These delicious Ninja Foodi lamb chops are ready in minutes! Perfectly seasoned, these chops are air fried until the exterior has a crisp crust and the meat is tender and juicy. Served with your favorite side dishes, this is a meal that you will come back to again and again.

minced garlic covered air fryer lamb chops

Cooking lamb chops in the Ninja Foodi air fryer is one of the best ways to cook this delicious red meat. There's no need to stand over a hot stove and these air fryer lamb chops only take 8 minutes to cook.

A great switch up from chicken or beef, lamb has a wonderfully robust, and slightly gamey flavor. Seasoned with just fresh thyme, garlic, salt, and black pepper the flavor of the meat really shines. Perfect for quick lunches or dinners served with roasted veggies or mashed potatoes, these lamb chops in the air fryer are the best!

Recipe ingredients

Lamb chops. Try to find the freshest ones you can with a deep red color.

Olive oil. Use good quality olive oil to give the best flavor. Oil helps these chops to become crispy on the outside and keeps the meat from sticking to the bottom of the air fryer.

Aromatics. Freshly chopped thyme and minced garlic.

Salt and black pepper. Staple seasoning, just a little bit to taste.

raw lamb chops on the white plate — thaw lamb chops

How to make Ninja Foodi lamb chops

As you can see, this recipe could be made using Ninja Foodi air crisp or a regular air fryer of any kind. Thaw lamb if its frozen.

Preheat Ninja foodi air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes. In a large bowl combine all the seasonings with oil. In used olive oil, minced garlic cloves, chopped fre3sh thyme, salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Add raw clean lamb chops into the bowl. Stir them around to coat with the seasoning mixture. Cover with the foil and place the bowl into the fridge for 30 minutes. This step is optional.

olive oil and minced garlic in the bowl — add oil and minced garlic to the bowl

olive oil with fresh thyme and minced garlic — add salt, pepper and thyme and mix

Place chops in the Ninja Foodi and cook using air crisp setting. Full instructions can be found in the end of this post in the recipe card. Let cooked lamb rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe notes

Preheat the air fryer. Lamb chops cook very quickly and especially in the air fryer. Preheating for at least 5 minutes is a great way to achieve a nice crust and sear on the lamb chops without overcooking them.

Don't overlap or stack. If you are cooking lamb chops for a crowd, work in batches to avoid the pieces of meat from touching each other. Otherwise, this can cause the chops to steam instead of crisping up in the air fryer.

Allow the lamb chops to rest after cooking. This is important because if you cut the meat as soon as it is finished cooking all the juices can run out of the meat, resulting in a dry lamb chop. If you allow the meat to rest for a few minutes before serving this allows the juices time to reabsorb back into the meat so you'll have the juiciest meat possible.

Substitutions

Lamb. You can use either shoulder, loin, or sirloin lamb chops for this recipe.

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Oil. If you are not a fan of olive oil use other vegetable oil instead!

Fresh thyme. Use 1 teaspoon of dried thyme in place of fresh.

Variations

In addition to fresh thyme and minced garlic, add your favorite seasonings. Use plenty of fresh or dried herbs, grated lemon zest, or ground paprika.

If you don't have an air fryer, simply preheat a large skillet with a bit of oil and fry on both sides for 8 - 10 minutes each, depending on your desired level of doneness or how thick your chops are.

ninja foodi lamb chops with garlic and thyme

Frequently asked questions

How do you cook lamb chops so they are tender?

The number one way to achieve tender lamb chops is by not overcooking them. Also, avoid cutting into the meat as soon as it has finished cooking to allow the juices time to absorb back into the meat. Lastly, you could try marinating your chops for 10 - 30 minutes before cooking.

What seasonings go well with lamb?

Lamb by itself has a slightly gamey flavor and strong flavors such as garlic, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, fresh thyme, rosemary, and mint really help to complement the earthy flavor of lamb.

Are there different types of lamb chops?

Yes, lamb chops can be made from the rib, shoulder, loin(leg), and back(sirloin) of the animal. Shoulder chops are the most popular type of lamb chop. This lean cut of meat is thin and cooks the fastest and is a very economical choice for easy meals and quick dinners.
If you are not sure which one to buy, ask your local butcher for their recommendation.

Serving

You can totally eat Ninja Foodi lamb chops by itself but to compete the meal add some sides. Here are some of my favorites:

Steamed broccoli or asparagus. This is a probably the healthiest choice to pair with lamb.
Mashed potatoes. If you are making this dish for a family dinner, potatoes are the must. Lamb with potatoes and gravy, oh my, its so delicious!
White rice. This is classics side dish for any kind of meat. Chop some green onions on top and serve in a bowl.
Sauteed vegetables. Another healthy low carb choice for late dinner. Try to saute eggplant, zucchinis, onions and mushrooms together for 10-15 minutes. Add some garlic and Italian herbs and you are good to go!
Couscous. Classic and delicious combo.

sliced medium lamb chops cooked in ninja foodi air crisp

Storage

Store cooked lamb chops in the air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Reheat in the air fryer for 1-2 minutes at 400 degrees. Also you can reheat lamb in the microwave. Do not overcook it though!

Freezer. You can freeze cooked lamb chops leftovers for up to 3 months in the freezer safe ziplock bags or containers.

More air fryer recipes

Hope you will like this Ninja Foodi pork chops recipe as much as we do. Rate the recipe if you like it and leave a comment below if you have any questions or suggestions.

Ninja Foodi Lamb Chops

Yield: 3

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 7 minutes

Total Time: 7 minutes

Ingredients

3 lamb chops
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ teaspoon salt and black pepper

Instructions

Preheat Ninja foodi air fryer to 400 degrees for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl combine all the seasonings with oil and add raw lamb chops to it. Stir them around to coat with the seasoning mixture.
Place chops in the Ninja Foodi and cook using air crisp setting at 400 degrees for 7-8 minutes.
Let cooked lamb rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Store cooked lamb chops in the air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Reheat in the air fryer for 1-2 minutes at 400 degrees. Or reheat in the microwave.

Freezer. You can freeze cooked lamb chops leftovers for up to 3 months in the freezer safe ziplock bags or containers.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 3 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 209Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 219mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 16g