Aromatic spiced air fryer lamb chops cooked to perfection and a refreshing citrusy chickpea salad of tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and scallions served with a creamy avocado sauce.
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Simple Air Fryer Lamb Chop Recipe
Are you ready to try something incredibly delicious in your air fryer? Then prepare for a new craving: an air fryer lamb chops with Mediterranean spices recipe. This dish is also packed with exciting twists of flavorful ingredients, a mash-up of North American, Mediterranean, and Indian cuisine.
The richness of the spiced lamb chops is balanced perfectly with the refreshing sweetness and tanginess of the chickpea salad and creamy avocado sauce that ties everything together. That is to say, it's literally a taste sensation you'll never forget. With only a few simple steps and minimal prep time, as a result, this delicious and tender meal is ready in just 25 minutes.
If you love curry, try the Air Fryer Roasted Chicken Chickpeas Vegetable Curry, Masala Chickpeas and Egg Curry, and Curry Lentil Turkey Stew recipes. Wait! There's more! Check out Curried Chickpeas and Mushrooms with Spiced Brown Basmati Rice.
For a Mediterranean vibe, check out the popular:
- Air Fryer Branzino with Lemon Potatoes and Vegetables,
- Spicy Chicken Pitas with Arugula Feta Pomegranate Salad, and
- Hot Honey Lemon Chicken Skewers with Asparagus.
Ingredients
Seasoning Lamb Chops
First, if not already done, you will cut your lamb rack into lamb chops to get started. Then, you will marinate the lamb chops in a bowl with ginger paste, avocado oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic, garam masala, Jamaican curry, Cajun spice, salt, and ground black pepper. Very easy!
See the air fryer lamb chops recipe card for quantities.
Mediterranean-Inspired Chickpea Salad Ingredients
For this fun salad, in a bowl, you'll combine the chickpeas, quartered Campari tomatoes, diced cucumber, sliced scallions, lemon juice and zest, avocado oil, Cajun spice, kosher salt, and ground black pepper. Once mixed well, just check for a balance of salt, lemon juice, and oil. Just 8 Ingredients for this Salad!
See the air fryer lamb chops recipe card for quantities.
Greek Yogurt Avocado Dressing
To make this dressing, mash up the ripe avocado and add Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, lemon zest, cilantro, garam masala, kosher salt, and ground black pepper. As a result, the cilantro and avocado complement the curried lamb very well. In addition, the mayonnaise in the dressing provides extra creaminess to balance the tartness from the lemon juice and yogurt. So simple and so versatile. So use this dressing for everything!
See the air fryer lamb chops recipe card for quantities.
Final Result: Avocado Cream Sauce
Instructions
Even though the package may label the lamb as Frenched, sometimes it needs a little more work.
Scrape the bones clean to prevent burnt pieces from roasting.
You may have to trim extra fat, but leave a thin layer to hold the meat together.
Then, you will cut between each bone.
Just follow your knife all the way down, using your knife to feel between the bones.
Also, make sure to stay in the middle for even pieces.
End pieces tend to be skimpier.
Busy Folks - Become a better home cook with cooking tips to help you cook more efficiently on Cook's Notebook tab. In addition, some related detailed steps can be found there. Learn more about prepping lamb.
Substitutions
- Mayonnaise - Try using mayonnaise made with olive oil or vegan mayo.
- Jamaican Curry and Garam Masala - Use Indian yellow curry powder
- Campari Tomatoes - These tomatoes tend to be sweet with low acidity. For example, try using grape, cherry, or plum tomatoes as a replacement since they usually are sweeter than globe tomatoes.
- Lamb Chops - This rub will work great on white fish and chicken breast and should take 6 to 8 minutes in the air fryer when using thin cuts.
Change Heat Level - Modify the air fryer lamb chop recipe's heat level to your liking and learn more about the Scoville Scale and Chili Pairings.
Variations
Use ingredients separately for other meals.
- Lamb Rack Roast - Keep the lamb whole, and use the spices to make a lamb rack roast
- Great Side Dish - Use the chickpea salad as a great side dish for your Mediterranean-themed meal.
- Avocado Cream Sauce - Use the cream sauce to make lamb burgers; on the other hand, try using the cream sauce for fish tacos.
Or serve the curried lamb chops with the Quick 5 Vegetable Medley, also done in the air fryer.
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls - Used for marinating the lamb, making the chickpea salad, and avocado cream sauce.
- Air Fryer - For the lamb chops. In addition, this recipe was developed using the Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Indoor Grill. However, you can try roasting in the oven if you do not have an air fryer.
- For example, you have two options with different results: a sheet pan with parchment paper or a sheet pan with a sheet pan rack. For instance, the parchment paper will produce vegetables roasted in their juices and caramelization at the bottom.
- In contrast, the sheet pan rack will result in just roasting around the vegetables due to the hot air flowing around the vegetables. Now, the trick is not to overcrowd in whatever method you choose, but if this happens, toss in between cooking.
Kitchen Must Haves - Find other tools I use here.
Storage
- Refrigerator - To store in the fridge, you can place the lamb, chickpea salad, and avocado sauce in separate shallow 2-inch containers to cool down quickly. Then, store in an air-tight sealing container. The meal will last up to three days.
- Freezer - I do not recommend freezing the chickpea salad and avocado sauce. However, follow the refrigeration process mentioned above. Then, you can place the lamb in the freezer in a labeled, airtight plastic sealing bag.
Cooking tip
Prepare Lamb Chops - Gather all the ingredients listed for the curried lamb chops. Also, make sure that your lamb rack is fresh. In addition, the flesh should not be slimy, and it should be bright red. First, use a sharp knife to carefully remove any excess thick fat pieces from the meat, as this can prevent it from cooking evenly.
