Greek Lamb Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce

Mix up your cookout with this easy summer recipe. Grilled lamb burgers with homemade tzatziki cucumber sauce will impress your guests.

By
Sabrina Modelle
Sabrina Modelle
Sabrina has been a professional recipe developer for ten years and has been published in magazines and newspapers from California to Tel Aviv.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated May 29, 2022
Greek Lamb Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce
Sabrina Modelle

Up your burger game and be the hero of your next barbecue with Greek lamb burgers and homemade tzatziki!

Assembling the Best Homemade Lamb Burger

I season these lamb burgers with some of Greece's most-loved flavors – like garlic, dried lemon peel, and oregano – before grilling them up and serving them on toasted buns.

I like to set out a little buffet of Greek-inspired toppings near the grill for everyone to help themselves. Some of my favorites are fresh tomatoes, lettuce, feta, red onion, and of course, that tzatziki.

Greek Lamb Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce
Sabrina Modelle

You can make your tzatziki up to three days in advance. I like to pre-salt and drain my cucumbers for a few hours or as long as overnight. If you’re pressed for time, you can salt the cucumber, let it drain for just 10 minutes, and then use a tea towel to press out as much moisture as you can.

Can I Use Other Meat for These Burgers?

If you’re wary of lamb because you find it too gamy and strong-tasting, I recommend trying lamb from New Zealand. It has a clean, grassy flavor and stays nice and juicy after cooking.

And If you’re really unsure about lamb, you try mixing it with some ground beef — up to half of the total weight of the meat in this recipe.

Lamb burgers may not be the most popular burger in the US, but this recipe might very well convince you that it should be!

5 Sides for Lamb Burgers

Tzatziki

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Greek Lamb Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce

Prep Time 60 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 70 mins
Servings 4 burgers
Yield 4 burgers

Recipe can be doubled or tripled to serve larger crowds.

Look for dried lemon peel in the spice section of your grocery store, or order it online. Skip it if you can’t easily find it.

You will likely have some leftover tzatziki sauce after making this recipe. It will keep refrigerated for about a week, and it can be used on sandwiches or as a dip with pita chips

Ingredients

For the tzatziki:

  • 1 English cucumber, thinly sliced

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

  • 2 cups plain Greek yogurt (full fat is best here)

  • 1/3 cup lightly packed chopped fresh herbs (I used equal amounts of mint, parsley, and dill)

  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

  • 3 cloves chopped garlic

For the lamb burgers:

  • 1 tablespoon dried onion granules

  • 1 tablespoon dried garlic granules or powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon dried lemon peel, optional

  • 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 1/2 pounds ground lamb (or a combination of beef and lamb)

  • 4 burger buns

To serve:

  • Sliced tomatoes

  • Lettuce

  • Crumbled feta

  • Red onion

  • Tzatziki sauce

Method

  1. Make the tzatziki:

    Salt the cucumber slices with about 1/2 teaspoon salt and place in a sieve over a bowl to drain. Refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 24 hours, occasionally turning cucumbers. (If you need to prepare the tzatziki right away, salt the cucumbers for just 10 minutes, then squeeze out excess moisture with a clean tea towel.)

    In a large bowl, mix cucumbers, yogurt, herbs, vinegar, and garlic. Stir to combine. Taste and season with salt if needed.

    This step can be done up to 3 days before serving.

    Sabrina Modelle
    Greek Lamb Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce
    Sabrina Modelle
    Greek Lamb Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce
    Sabrina Modelle
  2. Combine spices:

    Whisk together the dried onion, dried garlic, dried lemon peel, dried oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.

  3. Shape the lamb burgers:

    Sprinkle the ground lamb with 2 teaspoons of the spice mix and gently work it into the meat with your finger tips or a spatula; try not to over-mix the meat or compact it too much as you work in the spices.

    Turn the seasoned meat out on a work surface and form into four (6 ounce) patties. Press a shallow dimple in the center of each patty to help the patties cook evenly and prevent them from forming domes in the middle.

    Sabrina Modelle
  4. Season and rest the burgers:

    Sprinkle additional seasoning onto both sides of the patties. Rest on counter for 20 to 30 minutes to allow burgers to come to room temperature.

  5. Meanwhile, prepare your grill:

    If you have a gas grill, preheat at high temperature for at least 10 minutes with the lid closed. For charcoal grills, fill a grill chimney with charcoal and light it. When the coals are hot (they should be covered with a layer of fine gray ash) empty the coals into the grill. Set the grate in place and cover the grill. Heat for 5 minutes.

  6. Grill the burgers:

    When your grill is ready, lightly brush the grates with oil. Add the burgers and close the grill. Cook the burgers to your desired doneness, flipping halfway through cooking. (Cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side for medium rare, or to 145°F.)

    Greek Lamb Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce
    Sabrina Modelle
  7. Finish and serve:

    Rest your lamb burgers for 3 minutes while you toast the buns on the grill. Then serve immediately with tzatziki sauce and other toppings.

Greek Lamb Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce
Sabrina Modelle
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
797 Calories
39g Fat
47g Carbs
63g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 797
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 39g 50%
Saturated Fat 16g 79%
Cholesterol 178mg 59%
Sodium 797mg 35%
Total Carbohydrate 47g 17%
Dietary Fiber 5g 18%
Total Sugars 15g
Protein 63g
Vitamin C 29mg 143%
Calcium 368mg 28%
Iron 6mg 36%
Potassium 1423mg 30%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.