Marinated Greek Lamb Chops with Roast Potatoes (Paidakia)

Discover all the secrets behind the very best Greek lamb chops with this traditional Greek recipe! Greek lamb chops (paidakia) are a staple dish at most Greek tavernas, where the chops are slow cooked over an open charcoal pit for that extra smokey flavor.

📝 Ingredients

• 8 lamb rib chops (approx. 700g/ 25 oz.)
• 1/3 of a cup olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 1/2 tbsp mustard
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary (optional)
• zest of 1 lemon
• 3-4 peppercorns
• 4 medium sized potatoes, cut into wedges
• 1 large clove of garlic, minced
• 50 ml olive oil (1/4 of a cup)
• 80 ml water (1/3 of a cup)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 tsp semolina
• salt and freshly ground pepper

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1To prepare this Greek lamb chops recipe (paidakia) start by preparing the marinade. In a shallow glass baking dish add all the marinade ingredients and blend. Add the lamb chops (paidakia) and rub the meat with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for a least 3 hours (if you have the time leave overnight).
2. 2Return the lamb chops at room temperature and preheat the oven to 200C.
3. 3Cut the potatoes into wedges and place them on a large metal roasting pan. Into a bowl add the remaining ingredients and blend. Pour the mixture over the potatoes and season well with salt and pepper. (The potatoes and the ‘paidakia’ cook at different times, so you should add the lamb chops later, about 20-30 minutes before the end of cooking time).
4. 4Bake the potatoes in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, until a nice golden crust has formed on the potatoes. Turn them out of the oven, toss them a little bit to bring them upside down, sprinkle with a pinch of oregano and put back into the oven for another 30 minutes. If all of the liquid has been absorbed and the pan appears to be getting dry, add 1/4 of a cup hot water into the pan, before they have fully browned.
5. 5Remove the paidakia (Greek lambs chops) from the marinade and season with salt and pepper. Place the lamb chops in the same pan (on a single layer) and bake for 20-25 minutes flipping them sides halfway through cooking time.
6. 6Let the paidakia (Greek lamb chops) rest for 5-10 minutes and serve with a last minute squeeze of a lemon and a pinch of dried oregano. Enjoy!