Homemade Greek Lamb Burgers

Homemade Greek Lamb Burgers are juicy and made with ground lamb, aromatics, red onion, and topped with a fresh Greek yogurt sauce. It is grilled to perfection and served on toasted buns. Do you want a taste of Greek flavors, then learn how to easily make these!

This is one of the healthiest burgers you can have! To make your meal even more guilt-free, have them with a side of Creamy Cucumber Salad, Chickpea Salad, or the easiest Greek Salad.

These Greek burgers, are also know as Bifrekia are made with lamb meat, various spices, fresh herbs, and served with the most delicious homemade yogurt sauce. They are flavorful, easy to make, and just perfect to enjoy during summer times. 

Homemade Greek-Style Lamb Burgers take just a few more steps to make than your usual cheeseburger. However, I promise you they’re WORTH IT and will result in some of the best burgers you ever had. Every bite is literally an explosion in your mouth of bright flavors and textures.

It begins with the most amazing lamb patty flavored with lots of herbs, spices, and Dijon. We’re topping that with tabbouleh made of bulgur and chopped veggies with a splash of lemon. The toasted buns are spread with a mint yogurt sauce that makes everything taste so light and fresh.

Also, they taste absolutely gourmet. For full Mediterranean flavors, I love serving them on hamburger buns along with a Greek salad on the side. 

Lamb burger ingredients:

• For the patties:

We’re using ground, fresh lamb seasoned with Dijon, Worcestershire, fresh parsley plus dried herbs, spices like cumin,  cayenne pepper, along salt and pepper. 

• The tabbouleh:

Prepare some bulgur wheat, finely chopped veggies like red onion and cucumber, plus olive oil and fresh lemon juice, and zest.

• The Yogurt based sauce:

This bright and fresh sauce is made of Greek yogurt (full fat), mint and dill, fresh garlic, and lemon juice.

• For the burgers:

Prepare some sesame seed buns, plus slices of tomatoes and bell peppers for grilling.

How to make a Greek Lamb Burger?

1. Begin with the tabbouleh. First, prep the bulgur by softening it with boiling water. Meanwhile, chop the vegetables along with fresh mint for the tabbouleh. In a large bowl, mix the veggies with the softened bulgur, then season with salt and black pepper. Toss with olive and lemon. 
2. Mix the sauce. Stir the yogurt with the rest of the components for the sauce. Then, chill.
3. Make the patties. Next, in a medium bowl, mix the ground meat mixture with the dried herbs and spices, cayenne, Worcestershire, and Dijon. Shape into patties. 
4. Grill. Cook the lamb patties on your hot grill, about 3-4 mins per side. Grill the tomato rounds and bell peppers as well. You may also toast the buns if you wish.
5. Assemble. Spread sauce on the bottom bun, then top with bell peppers. Add the patty, followed by grilled tomato, then more mint yogurt sauce. Carefully spoon tabbouleh to finish and top with bun. Enjoy hot!

Topping suggestions:

Some of our favorite toppings for these are:

• Crumbled feta cheese
• Very thinly sliced onions
• Chopped olives
• Kalamata olives
• Chopped green or red bell peppers
• Greens like baby spinach, arugula, rocket, and lettuce
• Cucumber slices
• Sauces like mint yogurt, Homemade Tzatziki Sauce, and Horseradish sauce

Of course, you can also add anything you like to your burgers! Try other cheeses like cheddar and mozzarella, your favorite vegetables, and other burger toppings you love.

Can lamb burgers be pink?

You can have it medium-rare or medium, but for safety, don’t go by color to tell when the patties are done. If you want absolute perfect results and an extra juicy burger, start cooking the patties over the cooler side until they get up to around 100 degrees F. 

Then, finish them off on the hot side of the grill until they reach about 130 degrees F for a medium-rare burger. 

Also, if you want them fully cooked, then grill them until they reach 145 degrees F. Always use a meat thermometer to check their internal temperature. At 145 degrees F, it will still be a little pink, but it can be safely consumed. 

Are Grek lamb burgers healthy?

The patties themselves are incredibly healthy! They’re packed with protein but are lighter and less fatty than beef and pork. They also contain all 9 essential amino acids. These are essential for recovery and growth, which is why so many athletes and bodybuilders love this meat.

Aside from protein, it’s also a fantastic source of vitamins and minerals like B12, Zinc, Niacin, Iron, and more. 

Now, for the dish itself, it’s a very healthy one! Aside from the meat patties, we’re piling on the vegetables from both the tabbouleh and the toppings. There’s also yogurt in there, which is very good for digestion. 

