Greek Lamb Burger

A bowl with two lamb burgers, orzo and tomato salad and lemon wedges.

This grilled Greek lamb burger in a bowl is served with a garlicky tahini sauce, orzo, and a tomato olive cucumber salad.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Greek, Mediterranean

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Marinating time 1

Servings people

Calories 812kcal

Author by Jenny | The Greek Foodie

Equipment

Large bowl To mix the lamb burgers
Small bowl or jar To mix the sauce
Medium saucepan For the orzo

Ingredients

2 lb ground lamb
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon chili flakes
2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons sumac
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 onion minced
3 garlic cloves minced
⅔ cup breadcrumbs
⅓ cup whole milk
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
2 tablespoons spearmint leaves finely chopped

For brushing the burgers

⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
1½ teaspoon rosemary leaves minced
1½ garlic clove minced

For the sauce

½ cup tahini
3 tablespoons lemon juice
½ cup water
1 garlic clove crushed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt

For the orzo

2 cups orzo pasta
1 tablespoon butter
sea salt
freshly ground pepper

For serving

olives
sweet cherry tomatoes
1 lemon cut in wedges
flat-leaf parsley for garnish. Optional
spearmint leaves for garnish. Optional
extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Mix the burgers

In a bowl, mix the ground lamb with all the ingredients. Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate for 24 hours or at least 2-3 hours.
Take about two full tablespoons of the ground lamb mixture for each burger.
This recipe yields about 14 to 16 patties.

Prepare the grill

Cook the burgers

Brush the burgers with the olive oil garlic rosemary mix.
Then, place them on the grill.
Turn burgers only once.
For medium-well burgers, cook halfway through for 4.5 minutes on one side and then flip. Please check recipe notes
Do not press down on your burgers. Pressing on your meats squeezes out the juices, which can lead to a dry burger.
Don't put a cover over the grill.
Allow the burgers to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Make the tahini sauce

Add all the tahini sauce ingredients to a jar and shake it well. You might need to use an immersion blender to emulsify the tahini paste with the rest of the ingredients.

Make the orzo

In a pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
Add the orzo and saute for 3-4 minutes.
Add 8 cups of water and cook until the orzo is fully cooked but retains a bite, about 15 minutes*.
Drain the orzo, and return to the pot.
*Check cooking instructions for cooking time.

Serving suggestion

Make a quick tomato salad.
Cut up some tomatoes and cucumber into small cubes, add some kalamata olives and tiny cubes of feta—season with sea salt and dried oregano. Add a tiny amount of red wine vinegar and a teaspoon or two of extra virgin olive oil. Mix and let sit for 15 minutes.
Serve
Add two burgers in a bowl next to ⅔ cup of orzo. Drizzle burgers with lemon juice. Next, add a ⅔ cup of orzo and a couple of tablespoons of tomato salad. Drizzle all over tahini sauce. Enjoy!
Best to serve while the burgers and orzo are warm.

Notes

Cook the burgers on the stove.

You will have the best results with a cast iron skillet. Heat the skillet over medium/high heat and add a little olive oil to coat the bottom. Once the oil is hot but not smoking, add a couple of burger patties and cook without moving it for 3 to 5 minutes per side.

The recommended safe internal temperature for a lamb burger is 145°F.

I prefer to cook my lamb burgers medium well, (I think they taste better) which translates to an internal temperature of 160°F

This recipe yields 14-16 burgers, about two full tablespoons of the mixture.

Nutrition is calculated for two burgers, ⅔ cup of cooked orzo, and a drizzle of tahini sauce.

Nutritional Info – Please remember that the nutritional information provided is only estimated and can vary based on the products used.

Nutrition