Grilled lamb shoulder chops are not something you’ll find in the traditional meat case. They’re a cut you ask the butcher for by name, the one he knows is good and can’t figure out why nobody orders. More fat, more flavor, and they cook in ten minutes flat on a hot grill.
The shoulder on pork, beef, or lamb is loaded with deep flavor because it’s a well-worked muscle. It also has connective tissue and fat, making it a cut that can be hard for new cooks. The American lamb we love has more fat than imported, which means unlike quick-cooking steaks, we take this cut a little past medium to give the fat time to render and get a good char. Those extra moments make for a better bite.
That’s where the chimichurri comes in. Cold, loaded with garlic, bright from red wine vinegar, poured over warm lamb straight off the grill. All that fat you coaxed through the cook is exactly what holds onto the sauce. Now you know why you asked.
🔪 Ingredients for Grilled Lamb Shoulder Chops
For the Lamb
- Lamb shoulder chops: bone-in, at least 3/4 inch thick, with visible marbling and a fat cap along the edge. Thinner chops overcook before they develop a real sear, and for this one, it’s important to let the fat render. We find this cut from Freedom Run Farm at Fresh Thyme Market in the Midwest.
- Garlic: fresh, minced fine. Jarred pre-minced goes flat in both the marinade and the chimichurri.
- Olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Dried oregano
- Kosher salt and black pepper
For the Chimichurri
- Flat-leaf parsley: fresh only. Curly parsley makes the sauce bitter and dull. This is the whole sauce, so use the good stuff.
- Shallots: mellower bite than raw onion, with just enough sharpness to register without overpowering
- Garlic
- Red wine vinegar
- Olive oil
- Dried oregano
- Kosher salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes
Equipment
- Grill: gas or charcoal. High heat output is what matters. For charcoal, a full chimney is the baseline.
- Instant-read thermometer: shoulder chop thickness varies, and so does grill output. Don’t rely on timing alone.
📝 How to Make Grilled Lamb Shoulder Chops
- Pat the lamb shoulder chops completely dry with paper towels. Any surface moisture steams before it sears and costs you the crust.
- In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, minced garlic, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, kosher salt, and black pepper.
- Rub the marinade evenly over both sides of each chop. Let sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes. Don’t exceed 30 minutes; the acid in the vinegar starts breaking down the surface and you’ll lose the sear.
- While the lamb marinates, make the chimichurri: combine the parsley, shallots, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, dried oregano, kosher salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes in a bowl. Stir to combine. Let rest at least 10 minutes for the flavors to integrate.
- Preheat the grill to high heat, 450 to 500°F. Clean and oil the grates.
- Place the chops on the grates and do not move them. Grill 4 to 5 minutes per side. The chops are ready to flip when they release cleanly from the grate without resistance.
- Pull the chops at 130°F internal for medium-rare (they carry over to 135°F during rest) or 140°F for medium (carries to 145°F).
- Transfer to a plate and rest 5 minutes. Cutting before the rest drains the juices you just spent 10 minutes building.
- Spoon chimichurri generously over the warm chops just before serving.
🔄 Substitutions
- Lamb loin chops for shoulder chops: reduce cook time to 3 to 4 minutes per side; the result is leaner and more uniform, but the fat marbling in shoulder is what drives the deep brown crust rather than just coloring the surface
- Fresh cilantro for half the parsley: shifts the chimichurri toward South American flavor; the herb note goes bright and almost citrusy rather than grassy, and the garlic reads more aggressive; the lamb handles it, but it becomes a different sauce
- Red onion for shallots: adds more sharpness and a persistent raw bite; steep the onion in the red wine vinegar for 5 minutes before mixing to pull back the edge
- Lemon juice for red wine vinegar in the chimichurri: brightens the sauce and adds a citrus note, but the earthy interplay between the vinegar’s acidity and the lamb fat disappears; functional, but the pairing loses its tension
- Dried parsley for fresh in the chimichurri: skip this entirely. The sauce goes flat and dusty with no green brightness. There is no workable substitution here.
💡 Meat Nerd Tips
- Room temperature matters more with shoulder chops than you’d think. Cold chops hit a hot grill, and the exterior overcooks before the center comes up to temperature. Pull them from the fridge when you start the marinade. By the time the 20 to 30 minutes are up, they’re at room temperature and ready to go.
- Don’t rush the chimichurri. Freshly made is too sharp and raw-tasting. Thirty minutes of rest is ideal; 10 minutes is the minimum. Make it first, let it sit while you grill, and it’ll be integrated and bright by the time you pour.
- The flare-ups are the point. Shoulder chops have a fat cap that renders quickly and can cause flare-ups at high heat. Those flare-ups are building char and flavor on the surface of the meat, but use caution. Only move the chops if you have a sustained fire, not a quick flare that dies in seconds.
