Lamb Tenderloin
Lamb Tenderloin with Lemon-Caper Pan Sauce
Lamb tenderloin is one of the most underused cuts in the home kitchen. Naturally tender, quick to cook, and genuinely elegant — it needs nothing more than seasoning and high heat to shine. The lemon-caper pan sauce adds Mediterranean brightness without competing with the lamb's natural flavour, and it comes together in the same pan while the meat rests.
This is a 25-minute meal that feels like a restaurant dish. Here's why cuts like this feel restaurant-only — and why they're not.
10 Mins. 12-15 Mins. 2-3
🛒 Ingredients:
Lamb
- 500–600g lamb tenderloin
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt & pepper
Lemon-Caper Pan Sauce
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small shallot, finely diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp capers, drained
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- Salt & pepper
👨🍳 Instructions:
- Pat lamb dry and season with salt and pepper. Patting dry is essential — surface moisture prevents a proper sear.
- Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Sear lamb tenderloin for 2–3 minutes per side until well browned. Don't move it — let the crust form before turning.
- Reduce heat to medium and cook a further 3–4 minutes for medium-rare, 5–6 minutes for medium. Use a thermometer if unsure — 58–60°C for medium-rare, 63–65°C for medium.
- Remove lamb and rest for 5 minutes — essential for a lean cut like tenderloin where the juices need time to redistribute. Why resting matters — and how long to do it.
- In the same pan, add butter and shallot. Cook 1–2 minutes until softened.
- Add garlic and capers. Stir briefly for 30 seconds.
- Pour in stock and simmer until slightly reduced — about 2 minutes.
- Add lemon juice, zest, parsley, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust.
- Slice lamb into medallions and spoon sauce generously over the top.
Not sure when it's done? How to tell when meat is cooked without cutting into it.
🥗 Optional Side: Quick Greens
Prep: 3 mins | No cooking required
Ingredients
- 1 handful baby spinach
- 1 handful rocket
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Salt & pepper
Method
- Toss greens in a bowl with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately beside the lamb.
Rocket adds pepperiness that pairs perfectly with the lemon-caper sauce — the bitterness cuts through the richness of the butter.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions:
- Slice lamb tenderloin into medallions and serve over or alongside the quick greens. Spoon the lemon-caper sauce over the lamb and finish with extra lemon zest for brightness.
- Crusty bread to mop up the sauce is optional but recommended.
✨ Pro Tip:
- Lamb tenderloin is extremely lean — it cooks fast and tightens quickly if overdone. Medium-rare to medium gives the best texture and keeps it juicy.
- The pan sauce uses the same pan as the lamb — don't wash it between steps. The browned bits left behind are flavour.
- Capers add saltiness — taste the sauce before adding extra salt.
This recipe uses: