Grilled Lamb Burgers with Feta
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Grilled lamb burgers with feta will be your favorite way to use ground lamb! Fire up your grill to make an amazing Greek meal. It comes together in just 20 minutes!
Lamb burger recipes aren’t as popular in the U.S. as they are in Mediterranean countries. It seems as though Americans reserve Easter as the only acceptable time to consume lamb.
I’m unsure of the reason behind this, because lamb burgers are just as delicious as beef burgers! The meat is relatively lean, packed with nutrients like selenium and iron, and lamb is also a source of healthy Omega-3 fats.
Of course, the majority of American ranchers raise beef and pork, so that does explain the popularity of those meats. But if you’ve never experienced ground lamb burgers, you are missing out on a delicious experience.
Just a handful of fresh ingredients creates a juicy burger with so much flavor, you may never want ground beef burgers again!
Ingredients For Lamb Burgers with Feta
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Ground lamb– Of course, if lamb isn’t your thing, you can substitute lean ground beef and the meal will still taste amazing!
- Spices: dried oregano, kosher salt, and cracked black pepper
- Fresh herbs: flat leaf parsley, mint leaves, and basil leaves
- Red jalapeño pepper– If you can’t find a red jalapeno, fresno chili peppers are a good substitute, or use a green jalapeno. If you want to omit the spicy peppers, you could certainly use a sweet red bell pepper instead
- Fresh garlic– Using fresh garlic adds a bit of texture to the burgers, and of course, a stronger garlic flavor. If you’re out of fresh garlic, jarred minced garlic works just as well. In a pinch, you can use garlic powder
- Lemons
- Feta cheese– Sharp cheddar is perfect when you’re making a beef cheeseburger, but when it comes to creating a Mediterranean burger, feta is the cheese of choice.
In Europe, feta cheese is typically made with sheep’s milk, or a combination of sheep and goat milk. In the U.S., you are more likely to find it made with cow’s milk.
The warm feta cheese adds wonderful creaminess and saltiness to the ground lamb, without being overbearing.
A punch of spicy heat from red jalapeño compliments the tart lemon zest perfectly. The fresh mint, basil and parsley all come together with the ground lamb for an incredible Mediterranean burger.
Video: Making ground lamb burgers
Want to see me making this lamb burger recipe? Be sure to watch the video in the recipe card at the bottom of this post!
- Blend the seasonings. Use a food processor to mix the fresh mint, basil, parsley, garlic cloves, jalapeno, and a 2-inch piece of lemon zest. TIP: I use a vegetable peeler to remove a strip of zest from the lemon.
You only need a few pulses to combine everything; any longer than that and your fresh herbs will turn to mush. - Add seasonings to the ground lamb. Transfer the contents of the food processor into a large mixing bowl with the ground lamb and feta cheese crumbles
- Form the patties. Gently work the ingredients together just until they’re combined. Don’t over mix the ingredients or you’ll end up with dry burgers. Next, divide the lamb mixture into four portions and form the lamb burgers.
- Prep and preheat your grill. Preheat your grill to 450°F. Brush some olive oil onto the grates of your grill to prevent the burgers from sticking.
- Cook and enjoy!
Grilling Time for Ground Lamb Burgers
Lamb is very lean, so it’s important not to over cook it.
- RARE: Cook for 3 minutes on the first side, then flip them and cook on the other side for 5 minutes.
- MEDIUM: Cook for 5 minutes on the first side, then flip and cook on the other side for 5 minutes.
After cooking, it’s important to allow the patties to rest for at least 10 minutes. Cover them with foil to keep them warm. During this time, the burgers will continue to cook and the juices will redistribute throughout the meat.
Serving Suggestions for Lamb Burgers with Feta
For a low carb option, serve the burgers as is. Otherwise, they are great on hamburger buns and even in whole wheat pita bread.
Homemade tabouli salad is the perfect side dish.
Other Ground Lamb Recipes
If you enjoy the lamb burgers with feta, you can substitute ground lamb for ground beef and make some Greek Meatballs, or put a Greek twist on classic American comfort food by using lamb to make BBQ Smoked Meatloaf.
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Grilled Lamb Burgers with Feta
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground lamb (See Note 1)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley (loosely filled)
- 10 fresh mint leaves (1-2 inch)
- 6 fresh basil leaves (4-5 inch)
- 1 red jalapeño pepper (See Note 2)
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 lemon
- 1 cup feta cheese crumbles
Instructions
- Using gloves (optional), cut red jalapeño pepper stem off and remove the seeds and set aside (See Note 2). In a medium sized bowl add the ground lamb (or beef) and the salt, pepper and oregano. Mix to combine.
- Place herbs, jalapeño pepper, garlic cloves and two to three 2-inch pieces of lemon zest (I used my vegetable peeler to strip off) in food processor. Pulse several times to break down and add to the seasoned ground lamb.
- To the mixing bowl add the feta cheese crumbles and gently work the ingredients together to mix thoroughly. Do not over mix and compress. Divide the lamb mixture into four portions and gently form into four patties. Set aside.
- Prep the grill to around 450°F and then clean and oil it so burgers do not stick. Grill for 3 minutes on the first side covered, flip and cook for 4 minutes covered, then back over for 1 minute more. I removed them from the grill and allowed them to rest for 10 minutes. Should be medium.
- Serve with tabouli salad and top with Tzatziki sauce if desired.
Video
Notes
- Feel free to substitute ground beef (80/20 blend) for the ground lamb.
-  I kept the white membrane for a little more heat, and coarsely cut it into several pieces. You can substitute a Fresno chili or green jalapeño for the red if you prefer.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This recipe first appeared on Kevin Is Cooking in August 2014 and was last updated on May 8, 2021.
Very good recipe
Oh my, these are one of my all-time favorites! Thanks Frederick for taking the time to come back and let me know. 🙂
Confused about the lemon. The only thing I see in the recipe is lemon zest but ingredients calls for two lemons
Hi Lynn! in the ingredients I show it only stating 1 lemon and this part is in Step 2 … and two to three 2-inch pieces of lemon zest (I used my vegetable peeler to strip off) in food processor. Those zest strips are all you need. Hope this helps.
These were absolutely fabulous. We will be adding them to our grilling rotation!
Nice! One of my all-time favorites, too!
These were perfect! Only fresh ingredient I didn’t have was parsley so used dried and it was fine. Made fresh tzatziki sauce to have on rolls or salad. Will make again for sure.
Excellent, these are definitely one of my all-time favorite burgers!
Looking for new recipes for the ground lamb I bought at Costco. Found yours and it is delicious. Didn’t add the mint or the dill. But the fresh italian parsley, the oregano, garlic, and lemon did the trick. So juicy and flavorful Will make again. Thank you!
Excellent, but hopefully you’ll try again with the mint, it so good! 🙂
Yup, mint adds a lot. I have a fresh mint plant so hope it holds up.
I didn’t see dill in the list of ingredients. Did I miss something?
I made this recipe last evening and served it with mint jelly. It was fabulous! Thank you!
Loving the mint jelly add on these, too! Thanks Cyndie!
Have made these a few times now and I really enjoy them, always have trouble finding mint! so I planted me own!
Excellent, thanks for coming back to let me know!