BBQ Merguez Lamb Chops

By: Deborah

These BBQ merguez lamb chops are smoky, spicy, and packed with North African-inspired flavours. Perfect for summer barbecuing or a quick, flavourful dinner!

PREP: 10

Cooling time for the spice mix: 10

COOK: 8

TOTAL: 28

Servings: 2 people

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Equipment

Ingredients

For the merguez spice mix - see Notes (makes almost 5 tbsp of spice mix):

1 tbsp cumin seeds
1.5 tsp coriander seeds
1.5 tsp fennel seeds
0.25 of a cinnamon stick broken into pieces
0.25 tsp black peppercorns
2 tbsp sweet paprika or pimenton
0.25 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1.5 tsp salt

For the chops:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp merguez spice mix
6 lamb chops

Instructions

For the merguez spice mix (see Notes):

Heat a frying pan on medium heat and dry roast the cumin, coriander, fennel and cinnamon stick for about 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant. Do not let them burn.
Leave the cooked spices to cool down completely, otherwise they'll create moisture in the final product and reduce the shelf life drastically.
Place the cooked spices and peppercorns into a good spice or coffee mill and blitz to a fine powder.
Add the paprika, chilli powder and salt and pulse to mix thoroughly or add these ingredients to a small bowl along with the ground spices and mix well to combine.
Store the spice mix in a dry, clean jar and keep, tightly sealed, in a cool place along with your other spices. It should last for about 6 months but as with any other spices, its potency will decrease with age.

For the chops (note: need marinading):

Mix the olive oil with the mergeuz spice mix in a small bowl. Brush both sides of each lamb chop with the seasoned oil. Place the seasoned chops on a plate or tray, cover with cling film and put them in the fridge to marinate for 1 to 2 hours.
Heat the BBQ to high. Place the chops on the hot BBQ in a single layer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove from the BBQ and rest for 5 minutes.

Alternative cooking instructions:

Cook the chops under a hot grill for 4 to 5 minutes on each side.
They can also be cooked on the hob in a hot frying pan, griddle pan or skillet for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Cook them in a couple of batches so as not to overcrowd the pan.

Notes

Make ahead – the merguez spice mix can be made in advance and will keep in a tightly sealed jar for up to 6 months.

Alternative meats - instead of lamb, try the spice mix on beef steaks, chicken thighs or pork chops.

Different spice mixes - try using baharat, ras el hanout, or garam masala for different regional twists.

This BBQ merguez lamb chops recipe is easily adapted if you’re cooking for less or more people.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

KEYWORDS BBQ food, BBQ lamb chops recipe, merguez lamb chops recipe, merguez seasoning, summer food

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