Greek Burgers

Today I’ve got a juicy Greek-style hamburger recipe to share that we make year after year. These greek burgers are a great way to offer something a little different on burger night.

This hamburger recipe is a long time coming.

I’m not sure exactly why… We’ve been making these greek burgers for years. This recipe is actually one of the first recipes I taught in my cooking class that spurred on ASP. Nevertheless, here they are, and I apologize for waiting so long.

There’s nothing quite like a good hamburger recipe on a summer evening. We make burgers 3-4 times a month from May through September. Sometimes they are classic burgers with lettuce and tomato, but we also like to throw in some variation, like Szechuan Beef Burgers, Frito Chili Cheeseburgers, Hawaiian Tuna Burgers, or today’s Greek Burgers.

Made with ground lamb, yogurt, lemon zest, and spices, the patties are tender and zesty. Right before grilling, I mix in feta cheese for a salty burst of flavor in each bite. I shape the patties into ovals instead of circles so they better fit into pita bread.

Then I mixed up a batch of my favorite thick and creamy tzatziki sauce to top the burgers.

Once the greek burgers come off the grill, I place them in the pita bread then stuff in cool crisp cucumbers, sweet tomato slices, and fresh mint leaves.

Making the burgers with lamb instead of beef, along with the cool greek yogurt sauce oozing out, makes me think of eating gyros at an authentic mediterranean kebab shop.

The hot-cold combination and blend of herbs and spices is always welcomed change on burger night. If your family loves a good hamburger recipe, try this out on them. Maybe it will go in your repituare of summer recipes!

PRINT RECIPE

Greek Hamburger Recipe

YIELD: 6

PREP TIME: 30 minutes

COOK TIME: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Hamburger Recipe:

• 2 lbs. ground lamb
• ½ cup plain greek yogurt
• 1 Tb. dried oregano
• 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Zest of one lemon
• ¼- ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 ½ tsp. salt
• 7 oz. feta, crumbles into large pieces
• Olive oil for brushing
• 1 cup sliced cucumbers
• 2 sliced tomatoes
• Mint leaves for garnish
• 6 small pita pockets, or 3 large halved

For the Yogurt Sauce:

• 1 cups plain greek yogurt
• ½ cucumber, peeled
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 clove garlic, smashed
• 1 Tb. olive oil
• Zest of one lemon + 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. fresh chopped mint

Directions:

1. For the Yogurt Sauce: Pour the excess moisture off the top of the yogurt and place it in a bowl. Grate the cucumber, then place the strips in a colander and toss with salt. Set aside for 20 minutes to drain, then squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Mix all ingredients in a bowl and salt and pepper to taste.
2. For the Hamburger Recipe: Preheat grill to medium heat. Use your hands to mix the first 8 ingredients in a bowl. Gently fold in the feta cheese.
3. Divide the meat mixture into 6 equal portions, then shape it into 1 inch thick ovals. Brush patties with olive oil and salt and pepper.
4. Grill the patties for 10 minutes, carefully flipping once. Place the patties inside pitas and stuff with cucumbers, tomatoes, and mint leaves. Top with yogurt sauce.

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