Spiced Lamb Pita Burgers
Spiced Lamb Pita Burgers are a fresh take on a classic burger --- the lamb is mixed with Middle Eastern spices, onions, and fresh mint.
Servings: 8 people
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground lamb
- 1 medium onion, very finely chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 Tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for grilling
- 8 thick pocket pita breads
yogurt mint sauce
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 4 Tbsp finely chopped fresh mint
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Put the meat, onion, herbs, spices, and oil in a mixing bowl. Use a fork to blend everything thoroughly. Cover tightly. I like to place plastic wrap right onto the meat, and then cover the bowl as well so no air can get to it. Chill anywhere from an hour to overnight.
- Carefully slit open the pita rounds halfway along the seam and pry open the pocket. Be careful not to tear the bread. Spoon 1/8 of the meat mixture into each pita, spreading the meat to all the edges. Press the pita closed and gently pat down to seal. You'll use approximately 1/4 pound of meat for every pita.
- Lightly oil your grill or grill pan and heat on medium high. When it is hot, grill the pita for about 5 minutes per side, until they are charred and the meat is done through.
- Serve immediately with yogurt mint sauce.
- To make the yogurt sauce, blend the yogurt with the mint and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and then thin with cold water until you have a dipping consistency.
Notes
- If you don't see ground lamb at your store ask your meat manager to grind it for you, they're usually happy to help. You can also buy lamb shoulder and grind it yourself at home with a meat grinder, or even a food processor.
- Make the filling up to a day in advance...the flavors get a change to develop that way.
- This works well on a stove top grill pan, I like Calphalon because there is no chemical non-stick coating. Cast iron works too.
- I love the seriously charred bread, but if you don't, cook it longer and slower so it won't get so dark.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 burger · Calories: 565 kcal · Carbohydrates: 36 g · Protein: 27 g · Fat: 34 g · Saturated Fat: 13 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 3 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 16 g · Trans Fat: 0.001 g · Cholesterol: 84 mg · Sodium: 963 mg · Potassium: 452 mg · Fiber: 3 g · Sugar: 2 g · Vitamin A: 549 IU · Vitamin C: 9 mg · Calcium: 129 mg · Iron: 4 mg
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
Did You Make This?We love seeing what you've made! Tag us on social media at @theviewfromgreatisland for a chance to be featured.