Ethiopian Berbere Lentil Burger
An Ethiopian-inspired lentil burger with berbere spice, cucumber-yogurt sauce and quick-pickled red onions.
- Prep
- 25min
- Cook
- 12min
- Total
- 37min
- Serves
- 4
- Calories
- 450per serving, est.
By Time for Burgers, updated
Mash only about half the lentils. The crushed ones bind with the egg and breadcrumbs, while the whole ones left behind give the patty some bite, and the quinoa adds body without making the mix pasty. Mash them all and you get a dense, gluey patty.
Berbere brings chili heat backed by warm spices, and blends vary a lot in strength, so taste yours before adding the full 15 ml. A pinch also goes into the cucumber yogurt, which ties the sauce to the patty. Quick-pickled red onions, ready by the time everything else is cooked, add a sharp edge.
Ethiopian Berbere Lentil Burger
Prep 25 min, cook 12 min, total 37 min. About 450 calories per serving.
timeforburgers.com/recipes/ethiopian-berbere-lentil-burger
Serves 4.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Quick-pickle red onions: toss the sliced red onion with ¼ cup red wine vinegar and 1 tbsp honey. Let sit while preparing the other components.
In a large bowl, mash 10½ oz cooked lentils partially, leaving some texture. Mix in 3½ oz cooked quinoa, 1¾ oz breadcrumbs, beaten egg, 1 tbsp berbere spice blend, salt, and pepper. Form into 4 equal patties.
Make cucumber-yogurt sauce: combine ½ cup Greek yogurt with diced cucumber, salt, and a pinch of berbere spice. Mix well and refrigerate until serving.
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook lentil patties for 5-6 minutes per side, until golden brown and crispy on the outside and an instant-read thermometer in the center reads 160°F (71°C), since the mix contains raw egg.
Toast whole wheat buns until lightly golden.
Assemble burgers: spread cucumber-yogurt sauce on bottom buns, add lettuce leaves, place lentil patties, top with pickled red onions and fresh mint, then crown with top buns. Serve with roasted sweet potato wedges or Ethiopian-style injera bread on the side.
Tips
- Drain the cooked lentils well and pat them dry before mashing. Wet lentils make a mix that slumps and sticks to the pan.
- If the formed patties feel soft, chill them for 15 minutes. They firm up and flip without breaking.
- Salt the diced cucumber and squeeze out the liquid before stirring it into the yogurt, or the sauce will be watery within the hour.
Substitutions
- Vegan: use a flax egg (15 ml ground flaxseed plus 45 ml water, rested 5 minutes), plant-based yogurt, and maple syrup instead of honey in the onions.
- Canned lentils work in place of home-cooked; rinse, drain and dry them well.
- Green lentils instead of brown: they hold their shape more, so mash a little further to bind the mix.
- Gluten-free: use gluten-free breadcrumbs and a gluten-free bun.
Make ahead & storage
Pickled onions keep up to 1 week in the fridge, and the lentil mix can be made a day ahead. Cooked patties keep 3 to 4 days refrigerated; reheat in a lightly oiled skillet to 165°F (74°C). Make the cucumber yogurt on the day you serve it.
