The Midnight Rodeo Maple-Chipotle Lamb Chops

There’s this one stretch of highway outside Marfa, Texas, where the sky turns the color of burnt plum right before the stars take over. I drove it last summer with the windows down and a cooler full of lamb chops in the back seat, heading to my friend Delia’s ranch for a weekend cookout. She had the grill already smoking when I pulled up, and I told her I’d been dreaming up a glaze the whole drive — something sweet and smoky that hit you like a desert wind. We slathered those chops in maple and chipotle, grilled them until the edges went crispy-black, and ate them standing up under a sky so wide it made you forget your own name. This is that recipe, and every time I make it, I’m right back on that road.

Ingredients

• 8 lamb loin chops (about 1 inch thick)
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 1 tablespoon chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely minced
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 tablespoon raw honey
• 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 bunches scallions, trimmed
• Extra virgin olive oil, for scallions
• Lime wedges, for serving
• Fresh cilantro, for garnish

Instructions

1. Make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, avocado oil, minced chipotle, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, raw honey, coconut aminos, and lime juice until smooth.
2. Season the lamb. Pat the lamb chops dry with paper towels. Season both sides with sea salt and black pepper. Brush generously with about half of the glaze, reserving the rest. Let the chops sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.
3. Preheat the grill. Heat your grill to high heat (about 450–500°F). Clean and oil the grates with a paper towel dipped in avocado oil.
4. Grill the scallions. Toss the scallions with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Grill for 2–3 minutes, turning once, until charred and wilted. Set aside.
5. Grill the lamb chops. Place the chops on the hot grill and cook for 4–5 minutes per side for medium-rare (internal temp 130°F), or 5–6 minutes per side for medium. During the last 2 minutes, brush with the reserved glaze and let it caramelize.
6. Rest and serve. Transfer the chops to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Arrange on a platter with the charred scallions, squeeze fresh lime over everything, and scatter with cilantro leaves.

Tips

• Don’t skip the rest. Letting the lamb rest after grilling allows the juices to redistribute — cutting too early means dry chops.
• Heat control matters. If your glaze starts to burn before the lamb is done, move the chops to a cooler zone on the grill and finish with indirect heat.
• Make it ahead. The glaze keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days, so you can marinate the chops overnight for even deeper flavor.
• Swap the protein. This glaze is incredible on thick-cut pork chops or bone-in chicken thighs too — just adjust grilling times accordingly.