Middle Eastern Spiced Lamb Burgers With Feta and Labneh Recipe

By
Anita Schecter
Anita Schecter_BW
Anita Schecter
Professional recipe developer, food photographer, and blogger with more than a decade of experience creating Middle Eastern recipes.
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Updated on 05/26/22
Middle Eastern Spiced Lamb Burgers with Feta and Labneh
Anita Schecter
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Yield: 4 burgers

If you're looking to give your summer grilling a change of pace from the standard American beef burgers, try spicing things up a little with Middle Eastern flavors and ground lamb. Just keep a few things in mind when you're planning your feast.

Unlike beef, lamb does not contain as much fat marbling so it's best to keep it on the rare or medium-rare side so it will remain moist. And unlike the purist theory of not pre-seasoning burgers before cooking, the lamb will benefit from some juicy onions and the aromatic combination of spices like cumin, coriander and a hint of cinnamon.

Skip the slice of American cheese and, instead, spread the bun with a tablespoon or so of cool labneh and top with tangy feta cheese. These burgers will definitely be a taste treat!

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground lamb

  • 1 small onion, peeled and very small diced or grated

  • 1 clove garlic

  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or more to taste

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground pepper, to taste

  • 1/4 cup labneh

  • 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

  • Baby spinach (or other greens) for topping, for garnish

  • 4 seeded buns, or other favorite rolls, sliced in half

Steps to Make It

  1. In a large bowl, add the ground lamb, diced onion, minced garlic, chopped parsley, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Mix together until thoroughly combined and form four individual patties.

  2. Heat up your grill or a grill pan if cooking indoors. Place the burgers on the grill and cook for 4 minutes, flip and cook for an additional 4 minutes. That will give you a medium-rare burger and an internal temperature of about 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook for an additional minute or two if you'd like your burgers more well done.

  3. Toast or grill the buns until lightly golden brown (optional) and spread about a tablespoon of labneh on the bottom half of each bun. Place a cooked burger over the labneh, top with the lettuce or green of your choice and sprinkle the crumbled feta cheese over it. top with the remaining half of the bun and serve hot.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
551 Calories
29g Fat
33g Carbs
37g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 551
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 29g 38%
Saturated Fat 13g 64%
Cholesterol 127mg 42%
Sodium 624mg 27%
Total Carbohydrate 33g 12%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 37g
Vitamin C 7mg 33%
Calcium 209mg 16%
Iron 5mg 27%
Potassium 583mg 12%
*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.)