Stuffed Greek Lamb Burgers
Food and Drink

Reprinted with permission from Weeknight Smoking on Your Traeger and Other Pellet Grills by Adam McKenzie, Page Street Publishing Co. 2021. photo credit: Ken Goodman

Stuffed Greek Lamb Burgers

"We like using a bun, but you could definitely use a pita pocket to go with your favorite Greek-inspired toppings, like homemade tzatziki sauce, cucumber and tomato salad, or olive tapenade."

Adam McKenzie
Cook time: 10 minutes Serves: 4

 

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

½ cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons dried Greek oregano

1½ pounds ground lamb

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 lemon, zest only

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

kosher salt for seasoning

freshly ground black pepper

½ cup plain Greek yogurt

¼ cup grated cucumber

½ lemon, juice only

cooking oil

4 brioche buns

 

for possible toppings and sides:

lettuce

tomatoes

red onions

cucumber

Kalamata olives

Preheat your pellet grill to 450°F. Place a cast-iron griddle in the grill to heat up.

In a small bowl, combine the feta cheese, cheddar cheese and oregano, and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the lamb, mint, parsley, lemon zest, garlic and olive oil. Using your hands or a burger press, form the lamb mixture into eight even, thin patties about ¼-inch thick.

Assemble the stuffed burgers by placing 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture in the center of a prepared patty. Top with a second prepared patty. Press down firmly on the burger stack, and pinch around the edges to seal the two patties together, or return the stuffed patties to your burger press, if using, to make the shape and seal uniformly. Season both sides of the burger with salt and pepper. This makes one burger.

Repeat with the other patties to make four burgers. Set aside while you make the tzatziki sauce and allow the grill to finish preheating. You can also make the patties ahead of time and refrigerate them until ready to use.

To make the tzatziki sauce, in a small bowl, combine the yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice and a pinch of salt.

Lightly oil the preheated cast-iron griddle and cook the burgers for 3–5 minutes per side until the internal temperature reaches 145°F. Transfer the burgers to a plate and tent loosely with foil.

Lightly warm the buns in the grill while the burgers rest.

Assemble the burgers by topping each bun bottom with a dollop of tzatziki sauce, a patty, another dollop of sauce, lettuce, and any other toppings you’d like. We like to serve these with a quick salad of tomatoes, red onions, chopped cucumber and a bunch of Kalamata olives.