Burgers are a dinnertime champion in my book. They’re the ultimate crowd-pleaser – satisfying, customizable, and quick to whip up. No matter the season, I find myself turning to them for a fuss-free and flavorful meals. One of the things I love most about burgers is their versatility. You can take them in so many directions! During the warmer months, I might fire up the grill for some juicy spicy chicken burgers, with a kick of green chutney. When the weather turns cooler, we might crave a heartier option, like pan seared lamb burgers with drizzle of tangy yogurt sauce.
My Lamb Burger Recipe
These homemade indian style lamb burgers have delightful textures and tastes. Imagine this - succulent ground lamb gets an upgrade with a generous handful of fresh, aromatic green herbs. Minced garlic adds a pungent bite, while spices such as cumin powder & ground cinnamon add earthy warmth and a subtle sweetness, with garam masala powder tying everything together with its complex blend of aromatics. The beauty of this recipe is that the spices don’t overpower the taste of lamb. Inversely, I feel that the spices help in masking any gaminess and highlighting the natural sweetness of the meat. Each bite is a delightful and laoded with fragrance of spices! Moreover, you can assemble your lamb burgers the way you like. Me and kids like to stuff the buns with lots of tomatoes, and with the mint laced, garlicky yogurt or whatever salad leaves at hand, however the husband gies for onions. His meaty version is indulgent in itself with just the mince patty & lots of onion slices and chips on the side!
Ingredients
Ground Lamb - I use 85/15 ground lamb. You could go for 80/20 if you wish, it would just mean extra flavor! Green Herbs- I add fresh chopped mint and cilantro leaves. Dont like cilantro? use green parsley instead. You could also try rosemary however I feel fresh mint is a more relatable pairing with indian spices. Ground Spices - We need cumin powder for its earthy flavor while coriander powder addrs a balmy citrus note. I add a bit of kashmiri chili powder too (aubstitute it with paprika). A hint of ground cinnamon complements the lamb’s natural flavor, and garam masala ties everything together. Green Chilies - These bring the heat! I am talking full blown indian green chilies that are super hot. The grassy fresh heat is really lovely with lamb. If you cannot find, use some chopped Serrano peppers. Ginger and Garlic - I mince them up. Cheese Slices -These are optional. But my kids love them. I use pepper jack slices. Salt & Pepper
For The Yogurt Sauce
Greek Yogurt - It adds a beautiful creamy tanginess and really goes well with lamb. Mayonnaise - Skip if you wish. It only makes the sauce richer and tastier! Garlic - Lots of micro planed garlic does the trick. Fresh mint leaves - We are stretching the mint theme because trust me with lamb, you cannot have too many fresh ingredients. Lemon Juice - Trust me you need extra tang becasue the lamb patties are quite rich!
Instructions
Make The Garlic Yogurt Sauce
In a small bowl, add the yogurt and mayonnaise. Mince the garlic using your microplane over the yogurt. Add fresh mint leaves, lemon juice, sugar, salt & pepper. Using a whisk, combine nicely. Refrigerate for the flavors to mingle while we will make lamb patties.
Make Lamb Patties
In a large bowl, add the lamb mince. I highly recommend that the lamb is not cold else your patties are going to become tough and also cold, ground meat is difficult to mix. To the minced lamb, add the minced garlic& ginger, fresh chopped mint & cilantro & chopped green chillies. Sprinkle the ground spices along with salt and black pepper powder.
Using your hands (best tool!, wear gloves for food safety), lightly combine the mince with all the ingredients that we added. If you have time, cover the bowl with a cling film & let it sit in the fridge for 20-30 minutes or so help mingle the flavors. Else use it to make patties right away.
Divide the lamb burger mixture into six equal portions.(If you like thick patties, make 4 ot 5 out of the mixture). Roll the divided portions into balls and the flatten gently to make patties. Keep the patties slightly thicker on the edges than in the center. You could wear gloves or apread some water on your hands and the mince won’t stick to your hands. The meat is going to shrink as it cooks so flatten it out more than desired. At this point, you can refrigerate the burger patties for a few hours. Take them out of the fridge 20-30 minutes prior to cooking.
Grill & Assemble The Burgers
Heat up a cast iron grill pan or iron pan on high heat. The pan should be get really hot before your place the burgers. Brush a teaspoon of oil on the pan. We dont need lot of oil since meat has its own fat. Carefully, place the patties down on the hot pan. You will hear a searing sound. Cook the patties on moderately high heat until well-browned on the bottom, about 3-4 minutes. Flip the patties and cook on the other side, about 3-4 minutes more.
Note - Note - We like our burgers cooked through and the times are noted for that. If you like your burgers pink in the center, please reduce the cooking time.These burgers grill beautifully, you can use your outdoor grill to cook these.
Add the cheese slice (if using) on top of the cooked patties and cover with a lid to let cheese melt. After the patties have cooked, you will see lot of fat and juices on the pan, soak it up by warming up the bun halves on the same pan. Build your lamb burgers by slathering the yogurt sauce on both sides of the toasted buns, stack the onion & tomato slices, lettuce and the cooked patties.
Recipe Tips
You could freee the un-cooked lamb patties for up to a month. Place the patties in a single layer on parchment sheet and freeze them. Then peel off the parchment and transfer to a zip lock bag and store in freezer. Slather green chutney or garlic chutney on the buns or a much gourmet taste. You could also spoon kachumber salad for crunchier taste.
