Lamb Burgers are a great alternative to beef, as they are really moist and have so much flavour. These Spiced Lamb Burgers are absolutely delicious and something a bit special topped with creamy Tzatziki and a sticky Chilli Jam. Definitely a burger for when you want to impress your dinner guests, but not go to too much effort.
Lamb mince makes such great burgers, not just because of the fat content, but because it has so much flavour a little bit goes a long way. The lamb flavour also goes really well with a variety of spices whether you are going for an Italian burger, Greek, Mexican or a spicy cumin version like we have.
These spiced lamb burgers couldn't be any easier - you just put the mince in to a big bowl with all the other ingredients, mix well and then form in to patties ready for cooking. You could eat them just like that, but where is the fun in that? Burgers are all about the toppings!
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Why should you try it?
- Ready in just 30 minutes
- Something different for burger night
- Two different sauces that can be used in lots of ways
- Easy to make but impressive to serve
What you will need
- Lamb mince - We used a 10% fat lamb mince, to make these burgers a little leaner. However, if you wanted them a little more indulgent, then you could use a 20% fat mince.
- Red onion - you can use brown or red onion, or even swap them for shallots.
- Garlic - Fresh garlic is always best, but you can save yourself some time and use ready chopped garlic in a jar.
- Cumin - Cumin has a warm and earthy flavour and adds lots of flavour to these burgers.
- Paprika - This adds a nice smokiness to the burgers, but you can leave it out if you prefer.
- Tomatoes - This is what make up the base of the chilli jam. You can use any tomatoes you like.
- Apple cider vinegar
- Caster sugar
- Garlic
- Mustard seeds
- Chilli flakes - It is a tomato chilli jam, so it does have a bit of a kick to it. You can use less or more depending on your taste.
- Burger buns, salad leaves, tzatiki
Chilli jam - step by Step
One: Cut the tomatoes into chunks and put them into a pan.
Two: Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a simmer.
Three: Continue cooking the mixture until it starts to reach a thick jam consistency. At this point reduce the heat and watch the mixture closely to avoid it catching on the bottom of the pan. If you have a probe thermometer, wait until the jam has reached a temperature of 105°C/220°F. It will take around 10 minutes. (See notes in the recipe card below for extra advice on this jam).
Four: Once cooked, set aside.
Burgers - step by step
One: Put all the burger ingredients into a bowl and use your hands to mix well.
Two: Mould the mixture into two burgers of a similar size and leave in the fridge until required.
Three: To cook the burgers, fry them in the olive oil, leaving them just moist inside – the cooked internal temperature should be 70C. This will be about 5-7 minutes each side.
Four: Make the tzatziki by following the instructions How To Make Tzatziki.
Five: Toast the buns.
Six: To serve, build your burger with salad leaves, a decent dollop of tzatziki, the burger then top with a tablespoon of the jam.
Burger toppings
Some kind of creamy sauce is a must when it comes to burgers I think and our homemade tzatziki goes perfectly on them. You have the creaminess of the Greek yogurt, the freshness of the lemon and mint (we all know how well lamb and mint go together) and some added crunch from the cucumber (or courgette as an alternative).
Never satisfied with just one topping, we took these burgers to the next level by making some tomato chilli jam to spread of the buns. It really amps up the flavour of these burgers without being overly spicy as the tzatziki cools it down.
Cooking methods
When we photographed these it wasn't exactly BBQ whether, so we fried them until they were crispy on the outside and cooked but still moist on the inside. You could make these healthier by putting them until the grill for 5 minutes each side.
But, in the summer time what we love to do is cook these on the BBQ. Because of the fat content of the lamb, these cook really well on a BBQ grill and they are always the first to be eaten out of the burgers we serve up. You would cook them for about 5 minutes each side. It's always best to have a meat thermometer to make sure everything is fully cooked.
Can they be made in advance?
You can form these burgers in to patties and then put them in the fridge for a couple of hours until you are ready to cook them.