So, in all, yes, lamb burgers are very good for you!

What to serve with them?

My family loves making these DIY! We make a mini buffet of toppings like grilled tomatoes and onions, a small bowl of feta, cucumbers, greens like arugula, and shredded lettuce, olives, and sauces like Tzatziki and mint yogurt. This way, everyone can make their own!

If you want something more classic, you can assemble the burgers according to the recipe. Then, enjoy them with pita bread, or with healthy sides like Hummus and toasted pita chips, Roasted Sweet Potato Fries, or Baked Parmesan Zucchini Fries.

More lamb recipes to try:

Slow Cooker Shepherd’s Pie

Instant Pot Lamb Stew

Garlic Brown Sugar Lamb Ribs

How to store leftovers?

For any leftovers, store them separately in plastic wrap. Cool the meat patties first, then place them in a container with parchment in between to prevent them from sticking to each other. As for the tabbouleh and mint yogurt sauce, store them in separate air-tight containers.

Keep all of them in the fridge for up to 3 days, but try to consume them as early as you can.

Cooking Tips:

• For juicy burgers, always keep the lamb mixture chilled while the grill is heating. 
• Make the patties a bit bigger than your buns. Also, using your thumb push the center of each patty to make a little dent. This will prevent the meat from contracting too much during grilling.
• Feel free to use your favorite seasoning. Some great alternatives would be onion powder, chili powder, etc. 
• Chill your patties while you’re heating up the grill! This helps them stay intact. 
• Avoid overhandling the meat. Once they’re on the grill, don’t touch them too much. Flip once, and that’s it. First, this prevents them from falling apart. It also ensures they get a nice, brown crust and cook evenly.
• Alternatively, make these with ground beef and turn them into beef burgers. The cookings steps will be the same. 
• Although I like grilling them on a charcoal grill, you can easily cook the ground lamb burgers on a grill pan, a gas grill. Also, cook them on a stove top in a cast iron skillet, over medium-high heat. 

Greek Lamb Burgers

Catalina Castravet

Greek Lamb Burgers are juicy and made with ground lamb, aromatics, red onion, and topped with a fresh Greek yogurt sauce. It is grilled to perfection and served on toasted buns.

5 from 16 votes

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Prep Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 6 burgers

Calories 512 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

For the Lamb Burgers:

• 2 pounds ground lamb meat
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoons ground oregano
• 1/4 teaspoons dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 6 sesame seed hamburger buns
• 2 bell peppers yellow and red
• 1 very large tomato thickly sliced into rounds

For the Tabbouleh:

• 1 cup bulgur wheat
• 1/2 cup fresh mint very finely chopped
• 1/2 cup parsley very finely chopped
• 1/2 cup red onion very finely chopped
• 1/4 cup green onion very finely chopped
• 1/2 cup tomato very finely diced
• 1 cup cucumber very finely diced
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the Mint Yogurt Sauce:

• 1 cup Greek yogurt full fat
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves very very finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon dill very finely chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

Tabbouleh:

• Add the bulgar to a medium bowl. Pour 1 cup boiling water on top. Stir, cover with a kitchen towel, and allow it to sit for at least 1 hour to soften.
• Meanwhile, prepare all the veggies for the tabbouleh and add them to a bowl. Set aside.
• When the bulgur is ready combine with the veggies and rest of the ingredients, mix, and refrigerate until ready to use.

Yogurt Sauce:

• Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Lamb Burgers:

• Preheat the grill to medium heat.
• Add the ground lamb to a large bowl and add the sea salt and all spices, herbs, seasonings. Mix by hand to incorporate. Then divide the meat mixture into six equal portions and press into uniform, same size, patties.
• Make sure to form the patties just a little larger than the width of the hamburger buns, because they will shrink after grilling.
• Slice the bell peppers into rounds, same for the tomato.
• Once the grill is hot, place the patties, bell pepper rings, and tomato rounds on the grill. Grill the lamb burgers for 3-4 minutes per side.
• Grill the bell peppers and the tomato for 2 minutes per side.
• Lightly grill the inside part of the buns, just to warm them up.

Assemble:

• Spread the bottom of the bun with some of the Yogurt Sauce.
• Top with a few slices of grilled bell pepper, followed by a lamb patty, next add the tomato round, more Yogurt Sauce. Add a few tablespoons of tabbouleh on top and cover with the bun top.
• Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 512kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 43gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 100mgSodium: 1225mgPotassium: 987mgFiber: 8gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 2379IUVitamin C: 72mgCalcium: 188mgIron: 7mg

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