Curried Lamb Burger with Tzatziki Sauce
On December 07, 2023 (Updated January 04, 2024)
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A delectable gyro in burger form, Greek out on my Curried Lamb Burger. We’re talking juicy lamb, feta, creamy tzatziki, and mint n every bite.
Curried Lamb Burgers
While the traditional beef burger is a perfectly fine dinner, when you have a craving for something with a bit more oomph, these lamb burgers are going to hit the spot. The lamb patty is seasoned with curry, grilled to juicy perfection, and topped with tangy tzatziki and a bright, herbal mint sauce.
It’s simply exploding with flavor and gives you a dinner unlike any other. If you’re looking for a more unique meal, try making these into a pita. Instead of buns placing the meat between buns, use pita bread or stuff the burger into a pita pocket. Then add diced tomatoes and onions on top and drizzle with the sauce.
Making Lamb Burger Patties
Making your own burger patties is super easy, and you know exactly what you’re feeding your family. Ground lamb works the same as ground beef, you need a binder and your seasonings. I use an egg in the burger mix to keeps things moist and panko breadcrumbs to add an awesome texture to the patty itself. Next, I use some simple salt and pepper will bring out the natural, wild flavor of the lamb. Finally, some curry powder adds a richness and depth of flavor.
Classic Burger Toppings, Greek Style
You are welcome to top your lamb burger with your favorite toppings, but I’ve found simple veggies and some awesome sauces work best. While I prefer sticking to classic burger toppings, I like to go with a Greek-inspired twist.
- Tomatoes. I like to use vine-ripened tomatoes, but any ripe red tomato slices will be great on this burger.
- Onion. Some thin sliced red onion is a great way to give your burgers some crispiness in each bite.
- Lettuce. One solid slice of romaine lettuce complements the lamb flavor and add to the freshness.
- Cheese. We’re going Greek here, and feta is the only right answer. That’s right, we’re crumbing rich feta cheese to take these burgers to the next level.
Secret Lamb Burger Sauce
Both mint and tzatziki sauce are classic options when it comes to lamb, so how do you pick one? My secret is I didn’t This recipe tops the burger with both a tzatziki sauce and a fresh mint sauce. The tzatziki is a creamy Greek yogurt sauce that adds a tangy flavor. The mint is bright and fresh making your taste buds all sorts of happy. They mix and contrast together in a way that shouldn’t make sense, but totally rocks.
Perfect Burger Grilling Tips
My favorite part about burgers is everyone gets to put their own spin on them, but you’ve got to start with a juicy, perfectly grilled patty. Here are few tips to help you turn out gorgeous patties every time.
- Make by hand. When mixing the ingredients together for your lamb burger patties, do it by and hand and be very gentle. Only mix until each ingredient is incorporated fully and evenly, and then form your patties. You want them compact, but don’t over-handle them.
- Minimal flipping. Try not to flip your burgers more than once. And keep in mind these tender patties need to be handled with care. Don’t press on the patty when grilling, because it squeezes out moisture you want to retain.
- Let them rest. You want to give your lamb patties 5 minutes to rest after grilling them. This is a great time to toast your buns and let everyone assemble their favorite toppings.
How Long to Grill Lamb Burgers
When cooked on a grill, lamb burgers cook quickly. With your preferred grill preheated to 350-400 degrees F (medium-high heat), it should take around 10 minutes to fully cook the lamb patties.
The goal when grilling lamb burgers is to make sure the meat is cooked to the correct internal temperature to ensure safety and retain juiciness and flavor. I recommend removing the lamb burgers from the grill when they reach an internal temperature of 155 degrees F. After you take them off the grill, lightly cover them with foil and allow carry-over cooking to increase the temperature the rest of the way to 160 degrees F.
How to Grill Lamb Burgers
This lamb burger requires a bit of extra effort before your patties are ready to throw on the grill, but I promise they’ll be that much better for it. Here’s how to make and grill a mouthwatering lamb burger:
- Make the lamb patties. In a large mixing bowl, combine your ground lamb with your breadcrumbs, eggs, and curry powder. Add some salt, and pepper for seasoning, and then mix gently with your hands. You want to mix until the seasoning is well distributed through the meat. Form into 6 patties rough 1/3 pound each.
- Grill the burgers. Place the patties on the grill, close the lid, and cook for 4-5 minutes. Flip the burgers, and continue grilling for another 4-5 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 155 degrees F. Make sure you’re using a good meat thermometer to ensure you’re getting a good reading on the meat.
- Rest and assemble. After you remove the meat from the grill, cover it loosely with foil and allow the temperature to come up to 160 degrees F. Tenting the burgers will also keep moisture inside while the patties slowly finish cooking.
More Ways to Prepare Lamb
If you love cooking lamb on the grill as much as I do, you’re always on the lookout for even more great ways to prepare lamb. Here are a few of my favorite smoked and grill lamb recipes from my collection.
- Grilled Lamb Chops with a Honey Lemon Mint Marinade
- Grilled Rack of Lamb with a Garlic Herb Marinade
- Smoked Lamb Shoulder
- Smoked Leg of Lamb
- Smoked Rack of Lamb with a Curry Spice Rub
Curried Lamb Burger Recipe
Just like that, you’re ready to snag the recipe below and make your own lamb burgers at home. If you enjoyed making this recipe, be sure to rate it 5 stars and let me know in the comments. You can find over 500 delicious recipes just like this one on the Hey Grill Hey app.
Here at Hey Grill Hey, we’re all about helping you make better BBQ so you can feed the people you love, and this lamb burger recipe is sure to bring a smile to everyone’s face. To stay up to date, follow along on our Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube channels.
Curried Lamb Burger with Tzatziki Sauce
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground lamb
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 Tablespoon curry powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons pepper
Tzatziki Sauce
- ⅓ cup English cucumber grated
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 cloves garlic grated
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
Mint Sauce
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup olive oil
Burger Toppings
- 6 burger buns or pita pockets
- 6 ounces feta cheese crumbled
- 1 tomato sliced
- ½ head romaine lettuce
- ½ red onion sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the grill. Preheat your grill for direct grilling at medium-high heat (around 350-400 degrees F).
- Prepare your condiments. To make the tzatziki sauce, place the grated cucumber in a paper towel and press to remove moisture. Combine the dried cucumber with Greek yogurt, lemon juice, salt, grated garlic, onion powder, and white pepper. Stir and then refrigerate until ready to serve. To make the mint sauce, combine the mint, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and olive oil in a blender with a tight-fitting lid. Blend until there are no large pieces of garlic or herbs remaining, but not quite a totally smooth puree.
- Make your lamb burger patties. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground lamb, breadcrumbs, eggs, curry powder, salt, and pepper. Mix gently with your hands until the seasoning is well distributed through the meat and then form 6, 1/3 pound, patties.
- Grill the burgers. Place the lamb burger patties directly on the grill grates, close the lid, and grill for about 4-5 minutes. Open the lid and flip the patties, being careful not to press or squish them with your spatula. Close the lid and continue cooking until the lamb reads 155 degrees F. Transfer the lamb burgers to a plate and cover lightly with foil so the carry-over cooking will take the lamb up to 160 degrees F.
- Assemble your burgers. While the lamb rests for 5 minutes, toast your buns on the hot grill and gather up your tzatziki sauce, mint sauce, and other burger toppings. Place the burgers on the buns and then top with your desired toppings. Spoon a generous serving of tzatziki over the burgers and spread a spoonful of the mint sauce on the top bun. Take a giant bite and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
We made these tonight! It was absolutely delicious. We subbed in arugula for the romaine. The sauces were a fantastic complement to the lamb. Thank you for this site!