What to serve them with
I mean, these burgers are pretty epic and not exactly low in calories. But, if you were wanting a blow out burger meal (that is still probably healthier and lower in calories than ordering takeaway), then we served them with our Garlic Baked Polenta Fries. You could also serve them with Baked Sweet Potato Fries or even our Broccoli Slaw for a veggie boost.
FAQs
The simple answer is no. Whereas whole cuts of lamb can be cooked rare, so pink in the middle, minced or diced lamb or should never be served pink. A lamb burgers that is undercooked on the inside may contain harmful bacteria that can lead to food poisoning.
Ounce for ounce, lamb contains the same amount of calories as beef, but lamb contains a higher quantity of omega-3 fatty acids. These are essential nutrients that are important in preventing and managing heart disease. Lamb also contains less fat within the meat compared to beef.
If you want to freeze them, put them on a tray and then in the freezer. Once fully frozen, you can stack them with baking paper in between each and then put them in a freezer bag and back in the freezer. Make sure they are fully defrosted before cooking.
Extra tips
- You can either fry these burgers, cook them under the grill or cook them on the BBQ.
- These burgers are quite indulgent, so either eat them by themselves or you could serve them with fries or slaw if you wanted something extra.
- Our homemade tzatziki and tomato chilli jam go perfectly on this burger.
- You can freeze these burgers on a tray and then stack them in a freezer bag and keep in the freezer.
More burger recipes
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Recipe
Spiced Lamb Burger with Tzatziki and Chilli Jam
Ingredients
For the burger:
- 250 g Minced lamb
- 0.5 Red onion - very finely chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic clove - minced
- 0.5 teaspoon ground cumin
- 0.5 teaspoon Smoked paprika
For the tomato chilli jam:
- 75 g Cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon Water
- 2 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar
- 30 g Caster sugar
- 1 Garlic clove - minced
- 0.5 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 0.5 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
Other ingredients:
- 2 burger buns
- 30 g Salad leaves
- 4 tablespoon Tzatziki
- 0.5 tablespoon Olive oil
Instructions
Chilli Jam:
- Cut the tomatoes into chunks and put them into a pan.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a simmer.
- Continue cooking the mixture until it starts to reach a thick jam consistency. At this point reduce the heat and watch the mixture closely to avoid it catching on the bottom of the pan. If you have a probe thermometer, wait until the jam has reached a temperature of 105°C/220°F. It will take around 10 minutes.
- Once cooked, set aside.
Lamb Burger:
- Put all the burger ingredients into a bowl and use your hands to mix well.
- Mould the mixture into two burgers of a similar size and leave in the fridge until required.
- Make the tzatziki by following the instructions in How To Make Tzatziki.
- To cook the burgers, fry them in the olive oil, leaving them just moist inside – the cooked internal temperature should be 70C. This will be about 5-7 minutes each side.
- Toast the buns.
- To serve, build your burger with salad leaves, a decent dollop of tzatziki, the burger then top with a tablespoon of the jam.
Notes
- If you are unsure of the chilli jam's ‘jaminess’, put a little of the mix on a cold plate and chill in the fridge. It will set after a few minutes and you will be able to judge if the rest is ready to take off the heat.
- You can either fry these burgers, cook them under the grill or cook them on the BBQ.
- These burgers are quite indulgent, so either eat them by themselves or you could serve them with fries or slaw if you wanted something extra.
- Our homemade tzatziki and tomato chilli jam go perfectly on this burger.
- You can freeze these burgers on a tray and then stack them in a freezer bag and keep in the freezer.
Kirsty
I can't wait to try this. Mmmmm
Jeanette
I love that you have treat days too. This will be my treat meal next week. Those dumbasses on facebook can get lost!
Brenda
I love lamb. It is definitely the best meat. I never thought about making lamb burgers though. Great idea!
Claire
These look so good. I love burgers and healthy too!
Louise
Love Lamb Burgers and yours look delicious!!! Thanks for sharing and thanks for finding me on twitter. I'm happy to have found you on Pinterest too!!! Louise Months of Edible Celebrations