Then, scrape away any membrane around the bone's surface to make it look neat. Finally, we come to the fun part: cutting between the bones to create individual lamb chops.
Using your essential tool - a sharp boning knife - cut down vertically along right in the middle of each bone to separate them. This process may take some patience and practice to get right, but trust me, it will be worth it—and once it's finished, season with the spices listed in the lamb chop recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
This bypasses the numerous spices you'll need to collect and add to this dish. Plus, these spices are versatile to use in other recipes.
Jamaican curry powder is a unique spice blend that can add a deliciously spicy and aromatic flavor to any dish. Its yellow color comes from turmeric powder. In addition, other spices it may usually contain are mustard seeds, anise, ginger, coriander, scotch bonnet, cinnamon, fenugreek, and ground black pepper.
Its origins date back to the mid-1800s when Indian workers immigrated to Jamaica, bringing their spices. Evidently, over time, these spices mixed with local Jamaican ingredients and flavors, resulting in a creative and flavorful curry powder that has now become well-known around the globe.
Try my Chicken Curry Stir-Fry with Coconut Rice.
This Indian brown spice blend has a unique nutmeg fragrance compared to generic yellow curry powder due to the combination of anise, fennel, cinnamon, cardamom, caraway seeds, Indian bay leaves, black pepper, cloves, and mace. The name also means "spice blend/mixture."
Firstly, Cajun is a mash-up of French, African, and Spanish cultures on American soil. It also reminds me of my Haitian heritage and how similar we are from the language to the food.
In addition, the spices included in this blend are usually smoked paprika, cayenne, onion powder, garlic powder, and white or black pepper. Herbs like basil and oregano can also be found in the seasoning.
Likewise, the spice blend has influences from their cultural blend in Louisiana cuisine. Also, learn more in my Blacken Trout with Chorizo Beans and Garlic Broccoli post.
The rack of lamb is a delicious and tender cut of meat that comes from the sheep's rib area, usually with eight chops weighing 1 to 2 pounds each. It's around 16 ounces for a New Zealand rack compared to an American 2-pounder.
It is said to be leaner and healthier than beef. In addition, this recipe uses the Frenched Rack to expose the bones by scrapping off the membrane and some meat from the bone. Although not a recipe I tested, this may work with loin chops.
It's a knife with a very narrow, long blade, making it great for making precision cuts and getting between bones and joints to cut and separate meat.
Compari tomatoes are a huge favorite in our household. In addition, they are a size between a cherry and plum tomato. They are also sweet with just the right balance of acidity, making them great to add to anything.
Mediterranean Recipes
Looking for other Mediterranean recipes like this? Try these:
- One-Pan Calabrian Chickpea Pasta Recipe | Fast & Flavorful
- Beituti Chicken Shawarma Rice Bowl | Quick and Easy
- Air Fryer Chicken Shawarma | Quick with Beituti
- Quick Parsley Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad
Air Fryer Recipes
Looking for other air fryer recipes like this? Try these:
- Jerk Fajita Trio: 3 Must-Try Recipes for a Spicy Weeknight Cook-Up
- Air Fryer Chicken and Pork Belly Tacos | Easy & Crispy
- Air Fryer Jerk Shrimp Fajitas | Easy Caribbean in 20 Minutes
- Easy 15-Minute Marinade for Beef Kabobs
Video
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📖 Recipe
Curried Air Fryer Lamb Chops with Chickpea Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
Curried Lamb
- 1 pound lamb chops
- 2 tablespoon ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 each lemon juice and zest
- 5 garlic cloves minced or garlic pressed
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon Jamaican curry powder
- 1 teaspoon cajun spice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Chickpea Salad
- 1 can chickpeas
- 1 cup Campari tomatoes quartered
- 1 cup cucumber large diced
- ¼ cup scallions medium sliced
- ½ lemon juice and zest
- ½ tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon cajun spice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Chunky Avocado Dressing
- 1 large avocado
- 5 ounces Greek plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- ½ lemon juice and zest
- ¼ cup cilantro coarsely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Equipment
Instructions
- Save time in the kitchen: Read the instructions thoroughly, then gather and prep all your ingredients before cooking! Learn Prepping Tips.
- Marinate the Lamb: In a medium mixing bowl, add lamb chops, ginger paste, oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, garam masala, Jamaican curry powder, cajun spice, salt, and black pepper and combine well. Cover the lamb bowl with plastic wrap, push the wrap onto the meat, and set aside in the refrigerator.
- Make Chickpea Salad: In a medium mixing bowl, add chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumbers, scallions, lemon juice, lemon zest, avocado oil, cajun spice, salt, and ground black pepper, and combine well.
- Set Air Fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with the cooking timer at 10 minutes. When the air fryer is ready, add the lamb, spacing them out to give enough air to circulate between pieces. Depending on the size of the air fryer, this step may have to be repeated twice.
- Make the Avocado Dressing: Add avocado and mash with a whisk to a chunky, creamy texture in a small mixing bowl. Then add the Greek plain yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, zest, cilantro, garam masala, kosher salt, and black pepper and whisk to combine well.
- Serve: Spoon the creamy avocado sauce on the plate, and add the chickpea salad on top. Then, the lamb chops cascade on the plate. 4 Servings of lamb chops per person.
Video
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook chicken to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat to prevent foodborne illness from contaminated uncooked meats.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat to prevent cross-contamination.
- Don't leave food at room temperature for extended periods; this can breed bacteria.
- Never leave cooking food unattended to prevent burns and fires.
- Use oils with a high smoke point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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