Can I make the burgers ahead of time?

You can! Form the patties and then pop them in the fridge, covered, and then you can cook them the next day. Once cooked, the patties will keep for 4 days, stored in the fridge in an airtight container. Either enjoy cold or reheat in the microwave. They also freeze well - form the patties then freeze in ziplock bags and defrost overnight in the fridge, then just cook as per the recipe.

What other toppings could I use?

Lovely fresh tomatoes, arugula (rocket), chopped olives (or marinated olives ), sliced red pepper or red onion would work well on the burgers, as would sundried tomato feta dip , hummus , green tahini sauce or tahini yogurt sauce in place of the tzatziki or zhoug.

How do I keep burger patties from becoming dry?

You should be fine with this recipe because ground lamb tends to be fattier so it's already going to be juicier, plus we're adding ingredients that will help keep the meat juicy, but another key thing to remember is not to overwork the mixture. We want the lamb to be mixed thoroughly with the other ingredients but stop as soon as it is. Overmixing can cause the meat to dry out in the pan.

Juicy Greek Style Lamb Burgers

Name: Juicy Greek Style Lamb Burgers
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: greek
Ingredients: 1 lb (500g) ground lamb (or use beef, turkey, chicken or a plant-based alternative); 1 small white onion, grated; 4 garlic cloves, crushed; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon ground coriander; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon salt; Handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; ⅓ cup crumbled feta (about 55g/2oz); 1 tablespoon olive oil; 6 burger buns; 1/4 cup creamy tzatziki sauce; 1 cup spinach leaves; 1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced or shaved into strips; 1/4 cup spicy zhoug sauce (or use fresh basil pesto)

Description

You can have these super juicy lamb burgers on the table in less than 30 minutes – just mix ground lamb with Greek-inspired ingredients you probably already have, then pan-fry for five minutes on each side. Load on the Greek-style toppings for a fun twist on your regular burger night.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the lamb burger patties -

1 lb (500g) ground lamb (or use beef, turkey, chicken or a plant-based alternative)
1 small white onion, grated
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
Handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1/3 cup crumbled feta (about 55g/2oz)
1 tablespoon olive oil

For the toppings -

6 burger buns
1/4 cup creamy tzatziki sauce
1 cup spinach leaves
1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced or shaved into strips
1/4 cup spicy zhoug sauce (or use fresh basil pesto)

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Instructions

Mix your lamb burger patties. Add the ground lamb, grated onion, crushed garlic, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, the finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, and the feta to a large mixing bowl. Use a large wooden spoon (or your hands) to mix the ingredients through the lamb. Make sure everything is properly mixed through – you want every bit of lamb to be beautifully seasoned.
Form your burger patties. Prepare a large plate or wooden board to put your formed patties on. Wet your hands, then scoop up a couple of heaped tablespoons of the lamb mix and use your hands to form it into a chunky burger patty. Place on the prepared plate or board, then repeat with the rest of the mixture. You should get six large patties from this mixture.
Prepare your burger toppings. Slice your burger buns in half, then set yourself up with all your toppings so you’re ready to assemble once the lamb patties are cooked. PRO TIP: You can give your burger buns a quick toast if you like – either in the toaster or under your grill/broiler on high for 2 minutes.
Cook your lamb burger patties. Drizzle your olive oil into your large pan or skillet and set it over high heat. Add the lamb patties, and cook for about five minutes on each side, until a lovely golden crust forms on both sides. Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to do this in batches. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Assemble your burgers. You can serve the burgers family style, with the buns, patties, and all the toppings laid out for everyone to help themselves to, or you can assemble them and serve them finished at the table. For entertaining or parties, I love assembling them because they look spectacular lined up and served. Spoon a little tzatziki onto the top and bottom of your buns, then pile on spinach leaves and the thinly sliced cucumber. Top with a lamb burger patty, dollop on some zhoug sauce, then place the top bun on top. I like to pop a skewer through the buns to help secure them (especially if you’re moving them to a table).

Notes

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Once cooked, the burger patties will keep well for 4 days, stored in the fridge in an airtight container. You can also prep the burgers ahead of time – form the patties, then pop (covered) in the fridge to cook the next day. Uncooked, they freeze well too (for at least 3 months) – let them defrost overnight in the fridge then cook as per the recipe.

INGREDIENT NOTES: Lamb is a fattier cut of meat than beef (which is what we want to make juicy burgers) so a fat percentage of at least 10% is what you want here. If you’re not a fan of lamb, you can use ground beef, turkey or chicken. Skip the feta in the patties themselves if you like, and you can play around with the flat-leaf parsley – use cilantro (coriander), mint or dried herbs instead.

SWITCH IT UP: Swap the burger buns for soft two-ingredient dough flatbreads, or serve the burger patties with a chopped Greek salad with the tzatziki and zhoug on the side from a low-carb version.

GRILL OR BARBECUE: You can absolutely cook these on an outdoor grill or barbecue – they’ll cook a little quicker on a super hot grill, so just keep an eye on them. Cooking them this way gives them a gorgeous charred, smoky flavour you can’t replicate in a pan, so I love to do this in summer.

Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 10
Category: fakeaways
Method: stove top
Cuisine: greek

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 burger
Calories: 465
Sugar: 6g
Sodium: 836.1mg
Fat: 30.9g
Saturated Fat: 11.7g
Unsaturated Fat: 16.9g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 25g
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 21.5g
Cholesterol: 69.8mg