Name: Exactly How To Reheat Lamb Chops
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 6 min
Ingredients: 1 portion lamb chops; 1 portion stock; 1 knob butter

Table of Contents

Succulent and tender lamb chops, marinated and cooked to perfection, are one of life’s truly delicious pleasures.

But is it possible to reheat lamb chops without turning them into unpleasantly tough and chewy chunks of meat?

To avoid over-cooking them, and in an attempt to retain their delicious flavor, I decided to test out five different reheating methods (I also include 2 extra bonus methods).

Here’s how it went.

The best way to reheat lamb chops is on the stove. Heat a skillet on medium-high heat, adding a tablespoon of stock and a knob of butter per lamb chop. Place the lamb chops in the pan and flash fry them for 1-2 minutes on each side. You can also use the oven or the microwave.

A note on my experiment

After marinating my lamb chops and then slowly cooking them to perfection, the family wasn’t able to finish off everything.

And, as unbelievable as it sounds, I managed to save a bunch of leftovers for my experiment.

To breathe new life into my leftovers, I tried these five methods:

Reheating method	Brief instructions	Verdict
Oven	Covered with foil at 350°F	Good for heating lots of chops at once
Microwave	50% powder in 1 minute intervals	Very convenient but a risk of overcooking
Stove	Medium heat for 1-2 minutes on each side	Easy and tasty, my favorite method
Air fryer	350°F for 4-5 minutes	Quick if you have one!
Steamer	Steam for 3-4 minutes	Good for extra juicy meat
Broiler	Medium heat for 1-2 minutes on each side	Good for bringing back crunch
Sous vide	Set the water bath to 140°F	Perfect for a whole rack of lamb

The oven and the stove both produced moist, succulent lamb chops. I also liked the steaming method.

The microwave and the air fry didn’t ruin the meat, but the microwave left it a little chewy and the air fryer a little dry.

Related: what to eat with lamb chops.

Reheating lamb chops in the oven

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) while allowing the lamb chops to reach room temperature. Add 1-2 tablespoons of stock or water per chop to an oven-safe dish. Place the lamb chops in the container, add sauce if you have any, and then cover with foil. Heat for 15-20 minutes until the meat is piping hot.

Note: the timings will vary here depending on what kind of oven you’re using and how big your lamb chops are.

Check on their progress regularly to avoid overcooking them.

How to reheat lamb chops in the oven:

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
Let the lamb chops reach room temperature while waiting for the oven to heat up.
Add 1-2 tablespoons of stock or water per chop to your oven-safe dish.
Arrange the lamb chops in the dish and add sauce if you have some.
Cover the dish with aluminum foil to trap the moisture.
Heat the lamb chops for 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F (75° C). Flip them halfway through cooking.

You can add more liquid to your dish if you want. More moisture will help to preserve the meat’s succulent texture.

If you don’t have any sauce, you can skip the baking dish and just wrap the lamb chops completely in foil.

This will eliminate any risk of overcooking the exterior because the baking dish got too hot.

My Verdict

This method works well for retaining the lamb chop’s soft, succulent texture.

It’s also more versatile than the other methods because you can reheat lots of lamb chops at once.

The one downside is it’s a bit slow – especially if you’re only looking to heat lamb chops for yourself.

Reheating lamb chops in the microwave

Place one or two lamb chops on a microwave-safe plate and cover them with a damp paper towel. If the chops seem dry, sprinkle a little extra water or stock over them. Heat the lamb chop for 60-seconds at 50% power and then continue to heat them in 30-second intervals until piping hot.

How to reheat lamb chops in the microwave:

Place 1-2 lamb chops on a microwave-safe plate.
Cover them with a damp paper towel to keep the moisture in. If the lamb chops appear dry, sprinkle some extra water or stock over them.
Set your microwave to 50% power and heat the lamb chops for 60 seconds.
Check on the progress, and continue to heat the lamb chops for 30 seconds at a time until hot.

The microwave tends to dry food out, so putting the damp paper towel over the lamb chops ensures that your meat remains moist and juicy.

Using a low power setting gives you better control over the temperature, making you less likely to overcook the meat.

Overcooking the lamb will cause it to become chewy and tough.

My verdict

This method isn’t the best choice for delicate lamb chops.

The microwave has an uncanny ability to give the lamb a chewy texture.

On the plus side, the lamb chops didn’t take long to reheat, and they were pretty tasty.

If you’re only heating a single portion for yourself, then you’ll get away with it. But more than that, it’s best to use one of the other methods in this experiment.

Reheating lamb chops on the stove

Heat a skillet on medium heat, adding a tablespoon of stock or water per chop and a little butter. Place the lamb chops in the pan and flash fry them for 1-2 minutes. Flip the chops over and repeat for another 1-2 minutes until they heat through.

How to reheat lamb chops on the stove:

Heat a skillet, large enough to fit the lamb chops in a single layer, on medium heat.
Add a tablespoon of stock or water per chop to the pan and a little butter.
Place the lamb chops in the pan and heat them for 1-2 minutes.
Flip the chops over and repeat the process for another 1-2 minutes.
When the chops reach an internal temperature of 165°F (75° C), remove them from the pan and serve.

Keep an eye on the pan and add more liquid if the skillet starts to dry out.

The liquid is there to create steam which will help keep the lamb moist and tender.

