Dukkah Lamb Burgers

No hate, I’m all for doing up a Greek lamb burger recipe once in a while... but for me, my lamb burgers tend to go more Middle Eastern and African, than Mediterranean.

Think Moroccan Spiced Lamb Burgers, which has historically been my favorite way to serve up juicy lamb burgers for burger night!

It’s been a while since I posted that recipe, so I figure it’s time to post a great alternative: Dukkah spiced lamb burgers!

These juicy burgers are seasoned with my homemade Pistachio Dukkah , and topped with a delicious labneh and feta sauce, accented with fresh herbs.

It’s got a lot going on, and is a tasty way to break away from the ordinary!

I felt a little bit guilty working up this recipe (it came to me in a dream!), as my husband is *violently* unable to eat lamb meat, or any other red meat.

So, I’ve got a vegetarian alternative as well - my Dukkah Spiced Falafel Burgers!

Anyway, let’s get to it...

Ingredients

These burgers are a little ... involved... and have a bit of a laundry list of ingredients. For the most part, they should be relatively easy to find in larger grocery stores, though.

A few notes for you:

Ground Lamb

Ground lamb tends to be a bit of a premium ingredient, a fabulous lean meat that’s known for its fresh, grassy flavor.

Typically, you’ll find it as a product of New Zealand, though - depending on where you live - sometimes you can find locally grown ground lamb.

Not a fan of lamb? You can use another ground meat in place of lamb.

Lean ground beef is the best substitute - I like to use a nice grass-fed beef when swapping out the ground lamb in this recipe.

Labneh

Labneh is a delicious Middle Eastern dairy product. Basically a thick, spreadable cheese made from yogurt.

IMHO, it looks, tastes, and works like a spreadable cream cheese, just... nicer, somehow.

I’m thankful to live somewhere that I can get delicious labneh at even major chain grocery stores, but not everyone has that luxury.

To make your own labneh at home, add a little salt (½ teaspoon for every 2 cups or so) to some plain Greek yogurt, and stir it well.

Line a plate or bowl with 2 layers of cheese cloth, and pour the yogurt into the middle.

Draw up the sides of the cheese cloth tightly around the yogurt and secure it with kitchen twine.

Place the cheesecloth ball in a strainer suspended over the bowl and put it in the fridge for at least 24 hours.

You want all of the excess moisture has dripped out, leaving you with a very thick spread.

Dukkah

Dukkah is an Egyptian spice mix, made from nuts, seeds, and salt.

You can buy a premade Dukkah Spice Blend, or make your own.

I love my Pistachio Dukkah Recipe, and that’s what I use in this recipe - give it a try!

Shredded Feta Cheese

I use shredded feta in the yogurt sauce, as I like the flavour and texture of it.

You can use crumbled feta if you prefer, just make sure it’s really well drained.

Also, you might want to start out with a bit less - it can be more salty & pungent than the shredded type.

Hummus

Use your favourite kind of hummus, as long as it’s not SUPER flavoured.

I don’t like when the hummus competes with the burger - it’s supposed to accent it.

We usually use the original flavour of Sabra hummus, but roasted garlic or the red pepper one would also work well.

Want to go homemade? Try my Easy Smooth Hummus Recipe!

Hamburger Buns

You can use whatever kind of burger bun you like - even gluten-free, if needed.

We tend to use brioche buns or sesame seed buns, but sometimes we’ll serve this in pita bread pockets. It’s all good!

Everything Else

Rounding out this recipe, you will need:

Baby Spinach (Can use baby Arugula)
Red Onions
Fresh Parsley
Fresh Mint
Large Cloves Garlic
Lemon Zest
1 Large Egg
Ground Black Pepper
Kosher Salt

... I just don’t really have anything to add, for these last few ingredients!

Dukkah Fries

Dukkah fries started as a way to make fries look more interesting in a photo, and have since become a FAVOURITE here.

Prepare your french fries however you like. As pictured, we used commercial oven fries.

Drizzle a little nice olive oil over the fries (Not much, ESPECIALLY if deep fried!), then top with some shredded or crumbled feta, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Sprinkle a generous handful of dukkah over top, then top with a bit of chopped fresh parsley and/or mint. (I’ll usually do both.

May sound a bit weird, but it’s SO good.

How to Make Dukkah Lamb Burgers

The full recipe is in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, here is the visual walk through.

Feta Labneh Spread

In a small food processor, blend together the labneh, feta, mint, and lemon zest until smooth.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a small bowl, cover and chill until use.

Note: It will thicken up as it chills, so it’s best to make it ahead of time.

Lamb Burgers

Place ground meat in a large bowl, along with the onion, egg, fresh garlic, parsley, dukkah, ground pepper, and salt.

Gently use hands to get a really good mix going, making sure that everything is evenly distributed and well incorporated in the meat mixture.

Divide the lamb mixture into 3-4 equal balls - I usually do 3.

Flatten each ball into a patty. The lamb burger patties should be roughly the size of your burger buns – maybe a little larger - with a slight indent in the center of each patty.

Cook lamb patties over medium heat until fully cooked - the internal temperature should reach 160 F on a meat thermometer / instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the patty .

Note: You can cook these on the stovetop, if you prefer.

I like to use a large nonstick pan to cook lamb patties over medium heat (or medium-high heat), but a large cast-iron skillet / cast iron pan over medium-high heat is also a good option.

To Assemble:

Split your hamburger buns.

Spread labneh feta spread on each top bun, and hummus on lower buns. Arrange baby spinach on top of the hummus

Place cooked burger on lower bun, top each burger patty with sliced red onion, and a prepared top bun.

Leftover burgers can be cooled to room temperature and kept in an airtight container the fridge for up to 3 days.

I’ll usually reheat the cold patties in the microwave for about 45 seconds, before assembling my burger.

More Burger Recipes

In the mood for a burger, and wanting to branch off from regular cheeseburgers? We've got you covered!

Ahi Tuna Burgers
Apple Chicken Burgers with Basil and Gouda
Copycat White Castle Burgers
Dukkah Spiced Falafel Burgers
Fresh Salmon Burgers with Spinach & Feta
Juicy Goosey Burger
Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi Burgers
Mediterranean Chicken Burgers
Moroccan Spiced Beyond Burgers
Moroccan Spiced Lamb Burgers
Paneer Burgers
Tandoori Chicken Burgers
Vegetarian Chorizo Burgers

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