Do you love cheeseburgers? Imagine a Hot crusted seasoned beef pattie that’s been seared in a cast iron skillet with cheese dripping down the sides on a toasted bun with lettuce and tomatoes…don’t forget the pickles… Yum! Let’s bump up that flavor with something new. Want a juicy and spicy change from the same ole beef burgers? Try a delicious spicy barbecue lamb burger instead! These Spicy Barbecue Mint Lamb Burgers are full of flavor and moves your taste palate to a different plane.
Cheeseburgers are by far one of my favorite foods to eat. Hamburgers are fine…My daughter is not a cheeseburger person, so I get it…but cheese just takes the burger to another level. I am on a journey to improve my palate and tripping up my tastebuds with a ground lamb burger filled with herbs and feta cheese… Let’s just say… its a Winner any day!
Lamb is just another red meat and I use it often when cooking Persian dishes, chili, and of course burgers. Lamb meat is so good and yes there are those who jive with it, but that’s the fantastic thing about food… its like life… you take chances and find what works for you. Your palate will thank you for the detours you take when trying new foods.
Learning to cook with lamb has been an enrichment in my life. My Iranian father-in-law makes so many delicious meals with lamb, and I have learned to make my own imprint with it as well. Now, Iranians use other meats, like fish, chicken, and beef, but lamb is king! I use to be scared to branch outside of traditional meats, but once I started dating my now-husband, my palate was taken to another world. That’s one thing I love about him… he pushes me to try things I would have never attempted on my own.
Ok enough about that… back to the burger…
The recipe of my Spicy Barbecue Mint Lamb Burgers has many rockstars: the lamb of course is the sun that shines bright on this stage. Lamb can be found in many supermarkets and meat markets. I tend to purchase my meats, herbs, and Persian spices from my local Iranian market. They have everything I need to make my recipes shine, plus freshly made bread and desserts. No grill? No problem…My grill was not working for this recipe, so I fired up my cast ion skillet to cook off the patties. Cooking with a cast-iron skillet is my jam because he creates a crust like nothing else. Basting these little lovelies in my Afterburner Barbecue Sauce as well as smearing it on my bun, pierced my heart with joy.
I wanted to make sure that this recipe had components that collaborated well together. Herbs like mint, basil, parsley, and oregano blend perfectly with feta cheese and lemons. Now, I like a spicy burger, but I did not want the peppers to overpower the rest of the stars, so jalapenos were the right pepper for the job. I tend to leave the membrane and seeds in so I can elevate my spice level, but if that’s not for you, just take them out. Besides the lamb, the other shining light is Tzatziki sauce. This sauce… OMG is oh so good. It is a yogurt-cucumber sauce that cools the spice in the burger and can completely be used if barbecue sauce is not your flavor.
Fall is here and this burger does not need a season to be the best. It can be grilled or seared at any time of the year. This is all about giving you options when it comes to burgers. So, jump kick your tastebuds with some new flavors… you will not regret it. The question is…Will I stop eating cheeseburgers?? Heck no! However, I will always up my game when it comes to my palate!
Happy Palate…Happy Plate! Let’s Eat!
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Spicy Barbeque Mint Lamb Burgers
Equipment
- grill or cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground lamb
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tbsp cracked black pepper
- 1/4 tbsp flatleaf parsley loosely filled
- 10 fresh mint leaves
- 6 fresh basil leaves
- 1 jalapeno pepper fresno or jalapeno
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 cup feta cheese crumbles
- Afterburner Barbecue Sauce Or your favoite spicy or regular sauce
- 4 burger buns toasted
- lettuce whole leaves or shredded
- 1 large tomoato sliced (optional)
- unsalted butter or mayo for toasting buns
Instructions
- Dice jalapeño pepper. Use gloves to cut off stem and remove membrane and seeds if desire. In a medium bowl, combine ground lamb (or ground 80/20 beef), salt, pepper and oregano.
- In a food processor add lemon zest, lemon juice, jalapeño pepper, garlic, mint, basil and pulse until its well combined and minced. Add to lamb mixture.
- Add feta cheese crumbles to seasoned lamb mixture and work to gently combine. Try not to over mix so your burgers are not tough. Portion burgers into 4 equal patties.
- Pre-heat grill to 450°F and oil the grate. You don’t want your burgers to stick. Grill each burger for 3 minutes on the first slide and then flip to cook for 4 minutes. Baste your burger with barbecue sauce or just top it when it completely cooked. Flip the burger to cook for 1 more minute and baste in barbecue sauce if desire. Remove from the grill and let them rest for 10 minutes. Burgers will be medium. Cook longer if you want them well done. Internal temperature should between 140-145 degrees F.
- Smear butter or mayo on the buns and toast them on the grill or skillet until golden brown.
- Top burger with Tzatziki sauce, barbecue sauce, lettuce and tomatoes. Serve with chips or Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad if wanted.
Notes
Extra spicy- keep the seeds and membrane in the jalapeños and actually use 2. This burger can be made with a cast-iron skillet or griddle. Or heavy skillet.
Special Diet Information
Don’t want bread? These burgers are great as lettuce burgers or wraps. You can even serve them as Kabobs with Persian rice.
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