Sous Vide Lamb Chops with Steamed Broccoli

Tender, juicy, and melt-in-your-mouth from the inside out, these sous vide lamb chops are so easy to make! Pair them with steamed broccoli for a balanced and low-carb meal.

You’ve cooked lamb chops. But have you made sous vide lamb chops before? If you have, you know what magic cooking sous vide can do for your meat. Cooking the lamb chops at a precise temperature for two hours makes your lamb perfectly tender and juicy—not just the inside, practically every part of it.

Yes, two hours might sound like a long time compared to pan-seared lamb chops, but the difference is that sous vide cooking not only offers a melt-in-your-mouth texture for your lamb, but it also gives you the freedom to totally forget about it once you start the cooking process. In other words, you don’t have to stand by the stove to babysit it.

These sous vide lamb chops use some very basic seasonings. They are easy to prepare, yet the organic and natural flavor of lamb is completely drawn out with sous vide. One of my side dish ideas is my best-ever steamed broccoli recipe. I included it in the meal prep process and used the lamb juice from cooking to make the broccoli. It complements the lamb beautifully.

Cooking this recipe, either for a family dinner or for Sunday meal prep, won’t disappoint you. I promise.

But before we dive into the step-by-step sous vide cooking guide, please note that these lamb chops can certainly be made on the stove to your desired doneness, or finish them in the oven for well-done lamb chops. You’ll find the instructions in the guide.

So, ladies and gents, without further ado, let’s do this!

What’s in the Meal

• Sous Vide Lamb Chops
• Best Steamed Broccoli Ever

Ingredient List

For the lamb chops:

• 8 (3-oz) lamb chops
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 rosemary sprigs
• 4 garlic cloves
• Lemon slices (optional)

For the steamed broccoli:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound broccoli florets (about 2 heads)
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 cup reserved lamb juice

What Kitchen Equipment Do You Need?

• Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker
• Collapsible Hinged Sous Vide Container or a large and deep pot
• Sous Vide Bags Kit
• A cast-iron skillet or a nonstick pan
• Four meal prep containers

Meal Prep Sunday Instructions

#1 Prepare the water bath with a sous vide machine.

Attach the Anova sous vide machine to a large saucepan or a sous vide container. Fill your saucepan with water until the water comes up to somewhere between the lines of “min” and “max” that are marked on your sous vide machine. Set the temperature to 134°F and turn on the machine to heat the water.

#2 Prepare and season lamb chops.

Rinse the lamb chops under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels and set them aside. Generously season the lamb chops with salt, pepper, cumin, and cayenne pepper on both sides. Set aside.

#3 Pre-sear the lamb chops.

Heat a nonstick skillet or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes. Use a big skillet if available because you can cook the broccoli in the same skillet later without having to wash it.

Add some extra-virgin olive oil into the skillet and swirl to coat the bottom. Place rosemary sprigs and garlic cloves into the skillet. Pre-sear the lamb chops on both sides, about 30 seconds per side.

#4 Bag them up and let them go for a swim.

Use multiple sous vide bags. Place two to four lamb chops in one layer into each sous vide bag. Divide and transfer the rosemary and garlic from the skillet to the sous vide bags. Seal with a vacuum sealer or a hand pump. Lower your bagged lamb chops into the preheated water bath, making sure the lamb is under the waterline. Set the timer for 2 hours.

#5 Prepare broccoli.

If you are using broccoli heads instead of store-bought broccoli florets, now it’s time to cut them. Remove the stems and cut into florets. Set aside.

Don’t forget to mince some garlic if you haven’t already.

Now, sit back and chill. You will know when your lamb is ready.

#6 Sear the lamb again!

Once the timer goes off, remove the bags from the water bath and remove the lamb from the bags onto a plate. Pat dry with paper towels. Reserve the lamb juice for the broccoli.

Heat up the same skillet that you used for pre-searing the lamb. Use the leftover oil in the skillet to sear the lamb chops on both sides, about 30 seconds per side, until well-browned. Transfer to serving plates and let the lamb chops rest for 5 minutes.

#7 Cook the broccoli.

This is going to be really fast. Still using the same skillet (if it’s big enough), no need to wash. Heat some olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Place broccoli florets in the skillet, sauté for about a minute.

The original recipe calls for water or chicken bone broth for steaming the broccoli. But since you have delicious lamb juice here, just pour the reserved lamb juice over the broccoli and cover to steam for 5 minutes or until the broccoli is tender. (Your lamb juice should be flavorful enough for the broccoli. Taste after cooking, and if desired, add a pinch of salt and mix well.)

#8 Pack your meals.

This recipe makes four servings, so it’s a great family dinner if you don’t plan on saving it for later.

If you do, divide the lamb chops and the broccoli into four portions and place each in a meal prep container. Cover and refrigerate after it’s all chilled. Just warm it up in a microwave once you’re ready to enjoy.

But I Don’t Have a Sous Vide Machine…

Not ready for sous vide yet? Not a problem. You can pan-fry these lamb chops for medium-rare or medium. You may also bake them if you prefer well-done lamb chops.

For pan-frying:

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add lamb chops to the skillet (work in batches); cook to desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare, 3 1/2 minutes per side for medium. Transfer to a serving plate or platter, cover with foil and let them rest for 5 minutes before serving.

For baking:

This method is for well-done lamb. Preheat oven to 400°F. Use a large, cast-iron skillet and follow the pan-frying method above to brown both sides of the lamb chops; insert the skillet in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and let the chops rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Here you have it—a delicious low-carb and balanced meal. I hope you like this recipe. Happy meal prepping!

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