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煎羊扒

Pan-Fried Lamb Chops

👍 2.1K likes
✍️ Published Dec 2023, Updated Oct 2026
Prep
15 min
Cook
15 min
Total
30 min
Serves
4

Learn to make succulent, flavorful lamb chops Cantonese-style!

Pan-Fried Lamb Chops (煎羊扒)

Cooking Summary

Ingredients: (detailed list)

  • Main Ingredients: salt, lamb, garlic, white onion, red onion, red bell pepper, corn oil, butter, oyster sauce, cooking wine, garlic salt
  • Seasoning Ingredients: black pepper, white pepper, garlic salt, olive oil

Steps:

  1. Soak lamb
  2. Prep aromatics
  3. Prep lamb
  4. Cook lamb

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Top 3 Mistakes

  • Adding the butter too early:

    Use the high-heat cooking oil for the initial sear and add butter at the finish as directed. The recipe separates those jobs instead of asking the butter to handle the entire sear.

  • Cooking thin chops too long:

    Lamb chops in this recipe cook in just a few minutes. Watch the sear and follow the timing for your pieces instead of leaving thin chops in the pan as though they were a roast.

  • Leaving ingredients too wet:

    Drain and dry the ingredients as directed before they reach the pan. Extra water changes how they cook, making it harder to get the browning and texture the recipe calls for.

Overview

If you're looking for a meal that's impressive, yet surprisingly easy to pull off, look no further than lamb chops. Succulent and flavorful, they require just a little bit of prep work and a few aromatic ingredients to make restaurant quality.

My dad's pan-fried lamb chops are a gourmet main course that's just as good for a dinner party as they are for a quick weeknight meal. Here, he'll share all of his tips and tricks for buying the best lamb and getting the perfect golden-brown sear.

Putting a Cantonese twist on lamb chops

While lamb is a common ingredient in Northern and Western China, it's not as typically found in Cantonese cuisine. For this pan-seared lamb chop recipe, my dad puts a unique spin on lamb using his pantry staples like white pepper, garlic salt and oyster sauce.

The lamb chops are served on a bed of onions and bell peppers, but if you're looking for more side dishes to go with it, try our Smashed Cucumber Salad or Broccoli Stir Fry.

Ingredients

Serves4
Main Ingredients
Seasoning Ingredients

Why this recipe

The story
Pan-Fried Lamb Chops (煎羊扒) — Daddy Lau
Daddy Lau

Most pan-fried lamb chops recipes online are tested only a handful of times. My dad used to make this dish multiple times a day, every day, for 60+ years and can make this in his sleep.

I know you'll love it as much as our community does! This recipe has over 130K views, 2.1K likes on YouTube.

On lamb

When shopping for lamb, there are a few things to look out for. First, aim for meat that's pink to red and avoid anything that's gray or wet-looking. When it comes to color, yellow fat suggests that the lamb were grain-fed, while white indicates grass-fed.

Keep in mind that grass-fed lamb can taste gamier so opt for grain-fed if you prefer a milder flavor. For the best quality, you can head to your local butcher.

How to make Pan-Fried Lamb Chops

4 steps
1

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Add the salt (1 teaspoon) to a large bowl of water. Place the rack of lamb (20 oz) into the bowl and soak for 1 to 2 minutes.

How each knife cut changes your food
LESSON 3.3
How each knife cut changes your food
Dive Deeper →
2

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Peel and cut the garlic (1 oz) into thin slices.

(Chef's Tip: For removing the peel quickly, my dad squeezes both ends of the clove with his fingers to split the peel, which helps it come off easily.)

Cut both the white onion (1 oz) and red onion (1 oz) into 1/4-inch slices, going along the grain.

Slice the red bell pepper (2 oz) into 1/4-inch strips.

3

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Remove the rack of lamb from the water and pat it dry with paper towels. Separate the rack into individual chops by slicing in between the bones. Use the back of your knife to tenderize both sides of the lamb.

Season one side of the lamb with the black pepper (0.50 teaspoon), white pepper (0.50 teaspoon) and garlic salt (1 teaspoon). Use your fingers to press the spices into the meat.

Flip the lamb chops and repeat on the other side, again patting the black pepper (0.50 teaspoon), white pepper (0.50 teaspoon) and garlic salt (1 teaspoon) into the meat.

Place all of the lamb chops on a plate and drizzle the olive oil (1 tablespoon) on top. Flip them over and use your hands to make sure the olive oil covers most of the lamb.

If you have time, you can let the chops marinade for 1 to 2 hours. If not, you can cook them right away.

4

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Heat a pan on high for 2 minutes, then add the oil (0.50 tablespoon).

Place the lamb chops on the pan starting with the fat cap. and fry for 1 minute. To make this easier, stack them side by side to hold them up.

Flip the chops to one side and fry for 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown. Repeat on the other side for 1 minute.

Add the butter (1 tablespoon) to the pan. Turn the heat to low and fry the lamb for a final 30 seconds, then remove the chops.

With the heat still on low, fry the garlic for 30 seconds using the fat that was rendered out from the lamb.

Add the sliced white onion and half of the red bell pepper and fry for 1 minute. Next, add the red onions.

Add the oyster sauce (1 tablespoon), followed by the cooking wine (1 tablespoon). Saute for another 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the garlic salt (0.50 teaspoon).

Place the lamb chops, including any juices that have collected on the plate, back into the pan. Fry for 30 seconds.

To plate, layer in the cooked onions and pepper onto the platter, followed by the fresh bell peppers and finally the lamb chops.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you make sure the lamb isn't too gamey-tasting?

Using aromatics like white and black pepper, onions, and garlic helps counter the gamey flavor of lamb. The gamey flavor is also more prominent in fattier cuts of lamb so you can also choose a leaner rack when shopping.

How long does it take to pan-fry lamb chops?

Just a few minutes! Lamb chops are not very thick and don't require a long cooking time. My dad sears them for just a minute or two on each side to cook and get a nice sear on the lamb chops.

Is it better to use oil or butter for cooking lamb?

Both oil and butter can be used to cook lamb. If using oil, make sure it's one with a high smoke point since you'll be pan-frying them on high heat. My dad uses corn oil and also adds a pat of butter at the end for a richer, more decadent flavor.