Smaller than lamb but big on flavor, my favorite recipe for goat chops is easy: seared golden brown with an irresistible crust of rosemary and sea salt. It's a minimalist recipe that will work with loin chops or rib chops cut from the rack. Read on and I'll share my secret to making them.

Browned goat chops cooking in a pan with garlic and rosemary. — Perfectly browned with a crust of rosemary and salt.

Why This Recipe Works

Pre-seasoning the meat like chefs do with a dry brine helps ensure the perfect golden brown crust.
Minimal ingredients are used here. A touch of rosemary or your favorite herb, or just salt and pepper and a lemon wedge for serving is all you need.
Dry brining is the key. After the meat is seasoned, you can make grilled goat chops, broiled, or pan seared like I demonstrate here.
Premium, grass fed goat has no gamey flavor, especially the heirloom Boer goat meat I'm cooking from Shepherd Song Farm here.

Grass fed goat loin chops from Shepherd Song Farm. — Grass fed goat loin chops will be smaller than lamb chops.

How to Cook Goat Chops

First the meat is seasoned with salt and pepper, then a pinch of chopped fresh rosemary. If salt and pepper is all you have it's fine.

Goat chops seasoned with salt, pepper and rosemary. — Season the chops with salt, pepper and a pinch of rosemary.

Seasoned goat chops in the refrigerator. — Refrigerate the chops for 2-24 hours.

Goat loin chops seasoned with a dry rub on a baking sheet. — You can also use your favorite spice blend, like blackening seasoning.

Sear the Chops

You'll want a heavy pan or skillet for searing the chops. If you don't have a kitchen hood vent open a window, or consider making grilled or broiled goat chops.

A seasoned goat chop cooking in a pan fat side down. — Begin cooking the chops on medium high heat fat side down.

A goat chop cooking in a pan upside down to ensure even cooking. — Flip and cook the bone side for a minute.

Goat chops cooking in a pan with garlic, butter and rosemary. — Flip the chops and cook for two minutes on each side over high heat.

A digital thermometer in a goat chop showing a desired internal temperature. — Cook the goat chops 5 degrees Fahrenheit under your target temperature.

Cooked goat chops resting on a plate on paper towels to soak up moisture. — Rest the chops in a warm place on paper towels for a few minutes before serving.

A picture of a goat chop with meat removed ready to be eaten by hand. — Don't forget to pick up the bones with your hands to get the best meat.

More Lamb and Goat Recipes

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5 from 1 vote

Rosemary Crusted Goat Chops

Perfect seared goat chops with a rosemary crust everyone will love.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: People

Calories: 420kcal

Author: Alan Bergo

Cost: 10

Equipment

1 Cast iron skillet
1 Small plate or baking sheet
1 digital thermometer optional

Ingredients

4 goat chops about 12 oz
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
2 teaspoons light olive oil or cooking oil

Serving

Lemon wedges
2 tablespoons Unsalted butter optional
1 Small sprig rosemary optional
1 Flaky salt for finishing, optional
2 tsp sliced chives optional

Instructions

Dry Brine the Chops

Score the fat of the goat chops in a cross-hatch pattern.
Season the chops with salt and pepper on all sides, then refrigerate, uncovered for 2-24 hours. Ideally you’ll let them rest overnight.

Cook the Goat Chops

Remove the chops from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature for 30 minutes.
Heat a cold cast iron skillet with the oil and put the goat chops in fat-side down.
Cook for 2-3 minutes until browned on medium heat. Turn the heat to high.
Flip the chops and cook on high heat for 2 minutes on each side. Add the garlic, rosemary and butter and baste them occasionally if you want at the end, turning the heat off so the butter doesn't burn.
If using a digital thermometer, aim for 5 degrees under your desired temperature. 135 F for medium-medium well 130 F for medium rare-medium.

Resting

Remove the chops to a plate lined with paper towels and allow to rest in a warm place for 4-5 minutes.
Serve the chops with a wedge of lemon and a seasonal side dish like wilted greens or a green salad.
Don't forget to pick the chops up after you've cut the meat off. This is part of the fun of eating small chops.

Video

Notes

Grilled Goat Chops

The chops can easily be grilled. Season the chops with the dry brine and refrigerate per the recipe. Scrape a grill and get it hot, then rub with a greased paper towel. Toss the chops with 1 teaspoon cooking oil and grill 3-4 minutes on each side. You want slow cooking on the grill. It will be more difficult to render the fat on the grill as it can cause flare-ups.

Nutrition