Moroccan Lamb Burgers with Tomato Cucumber Salad
This recipe for Moroccan lamb burgers is quick, easy, and delicious. Perfect on the grill or the stove top, with a perfectly-balanced sweet-savory blend of spices. Serve them with a dollop of yogurt sauce, a simple tomato cucumber salad, and fresh pita for a dinner everyone will love.
It’s all too common that I realize a meal we’ve been making and loving for years has yet to appear on the blog. This recipe for Moroccan-spiced lamb burgers is a prime example! Based on a recipe from an old Williams Sonoma cookbook, these burgers are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser any time they make a menu appearance.
Burgers are always a popular option, of course, and everyone loves a classic, but there’s something extra fun and special about changing up the flavor profile to give these a little Mediterranean flair.
Is Moroccan food technically Mediterranean? Mediterranean influence is one aspect, although there are many, many components to Moroccan cuisine. Most importantly, it is delicious – full of spices, texture, and irresistible sweet-savory flavor combinations.
These burgers can be served on a traditional bun, but for a twist, try serving them open-faced, or stuffed into pita halves. A little yogurt sauce and a simple tomato cucumber salad are the perfect accompaniments.
And if you happen to have choosy little eaters who prefer any meat in either nugget or meatball form, the mixture makes terrific meatballs, as well. My little guy ate the meatballs–after meticulously picking out all the onion pieces. I considered it a win. 🙂
Moroccan lamb burger ingredients
For burgers packed with so much flavor, the ingredient list is fairly straightforward. Fresh herbs make a difference here, so plan accordingly if you can.
- Lean ground lamb
- Yellow or white onion
- Fresh mint and parsley
- Ground cumin, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne pepper
- Greek yogurt
- For serving: pita bread, tomatoes, cucumber, feta cheese, red wine vinegar, and extra-virgin olive oil
Your herbs and spices will do double duty in the burgers and the yogurt sauce, making life easy. The salad is quick and simple to assemble in just the few minutes it takes to cook the burgers.
Now if you really want to go crazy and make homemade pita to go with these… invite us over for dinner, OK? Because that, friends, is a next level heavenly meal.
How to tell when lamb burgers are done
These are wonderful on the grill or the stove top. Either way, cook them over medium or medium-high heat for approximately 10 minutes. Hands down, the easiest way to tell when they are perfectly done is to use an instant read thermometer. You don’t need an expensive one, and it makes life so much easier by completely removing the guesswork. We have this one which is less than $10 and gets the job done! (affiliate link)
Pull the burgers off the heat when they hit an internal temperature of 160°F. Don’t delay; they’ll continue to cook for a few minutes as they rest. Other cuts of lamb are typically done at a lower temperature, but it’s recommended to cook ground meats to 160°F. (source, source)
More interesting burger recipes
- Greek Lamb Burgers with Lemon Herb Sauce from Hostess at Heart
- Sriracha Avocado Turkey Burgers from Garlic & Zest
- Buttermilk Fried Crispy Chicken Burger from Girl Heart Food
If you try these lamb burgers or any other recipe on the blog, please rate it and leave a comment below. I love hearing from you, and other readers will benefit from your experience!
Any questions? Just let me know! Enjoy!
Moroccan Lamb Burgers with Tomato Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp. fresh mint minced
- 5 tbsp. fresh parsley minced
- 1 small yellow or white onion chopped
- 1 1/2 lb. lean ground lamb
- 1 1/4 tsp. ground cumin divided
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. table salt
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- pita bread for serving
For the Salad
- 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- 1 large cucumber sliced
- 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp. crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Finely mince the mint and parsley, and peel and chop the onion.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground lamb, chopped onion, 4 tablespoons each of the mint and parsley, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Mix well using your hands until everything is evenly combined, and form the mixture into burger patties. Set aside.
- To make the sauce, combine Greek yogurt, the remaining 1 tablespoon each of mint and parsley, remaining 1/4 teaspoon cumin, and a pinch of salt and cayenne pepper, as desired. If you prefer a thinner sauce, add 1-2 teaspoons olive oil. Stir well and keep in the fridge while you cook the burgers and prep the salad.
- Cook the lamb burgers on an oiled grill rack or in a heavy frying pan over medium-high heat, for about 5 minutes on each side, until they reach an internal temperature of 160F.
- While burgers cook, prep the salad. Combine halved cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber, olive oil, and red wine vinegar in a small bowl. Sprinkle feta on top.
- Serve burgers warm with the salad, yogurt sauce, and pita bread, as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can also use a spoon or spatula to make the lamb mixture, but it will take longer and probably mix less evenly. I find it worthwhile just to deal with it and wash my hands very well afterward.
- 1 1/2 pounds of lamb makes 4 medium-sized burgers. If you’re feeding 2 or 3 people, you could just use 1 pound of meat, and use a scant amount of each herb and spice in the meat mixture. No need to be too exact.
- The same meat mixture works well as meatballs. Form 1-2 tablespoons of the mixture at a time into balls, and cook on the stove top, or wrap in foil and cook on the grill.
