Grilled Lamb Burgers With Mint

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Prep: 13 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 23 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Yield: 4 1/4-pound burgers

These minty lamb burgers work well served either on pita bread or a bun. I recommend using either a yogurt sauce or red pepper aioli for these burgers. See instructions for condiment suggestions and recipes. These burgers will quickly become a favorite! Serve at any cookout or game day gathering. 

Ingredients

For the Burgers:

  • 1 pound ground lamb

  • 1 small onion, finely chopped

  • 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

  • 1 large egg, slightly beaten

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/4 teaspoon Allepo pepper, or red pepper flakes

  • 4 pita breads, or ​hamburger buns

For the Optional Red Pepper Aioli:

  • 2 red peppers, roasted

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise

  • 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 1 lemon

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

For the Optional Yogurt Sauce:

  • 1/2 cup grated cucumber, drained

  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 1 tablespoon cilantro

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Steps to Make It

  1. Preheat grill for medium-high heat. (You can use a grill pan for indoor grilling as well.)

  2. In a large bowl, combine ground lamb, chopped onion, bread crumbs, chopped mint, egg, garlic, cumin, black pepper, and Aleppo pepper (or pepper flakes).

  3. Do not add salt at this point. Gently mix with hands until all ingredients are well combined. Form into 4 equal-sized patties and place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

  4. Using your thumb, make indentations halfway through the center of each patty.  This will help the burgers to cook more evenly and not bubble up in the center.  

  5. Using folded paper towels and a pair of large grilling tongs (if you are grilling outdoors), oil the grill grates well. Make at least three passes, making sure that the surface is nice and coated. 

  6. Place lamb burger patties onto grill and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until meat has reached the desired doneness. Use a large outdoor cooking spatula to flip these burgers. They will be a bit softer than beef burgers, not only because of the texture of ground lamb but because these patties also contain some wet ingredients. If you are grilling indoors, oil up the grilling pan, using the same method as you would outdoors, and use a regular-sized spatula to flip the burgers.

  7. Once cooked to your liking, remove from grill, place onto a plate and tent with aluminum foil. Brush burger buns with olive oil (vegetable oil work well too), and place oiled side down onto grill grates. Close the lid and let buns toast for 1 to 2 minutes. (If you are not grilling outdoors, toast your buns in a toaster oven for the same amount of time on the medium-low setting.) Remove. If using pita, place into a large piece of aluminum foil, seal edges and place onto the grill for 3 minutes, turn, and warm for another 3-4 minutes.

  8. We recommend either a red pepper aioli or yogurt sauce for these burgers. For red pepper aioli, simply add the roasted red peppers to the mayonnaise in a food processor. Add the lemon juice, salt, and olive oil and blend to desired consistency.

  9. For yogurt sauce, in a bowl add the cucumber, plain yogurt, minced garlic, cilantro, and salt, and stir together, until completely combined.

  10. Assemble burgers to your liking and add extra items such as red onion and lettuce.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
655 Calories
26g Fat
63g Carbs
40g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 655
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 26g 33%
Saturated Fat 10g 50%
Cholesterol 156mg 52%
Sodium 1223mg 53%
Total Carbohydrate 63g 23%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 40g
Vitamin C 2mg 8%
Calcium 156mg 12%
Iron 6mg 35%
Potassium 600mg 13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)