Mediterranean Lamb Burger
Lamb burger with garlic and oregano, tzatziki, crumbled feta, tomato, red onion, and fresh mint on pita or ciabatta.
- Prep
- 18min
- Cook
- 12min
- Total
- 30min
- Serves
- 4
- Calories
- 740per serving, est.
By Time for Burgers, updated
Apart from salt and pepper, garlic and dried oregano are the only seasonings mixed into the lamb, with no breadcrumbs, egg or spice blend. Lamb's own fat carries those two well, and with store-bought tzatziki as the sauce, the whole burger takes about 30 minutes from bowl to plate.
Crumbled feta on a hot patty softens at the edges without fully melting, so it stays salty and distinct. Fresh mint is easy to dismiss as garnish, but it does real work against the richness of lamb: tear several leaves over each burger instead of laying one sprig on top.
Mediterranean Lamb Burger
Prep 18 min, cook 12 min, total 30 min. About 740 calories per serving.
timeforburgers.com/recipes/mediterranean-lamb-burger
Serves 4.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Mix ground lamb with 3 cloves minced garlic, 2 tsp dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Form into 4 equal patties.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook lamb patties for 4-5 minutes per side, until an instant-read thermometer in the center of a patty reads 160°F (71°C).
Warm pita breads or toast buns lightly.
Assemble burgers: spread ½ cup tzatziki sauce generously on bottom breads, add lamb patties, sprinkle with crumbled feta, top with tomato slices and red onion, garnish with fresh mint leaves, then complete with top breads.
Tips
- Grate the garlic on a microplane so it disappears into the meat. Minced chunks leave sharp, raw-tasting pockets in a patty that cooks this fast.
- Crush the dried oregano between your palms as you add it; that wakes up oils that have faded in the jar.
- Lamb renders a lot of fat. Tip some out of the skillet after the flip so the second side sears rather than fries.
- Color is no guide with ground lamb. Check the center of a patty for 160°F (71°C) before you build.
Substitutions
- Ground beef (80/20) instead of lamb: milder, with the same cooking time and the same 160°F (71°C) target.
- Homemade tzatziki: Greek yogurt, grated and squeezed cucumber, garlic and lemon. It's thicker and tangier than most jarred versions.
- Dairy-free: leave off the feta and use hummus in place of tzatziki.
Make ahead & storage
Shape the seasoned patties up to 1 day ahead and keep them covered in the fridge. Cooked patties keep 3 to 4 days; reheat in a skillet to 165°F (74°C) and add the tzatziki, feta and mint cold. Keep the tzatziki chilled and out of the fridge for no more than 2 hours.