Top tip: if your meat is already dry and overcooked, consider slicing it off the bone into thin strips and then completely covering it in the pan with some liquid such as broth or gravy.

As the liquid heats, it will heat the lamb. It’s a sure-fire way to re-moisturize the meat.

My verdict

I really liked this method of reheating my lamb chops.

The extra liquid (I used stock) delivered delicious, juicy meat that retained the stock’s flavor.

The medium heat made sure the lamb was evenly warm all the way through.

I also tried a high heat but found this didn’t heat the middle of the chops very effectively.

Reheating lamb chops in an air fryer

Preheat the air fryer to 350°F (180°C). Rub a light coating of oil or butter over the lamb chops and place them in the air fryer basket. Heat the lamb chops for 4-5 minutes. If your lamb chops are already a bit dry, consider wrapping them in foil to keep them moist.

How to reheat lamb chops in an air fryer:

Preheat your air fryer to 350°F (180°C).
Rub a light coating of fat (oil or butter) over your lamb chops to lock in moisture. Alternatively, sprinkle the chops with some water or stock and wrap them in foil.
Position the lamb chops in the air fryer basket without overlapping.
Heat the chops for 4-5 minutes or until piping hot.

The air fryer tends to overcook the meat. Don’t leave the chops in too long, or they’ll dry out and become very tough and chewy.

A layer of fat or foil goes some way to protect them, but you still need to be careful.

My verdict

The lamb chops were slightly drier than they should have been coming out of the air fryer, but they weren’t terrible.

It’s a quick method and works well if you only have a few chops to reheat.

My tip? Smother them with some garlic butter, and you won’t care if they’re a bit dry!

Reheating lamb chops in a steamer

Set the steamer up and bring the water or broth to a boil. When the water is boiling, place the lamb chops into the basket, and with the lid on, steam for 3-4 minutes. Flip the chops at the halfway point. Check that the chops are hot and then serve.

How to reheat lamb chops in a steamer:

Set the steamer up and bring the water or broth to a boil.
Place the lamb chops into the basket once the water is boiling.
Cover the steamer with the lid and steam the chops for 3-4 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Check that the chops reach an internal temperature of 165°F (75° C).

Using a broth or infusing the water with herbs and spices will add loads of flavor to your lamb chops.

Steam is much hotter than you may realize, which means that the chops will heat pretty quickly.

So don’t leave the chops in too long. Otherwise, the meat will start to cook and become chewy.

My verdict

The steamer produced a great result with the lamb chops emerging juicy and tender with their flavor intact.

It was also quicker than I expected.

However, using a steamer isn’t a good idea if your chops are covered in a sauce or marinade because it will end up melting off into the water.

Bonus method: under the broiler

If your chops have a crispy crust on them you want to revive, then consider heating them under the broiler. Set the broiler to medium (you don’t want to burn the chops) and heat the lamb under it for 2-3 minutes on each side.

Serve the chops immediately, and ideally with a sauce because the broiler can be a bit drying!

Bonus method: sous vide

Sous vide is always going to be a great choice for reheating meat because there’s zero moisture loss involved so your chops will be just as juicy as the first time you cooked them. Set the temperature to 140°F and heat the sealed chops for around 20 minutes.

You can also heat a whole rack of lamb this way, but the timings will vary depending on the size of the rack.

If you don’t have a sous vide machine, you can make your own water bath and use a ziploc freezer bag to seal the meat.

How to store lamb chops

You can store lamb chops in the fridge for 3-5 days. Allow the lamb chops to cool to room temperature before placing them in an airtight container. You can also put any leftover sauce or juices in the container, they will help keep the meat moist. Lamb chops are also suitable for freezing.

Avoid leaving your lamb chops out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours.

Past the two-hour mark, you’re inviting harmful bacteria to breed on your meat.

Can you freeze lamb chops?

Lamb chops freeze really well, whether cooked or uncooked. Cool cooked lamb chops to room temperature before freezing. Wrap the meat well and use the lamb chops within 6 months. They will last longer than that, but you may notice a decline in quality.

How to freeze lamb chops:

Cool your lamb chops to room temperature.
If you have any sauce or juices, rub these over the lamb chops.
Wrap the moist chops tightly in plastic wrap first and then in a layer of aluminum foil. You can also vacuum seal them.
Alternatively, if you have a lot of leftover sauce, put the sauce and the lamb chops in an airtight container, ensuring the chops are completely covered.
Label and date the chops before storing them in the freezer.
Cooked lamb chops will last 4-5 months in the freezer.

Adding a layer of liquid to the lamb chops before you freeze them helps lock in moisture and keep the meat juicy.

I like to wrap meat in a double layer to protect it against freezer burn.

Freezer burn won’t make the meat unsafe to eat, but it will affect the flavor.

How to thaw and reheat lamb chops

It’s best to thaw lamb chops before you reheat them. Frozen lamb chops will end up being overcooked on the outside and cold in the middle.

To thaw lamb chops, leave them in the fridge overnight. You can also use the defrost setting on the microwave, but you may end up with tough meat.

Once the lamb chops are thawed, you can reheat them however you like. I recommend the oven or the skillet.

Summary

The best way to reheat lamb chops is on the stove. Alternatively, you can reheat your chops in the oven, microwave, air fryer, or steamer. The microwave provides the most convenient solution, at the risk of turning the chops a bit chewy. The oven is best for large portions of lamb chops.