Lamb Burgers

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Try these flavorful lamb burgers for your next cookout! Seasoned with merguez-style spices and topped with cooling cucumber sauce, they’re the perfect change-up for your weeknight barbecue.

Summer’s here and the time is right for dancing in the streets — wait, no. I mean, for making burgers!

Today we’re going past a classic beef burger and whipping up these wonderfully spiced lamb burgers.

They’re inspired by merguez sausage, a flavorful lamb sausage that’s popular in countries along the Mediterranean. They’re snappy and spicy, and the blend of flavors is perfect for introducing more people to the delicious taste of lamb.

Merguez mixes vary depending on the cook, so feel free to tweak this to your liking. This recipe isn’t incredibly spicy, making it more family-friendly, but go all out if you want! The creamy cucumber-mint sauce helps bring the heat back down, so don’t skip it!

Ingredients for lamb burgers

Full list of ingredients including quantities is located in the recipe card.

You’ll need:

Ground lamb – Ground lamb is fairly available these days. I usually buy ours from a local farmer at our Saturday market, but it is also sometimes found at our large supermarkets.

Spices – For the merguez flavor, you’ll need paprika, fennel seeds, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cayenne, salt, and pepper.

Garlic – Garlic cloves vary in size. I recommend 1 for this recipe but increase or decrease according to your tastes.

Greek yogurt – For a nice thick sauce, you’ll want to use Greek-style yogurt. 

Cucumber – Grating the cucumber ensures the flavor gets mixed well into the sauce. Make sure to drain any excess liquid from the cucumber after grating.

Mint – Fresh mint gives this sauce a cooling flavor.

Lemon juice – For a bright pop, add lemon.

How to make this recipe

First we need to mix up the spice blend. If you add the spices to the meat without mixing first, you’ll end up with unevenly spiced bites.

In a small bowl, stir together all of the spices. Sprinkle over the lamb and mix until evenly distributed throughout — you’ll be able to see how well it is mixed as the meat will be tinted a bit red from the paprika.

Divide the lamb mixture into four equal sections and shape into patties. I recommend making them slightly larger in diameter than the buns you plan to serve them on, as they will shrink during cooking.

Preheat a grill to medium high and lightly oil the grates. Cook the burgers for 4-5 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer should read 140°F.

Remove the burgers from the grill and tent with foil to keep warm. Let them rest while you make the sauce.

To make the cucumber sauce, stir together the yogurt, cucumber, mint, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Serve the burgers with the cucumber yogurt sauce dolloped on top.

Stovetop instructions

If you’re making these in the grilling off-season or want to turn these into slider burgers, you can cook them on the stove.

Set a skillet over medium-high heat. You shouldn’t need to add oil due to the fat content in the burgers, but you can add just a small amount if desired. Cook burgers for 5 minutes per side.

Serving suggestions

Serve these burgers with fresh veggies on top, like sliced red onion, tomato, arugula or lettuce leaves. 

You can also add feta cheese crumbles or even chopped kalamata olives.

Instead of burger buns, stuff the patties into pita bread, or portion the meat into 8 to make sliders.

You can swap the homemade sauce for store-bought tzatziki sauce, your favorite hummus, or muhammara.

Serve up alongside your favorite grilled veggies or smashed potatoes salad!

Try these juicy lamb burgers for your next cookout!

This recipe has been retested and updated since it was first published in January 2015.

Lamb Burgers

Flavorful lamb burgers are perfect for spicing up grill night. The cooling cucumber sauce is a must!

Author : Megan Myers

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Servings 4

Calories 650 kcal

Ingredients

  

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For the burgers

• 1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 burger buns

For the sauce

• 8 ounces plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup grated cucumber
• 1 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh mint
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

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Instructions

• Mix together paprika, fennel, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, garlic, cayenne, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and then mix into the lamb until spices are evenly distributed (the meat will take on a reddish tone).
• Divide meat into 4 patties.
• Preheat a grill to medium-high and lightly oil the grates. Cook burgers for about 4-5 minutes per side, or until an instant-read thermometer reads 140°F. Let the burgers rest while preparing the sauce.
• To make the sauce, mix yogurt, cucumber, mint, salt, pepper, and lemon juice together. Serve over burgers.

Notes

• Stovetop instructions: Heat a skillet over medium-high. Cook burgers, in batches if needed, for about 5 minutes per side.
• To make sliders, divide into 8 patties.

Recommended Products

• Cuisinart Classic Stainless 5-1/2-Quart Saute Pan 
• Stackable Glass Mini Prep Bowl (Set of 4), 1 oz
• Premium Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls (Set of 6)

Nutrition

Serving: 1 sliderCalories: 650 kcalCarbohydrates: 27 gProtein: 39 gFat: 42 gSaturated Fat: 18 gCholesterol: 127 mgSodium: 1.645 mgPotassium: 606 mgFiber: 2 gSugar: 5 gIron: 5 mg

Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate based on online calculators. Any nutritional information found on Stetted should be used as a general guideline only.

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below!