061Grilled lamb chops

Method

Taverna-style charcoal or griddle chops. Serve piping hot straight from the grill with crusty bread, chips, and a crisp horiatiki salad.

You will need

• Cast-iron grill pan or outdoor charcoal grill
• Tongs
• Wide mixing bowl or rimmed dish

1. Place the thinly cut lamb chops in a wide dish and toss thoroughly with the olive oil, grated garlic, black pepper, and half of the dried oregano. 5 min Ready when: Chops evenly coated in oil and aromatics
2. Let the chops sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to take off the chill and absorb the seasoning; do not salt them yet. 30 min Ready when: Meat relaxed and at room temperature
3. Heat a heavy cast-iron ridged grill pan over high heat until smoking hot, or prepare an outdoor charcoal grill for high direct heat. 5 min Ready when: Grill surface smoking and searing hot
4. Scatter the sea salt generously over both sides of the chops just before they hit the heat. 1 min Ready when: Salt adhering to oily meat surface
5. Lay the chops on the hot grill in a single uncrowded layer and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until deep char lines form and the fat begins to crisp. 5 min Ready when: Sizzling vigorously with deep charred grid marks
6. Flip the chops and grill the second side for another 3 to 4 minutes until browned and medium-cooked, turning on their fatty edges briefly to render. 4 min Ready when: Firm to the touch with sizzling browned edges
7. Transfer the chops to a warm platter, dust immediately with the remaining dried oregano, and serve hot with lemon wedges. 2 min Ready when: Aromatic steam rising as herbs hit hot meat

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Make ahead and storing

Chops can be marinated in oil, garlic, and pepper up to 8 hours ahead in the fridge, but bring to room temperature before grilling.

Best eaten freshly cooked; leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 2 days and are best reheated briefly in a hot dry pan.

Substitutions

• kid goat chops (paidakia katsikisou) for lamb rib chops (thinly cut). Traditional alternative in mountain villages; goat chops are leaner and slightly earthier.

Common mistakes

• Salting the meat hours in advance before grilling. Salt draws out meat juices, resulting in steamed or dry chops rather than a swift, seared crust.
• Squeezing lemon over the chops during cooking. Acid prevents proper searing and chars bitter on the grill; lemon should only be squeezed at the table.

Regional variants

• Paidakia katsikisou (kid goat chops cut paper-thin, favoured across Epirus and Crete)
• Paidakia provatas (mutton chops from older sheep, prized for intense rich fat in central mainland tavernas)

About the dish

Paidakia are the quintessential centrepiece of the Greek countryside taverna, particularly in pastoral mountain regions like Central Greece and Epirus. Butchers cut the rib chops thinly so they cook swiftly over blazing charcoal embers, yielding crisp, caramelised fat and juicy meat. While historically eaten on celebratory Sundays or around Easter when spring lamb is abundant, they are now a year-round fixture of casual outdoor dining across Greece, always dressed simply with wild dried oregano, sea salt, and fresh lemon wedges.

Found in all of Greece. Cooked for everyday, sunday lunch, easter, summer.

Cousins elsewhere

• Kuzu pirzola (Turkish). Both feature thinly cut lamb chops quickly grilled over hot charcoal, seasoned lightly with oregano or thyme.
• Kastaletta (Levantine). Marinated lamb cutlets grilled over coals, shared across eastern Mediterranean butchery traditions.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

817 kcal · protein 43.3 g · fat 69.3 g (saturated 27.7 g) · carbohydrate 6.1 g (sugars 1.3 g) · fibre 1.8 g · sodium 1054 mg

An estimate (summed from ingredient estimates) that varies with the exact ingredients. It is not dietary advice.

Written fresh by Epikouria editors from general culinary tradition. Recipe by the Epikouria editors. Rooted in the rustic charcoal taverna traditions of Mount Parnassus and the Peloponnese countryside..