Tzatziki lamb burgers.
Take a flavorful trip to the Mediterranean with these Tzatziki lamb burgers. They’re juicy and a nice change of pace from your everyday hamburger. What is Tzatziki? It is a sauce found frequently in Middle Eastern fare. It consists of yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, salt, and olive oil. Some recipes add lemon, dill, thyme, parsley, walnuts, and mint. Similar mixes combine for cacik, a cold Turkish soup that (surprise) is also ideal for dipping.
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS FOR TZATZIKI
- 1 cup seedless cucumber, grated
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp minced garlic (fresh is best)**
- ½ tsp fresh lemon zest
- ¼ tsp each salt and pepper
- ** If you are a garlic lover, feel free to add more along with garlic powder
INGREDIENTS FOR LAMB BURGER
- 1 1/4 lb ground lamb
- 1 cup finely minced fresh spinach
- 4 oz feta cheese (grated)
- 2 tbsp grated red onion
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp basil
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- ½ tsp each fresh ground salt & pepper
- Pita
- Olive oil
- Greek seasonings
- Lettuce
- Tomato slices
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.
- Place them in the refrigerator while you make the burgers.
- Using a large mixing bowl, gently blend the first eight ingredients by hand.
- Form the mix into four equal-sized burgers. If you are having trouble getting the burgers to stick together, you can add an egg.
- Refrigerate.
- Set up your grill for medium-hot heat.
- Spray the grates, so your burgers don’t stick.
- Grill the burgers for about 4 minutes per side. You don’t want them going over medium rare, or they’ll be dry (120F internally).
- Brush the pita lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with greek spices.
- Wrap in aluminum foil and warm on the grill while the burgers rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Assemble with lettuce and tomato inside the pita, offering the Tzatziki as a dipping sauce.