If you’ve followed my meal plans for more than a minute, it is obvious to you that GREEK night is as much of a staple in our home as a taco or pasta nights. I like to give credit to my Greek roots, but the truth is no matter your ancestry, you won’t be able to deny the delicious combination of ground lamb and authentic spices, dressed up with Greek staples like feta and kalamata olives. I love this recipe so much, I wanted to shine up this post to give more details on how to cook them and top them.
These are my family’s favorite lamb burger recipe. However, while the recipe calls for ground lamb, you can also use ground beef, ground turkey, or a combination of whatever ground meat your prefer. I’ve been making these for years because they are juicy, flavorful, and a burger that the whole family will devour- no ketchup needed.
While they are delicious on a bun, you can get more creative by serving them on a pita or on a bed of crunchy romaine with tzatziki. The flavors really shine when served on this Greek pasta salad or alongside another family favorite, this no-lettuce-needed Greek salad.
Gyro Lamb Burgers Ingredients
The ingredient list is simple but produces a surprisingly flavor-packed burger thanks to the additions of fresh lemon juice and finely chopped red onion, along with the Greek spices. You’ll need:
- ground lamb (or you can substitute ground beef, ground turkey, or a meat mixture of your choosing)
- red onion
- fresh garlic
- salt and pepper
- cumin
- nutmeg
- oregano
- fresh lemon juice
What’s healthier- ground beef or ground lamb?
Trying to decide between using ground lamb or ground beef? Though perhaps not as common to eat in the US, lamb is a nutrient-dense meat that is rich in protein, iron, and vitamin B12. It is also lower in fat than beef and has fewer calories. If you are considering fatty acids, like CLA and omega-3’s, lamb has more than beef. If you look at vitamins, like B12 and zinc, beef wins out. The takeaway is both are excellent and both make a great base to this burger.
The only note worth mentioning is that when using ground lamb, you want to be mindful to not overwork the meat. Simply mix the ingredients together gently and they’ll be good to go.
If you are nervous about trying lamb, try it mixed as half lamb and half ground beef. Ground lamb has a similar texture to ground beef but is more rich and flavorful.
How to Cook a Greek Lamb Burger
Good news, there are a lot of options! Grilling these works great. After creating the patty, put a small dent in the middle of the burger. Grilling burgers often causes them to swell a bit in the center, but the indentation prevents this and results in a more evenly cooked and shaped patty instead of a sphere shape.
Pan-frying them is also a great option. Over medium heat in a little avocado oil in a cast iron skillet, cook them for about 3-4 minutes per side, until cooked through. You’ll know they are done when the lamb burger reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit, just as you would want for a beef burger.
A third option is to bake them in the oven. Yes, you can bake burgers with surprisingly delicious and juicy results! Plus, if your burgers are prone to falling apart when grilling, baking them solves this problem. Place them in a baking dish and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Then let the burgers rest for about 5 minutes before serving to let the juices reabsorb into the burger for maximum flavor and tenderness.
These burgers are great to make ahead of time. You can prep the during the day or even the night before. Just wrap tightly with plastic wrap and pull them out when you are ready to cook them. You could also prep ahead of time and freeze them. When stored properly, the uncooked burgers will last 3-4 months in the freezer. Then just switch them to the fridge 24 hours ahead of time to defrost before proceeding with cooking them in one of three methods outlined above.
How to Serve a Lamb Burger
These burgers totally hit the spot every time and the topping and serving options are plentiful. You can enjoy these burgers on a regular burger bun topped with romaine, sliced tomato, and tzatziki on a pita. Serve them over salad greens like romaine or baby spinach drizzled in olive oil and sprinkled with feta cheese and kalamata olives. They make a great side to a pasta salad at a summer potluck. You can cook them as usual and serve them in a warming dish or stacked in a slow cooker. Add fresh herbs like oregano, dill, parsley, or fresh mint on the side for people to doctor them up as they please and offer slices of pita bread that people can stuff the burger into or layer it between slices.
Any way you choose is sure to be delicious! And once you fall in love with these Greek lamb burgers as much as we have, you can branch out and try their Greek meatball cousin. Delicious! Give these a try and let me know what you think. Tag me on Instagram (@ahealthyslice) or leave a comment below. It always makes me so happy to hear that you’ve enjoyed one of the recipes I’ve shared.
Greek-Style Gyro Burgers
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 20 mins
Yield: 4 burgers 1x
Description
These gyro burgers are a household favorite. Made from ground lamb and authentic spices, these can be dressed up with Greek favorites like feta and kalamata olives, but they pack such a punch of zesty flavor on their own, that you can eat them any way you please.
- 1 lb. ground lamb
- 1/4 cup minced red onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp. cumin
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a large bowl. Using your hands, mix until well-combined, being careful not to overwork the meat.
- Form into 4 patties that fit the size of the pita bread you are using.
- Pan fry over medium heat, about 5 minutes per side, until cooked through.
- Serve on pita bread with cucumbers slices, tomato and tzatziki.
Do you ever use more exotic meats, like lamb or bison, at home?
Why or why not?
