My entire family adores lollipop lamb chops. The kids have all spent countless dinners gnawing the meat off the bone, even as little (chubby) babies. However, because we usually reserve that sort of meal for fancier occasions, on more average nights, we rely on these delicious Greek burgers to satisfy our lamb craving.
There is so much to love about this recipe. These burgers are more unique than plain old beef patties and packed with savory flavors. They take almost no time to make. They are served with a creamy, homemade tzatziki sauce, which, once you make one time, you will want to make over and over again.
They can be grilled indoors or outdoors, making it an ideal year-round meal. In short, these are delicious, juicy burgers. Serve them on soft buns with fresh spinach, salty feta cheese, sliced tomatoes and the cucumber-yogurt sauce dreams are made of, and you’ll have a perfect dinner for guests, for yourself, or for your lamb-loving babies.
Serves: 4
Hands-on time: 15 Minutes
Total time: 20 Minutes
1 pound ground lamb
3 tablespoons grated red onion
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1⁄2 unpeeled English cucumber
1⁄2 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup baby spinach leaves
4 soft potato hamburger buns
4 tomato slices
1⁄2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Combine the lamb, onion, parsley, vinegar, 1 teaspoon of the garlic, and 3⁄4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper in a medium bowl; stir gently until just combined. Divide the mixture into 4 portions. Shape each into a patty.
Heat a lightly greased grill pan over medium-high. Add the patties to the pan, and cook until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion registers 140°F for medium, 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until desired degree of doneness. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, grate the cucumber to measure 1 cup. Place on a clean towel, wrap the towel around the cucumber, and twist tightly to remove as much liquid as possible. Combine the grated cucumber, yogurt, dill, lemon juice, and remaining 1 teaspoon garlic and 1⁄4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a small bowl.
Divide the spinach among the bottom halves of the buns; top each with 1 patty, one-fourth of the cucumber sauce, 1 tomato slice, and about 2 tablespoons feta. Cover with the tops of the buns, and serve immediately.
Excerpted from Siriously Delicious by Siri Daly. Copyright © 2018 Oxmoor House. Reprinted with permission from Time Inc. Books, a division of Meredith Corporation. New York, NY. All rights reserved.
