Lamb Burgers
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These Mediterranean lamb burgers have it all—charred edges, lots of fresh herbs, and bright toppings that balance the richness of the lamb.
This lamb burger recipe has a Mediterranean spin, thanks to toppings like tzatziki and feta. It’s a fun way to change up standard cookout fare. The secret to making the lamb patties extra flavorful and juicy is to mix a panade, or bread-and-milk paste, into the ground meat as a tenderizer and binder, along with plenty of seasoning. You won’t taste the panade, but it guarantees juicy burgers every time—especially if you like them a little more well-done or accidentally overcook them (a little insurance never hurts!).
The flavor of lamb pairs especially well with the fresh, herby toppings, but if you can’t find ground lamb, feel free to substitute 80/20 ground beef.
“Wow! Wonderful…Best recipe for lamb burgers.”
What You’ll Need To Make Mediterranean Lamb Burgers
To make this lamb burger recipe, you’ll need: white bread, milk, shallots, garlic, fresh mint, oregano, salt, pepper, ground lamb, and pita bread (feel free to substitute burger buns).
For the toppings, you can use any or all of the following: iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, feta cheese, and tzatziki.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the panade. Combine the bread pieces and milk in a large bowl, then mash them with a fork until a smooth paste forms.
Pro tip: The paste should be completely smooth with no visible chunks of bread remaining — if it’s not getting there with a fork, just use your fingers to work it into a uniform consistency.
Step 2: Season the base. Add the shallots, garlic, mint, oregano, salt, and pepper to the bread mixture and mix well.
Step 3: Mix in the lamb. Add the ground lamb and use your hands to mix until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
Step 4: Shape the patties. Form the meat mixture into 6 oval-shaped patties, each about ½-inch thick.
Pro tip: Wetting your hands lightly before shaping helps keep the meat from sticking to them and makes it easier to get smooth, even patties.
Step 5: Grill. Oil the grilling grates and grill the patties, covered, until nicely browned on the first side, about 2 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook for a few minutes more until they’ve reached your desired doneness.
Pro tip: Resist the urge to press down on the patties while they cook—it squeezes out all those flavorful juices.
Step 6: Rest the burgers, warm the pitas, and assemble. Place the burgers on a tray and cover them with foil to rest while you warm the pita rounds on the grill. Assemble the burgers and pass the toppings and tzatziki alongside.
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Lamb Burgers
Ingredients
For the Lamb Burgers
- 1 slice white bread, crust removed and cut into ¼-in (6-cm) pieces
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ¼ cup finely chopped shallots, from 1 to 2 shallots
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ lbs ground lamb (not lean; 80/20 beef may be substituted)
- 6 pita bread rounds, or use hamburger buns (see note)
For The Toppings
- 1 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded
- 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 6 oz crumbled feta cheese
- Tzatziki sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to high heat.
- Combine the bread pieces and milk in a large bowl. Mash with a fork until a paste forms. Add the shallots, garlic, mint, oregano, salt, and pepper; mix well. Add the lamb, then use your hands to mix until well combined. Form the meat mixture into 6 oval-shaped patties about ½-in (13-cm) thick.
- Oil the grilling grates. Grill the patties, covered, until nicely browned on the first side, 2 to 4 minutes. Flip the burgers and cook for a few minutes more until desired doneness is reached. Place burgers on a tray and cover with foil while you warm pita rounds on the grill. Assemble the burgers and pass toppings and tzatziki sauce alongside.
Notes
- There are two types of pita bread: pita pockets and pocketless pitas. You can use either for this recipe. For pita pockets, be sure they are at least 6 in (15 cm) wide. Trim off the top ¼ of each round and stuff the burgers and toppings inside. For pocketless pitas, serve burgers open-faced or, if pitas are large enough, wrap them around burgers.
- Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: The uncooked burgers can be made and refrigerated up to one day ahead of time or frozen for up to three months. (Freeze the burgers on a baking sheet or plate so their shape sets, then transfer them to a sealable plastic bag for easy storage.) Defrost the burgers overnight in the refrigerator prior to serving and then cook as directed.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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OMG! These are delicious! Everyone raved about these burgers. They were tastier than the lamb burgers that we’ve had out at restaurants. Thank you for yet another amazing recipe!
My family loved them! Absolutely delicious!
if i don’t have grill is it better to sauté or bake and if bake at what temp and how long please? thank you!
Hi Lesley, You can use the broiler in your oven. I’d place them on a broiler pan so the juices can drip down, broil them for about the same amount of time that the recipe specifies, and flip them over halfway through.
SO good! The stated times the grill were a little long for me though, so the patties were a bit overdone. They were still fantastic! I used all recommended toppings and cut the patties into strips to fit into the pitas. For the tzatziki, I use dill instead of mint.
Lamb burger accompanies?
Hi Susan, this would be nice with tzatziki and/or hummus and zucchini with feta, walnuts and dill.
Delicious!
LoVe your recipes! I would love to make this for a big party. Is there any possibility of grilling these ahead of time or making them into meatballs and making them in the oven? Thank you!!
Hi Myra, While I think you could assemble the patties ahead and refrigerate, I’m not sure I’d cook them in advance. You could make these as meatballs instead if you preferred. If you want a similar recipe that’s specifically for meatballs, you may want to try these. (It’s fine to substitute lamb for the beef.) You can cook them in the oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, then stick them under the broiler for a minute or two at the end.
Simply Awesome!!
We grilled these burgers outside with friends who thought they knew what a good “Greek” burger was and they were blown away! I would not change a thing about this recipe!
Karen
Made these two weeks ago and they were unbelievably good and so moist. Will definitely make again. As I had no shallots, used some chopped red onion which worked fine.