I had some ground lamb burning a hole in my freezer and it was a beautiful day for grilling outside. So, after reviewing several different versions of ground lamb recipes, I came up with this one. It turned out super yummy and my family deemed it absolutely suitable for repeating again (that’s how we judge things…they tell me if they want to ever see it on the table again!) So, I thought I’d share it with you. It’s a fun twist on a traditional hamburger that will send your taste buds soaring in quite a few different directions.
2 lb. ground lamb
1 small onion, finely diced
1 Tbsp dried mint
1 Tbsp dried cilantro
1 Tbsp green curry paste
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup shelled pistachios, finely chopped (I pulsed mine in the food processor to get them nice and fine)
OR for the spices, I stumbled upon this great mix the other day that will save you some time with the measuring spoons. I would substitute about 1 1/2 -2 Tbsp in this recipe for the cinnamon through cardamom.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Fire up your outdoor grill or indoor grill pan if the weather isn’t cooperating. Form meat mixture into desired burger shape (or alternatively–you could do kebabs!). Cook approximately 5 minutes each side to desired doneness. I served mine on a bed of spinach with feta cheese and Tahini yogurt sauce (see recipe below), carrots/cucumbers for extra dipping, and cauliflower “rice” sautéed with butter, onion and a bit of each of the spices used above.
Easy Tahini yogurt sauce from a recipe Leigh once gave me:
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp tahini
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
Enjoy the day,
Heather
These look lovely. I think they would also make delicious appetizers if you made them into little meatballs. The yogurt sauce is so tasty–can’t wait to try your recipe!
Oh dear, MLK loves lamb…I think we’ll be trying these soon!
Fran, the commissary has the Moroccan Seasoning that you need to have on your shelves. It is McCormick Brand. Delicious! Let us know how they turn out!
Ooh thanks, we’ll try it after we get back from spring break!
We had these tonight…didn’t have all the spices or the tahini sauce, but they were still quite tasty. The paleo pizza was the appetizer for some of us (mostly my six year old and 11 month old). Yum!
This is so timely! When I was in RI over presidents’ day weekend, I got some ground lamb from my cousin’s farm. I’ve been sort of saving it up, not wanting to waste it on a “meh” tasting recipe. This looks perfect. It’s definitely going on next week’s meal plan! Yum!
Awesome Kristen! If you can’t find dried mint, use fresh…you will love these!
got all ingredients today…having trouble finding the Morrocan spice…FORGOT the tahini…dang it…going to try this sometime this weekend.
You don’t need the special spice mix, it just makes it a bit easier if you don’t have all the spices on hand! Excited for you, comment on how they turn out!
AWESOME!! My 2 year old literally licked the plate!! We all enjoyed them and I know this will become a staple of our diet. Thanks!
That is great to hear, Sarah! Thanks for reading!