pan. I will try this recipe again, but next time I will cook the lamb for a shorter period of time. Probably about an hour and a half to two hours. They still tasted good and I ate them with mint jelly and no sauce. It was a good thing that I liked my meat well done.
Love this recipe- the chop came out super flavorful. I did 1/4 cup of red wine + 1/4 cup of low sodium vegetable broth. Ended up adding about a cup of vegetable broth throughout the cooking process
I love this recipe. It’s so easy and so delicious. I’m poor and can’t afford lamb very often and in fact only buy it when I find a special. I’ve made this half a dozen times since I found this recipe and I’d eat it a whole lot more often if I could.
Just made this tonight. So yummy!
Just made this tonight. Came out tasty and tender. Thanks.