- Temperature is more reliable than time. Shoulder chop thickness varies more than rib chops, and no two grills run at the exact same ‘temp.’ Pull by the thermometer reading – 130°F for medium-rare, 140°F for medium. For this cut, we take it a little past medium just to give the fat and connective tissue time to render.
🍽️ What to Serve with Grilled Lamb Shoulder Chops
- Charred flatbread or grilled pita: the char echoes the crust on the lamb, and there’s always extra chimichurri that needs somewhere to go; grilled flatbread is where it goes
- Smashed or roasted fingerling potatoes: the potatoes catch the fat dripping from the chops and whatever chimichurri doesn’t make it onto the meat; it’s not an accident, it’s the whole bite
- Arugula salad with lemon: the peppery bite cuts through the richness and makes the lamb taste cleaner on the palate; without something bitter to balance it, the richness of the shoulder builds and builds
For more quick-grilling lamb, the Grilled Lamb Kabobs and Grilled Lamb Leg Steaks both run at the same high-heat setup and are worth adding to the rotation.
🧊 Leftovers and Storage
- Store chops and chimichurri separately in airtight containers; chops keep up to 3 days refrigerated
- Chimichurri keeps up to 5 days; pour a thin layer of olive oil over the top to slow oxidation, bring to room temperature, and stir before serving
- Reheat chops in a hot cast iron skillet, 1 to 2 minutes per side; the microwave steams the surface and kills the crust
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Grilled Lamb Shoulder Chops with Chimichurri
Ingredients
garlic cloves
- 2 lamb shoulder chops bone-in
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For the Chimichurri
- 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons shallots finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic cloves minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
Dry and Marinate
- Pat the lamb shoulder chops dry. In a bowl, mix olive oil, garlic, red wine vinegar, oregano, kosher salt, and black pepper. Rub evenly over the chops and let marinate 20–30 minutes at room temperature.
Make the Chimichurri
- In a bowl, combine parsley, shallots, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, oregano, kosher salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir well until combined. Let sit 5–10 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
Heat the Grill
- Preheat to 450 to 500°F. Clean and oil grates.
Grill
- Place chops on grates; don't move. Grill 4 to 5 minutes per side until they release cleanly. Pull at 130°F for medium-rare, 140°F for medium.
Rest and Serve
- Rest for 5 minutes.
- Spoon chimichurri generously over the warm lamb chops just before serving.
Notes
- Do not marinate longer than 30 minutes; the acid breaks down the surface and costs you the sear.
- Fat cap flare-ups on the grill are building crust — don’t move the chops but use caution and be ready if needed to take action.
- Store chops and chimichurri separately; chops 3 days refrigerated, chimichurri up to 5 days
- Reheat in hot cast iron, not a microwave
Charcoal grill: Fill a chimney starter and let the coals ash over completely before spreading them for direct, high heat. Once the coals are added, let the grill preheat with the lid on and vents open. You want around 450–500°F at the grate. Charcoal will throw more flare-ups as the fat cap renders – don’t move the chops. Those flare-ups are building the crust. Gas grill: Preheat all burners on high with the lid closed for 10–15 minutes before cooking. You’re looking for 450–500°F. Fat dripping onto the burner covers will still cause some flare-ups – same rule applies: leave the chops alone until they release cleanly but always be nearby ready to take action.
Nutrition
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Quick Summary
These lamb shoulder chops hit a 450 to 500°F grill for 4 to 5 minutes per side, building a deep crust from the fat marbling before coming off at 130 to 135°F for medium-rare. The chimichurri is made fresh, rested 10 to 20 minutes, and poured over generously. Total active time from marinade to plate is under 15 minutes once the grill is hot. See more lamb recipes here.
❓ FAQs
At 450 to 500°F, shoulder chops take 4 to 5 minutes per side. Pull at 130°F internal for medium-rare; they carry over to 135°F during the 5-minute rest. For medium, pull at 140°F. Chop thickness varies, so use a thermometer rather than relying on timing alone.
Yes. Chimichurri keeps well for up to 2 days refrigerated. Pour a thin layer of olive oil over the surface to slow oxidation, and bring it back to room temperature before serving. Made-ahead chimichurri is actually better than fresh; the flavors have more time to integrate.
Shoulder chops have more fat and connective tissue, which means more flavor and a richer, more substantial bite. Rib chops are leaner and more uniform, which makes them easier to cook consistently but less interesting on a hot grill. For a deep crust and real lamb flavor, shoulder is the better choice.
Yes, we have a great recipe for that too. Preheat a cast iron skillet over high heat until smoking. Sear 4 to 5 minutes per side at the same target temperatures. The fat will smoke aggressively, so run ventilation. The crust will be different from grilled but still good. A grill pan with ridges is a solid middle ground if you want some char lines.
