Feta Lamb Burgers & Lemon Mint Aioli

These Feta Lamb Burgers are so juicy and tender! The lamb pairs nicely with feta and this easy lemon, garlic, mint aioli. Done in 20 minutes.

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Easy dinners in less than 30 minutes make us all very happy. Especially if they taste like this burger.

One thing that sets this burger apart from others is the aioli. If you’ve never made aioli (basically mayonnaise) before, you really should.

It takes less than 5 minutes and is healthier and tastier than any store bought mayonnaise without all the extra ingredients that you can’t even pronounce. You really only need egg yolks, olive oil and a bit of salt to make basic aioli.

What you need for aioli

• egg yolks – if you use brown eggs the aioli will be more yellow than white eggs, just like the yolks.
• extra virgin olive oil – use a good quality oil.
• salt
• lemon -fresh lemon is best
• garlic – pasting the garlic really improves the texture and flavor of the aioli
• mint – use fresh mint leaves only.

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How to make lemon, garlic mint aioli

1. Mince garlic very fine. Add a pinch of coarse salt.
2. Smash the minced garlic and salt with the side of your knife to make a paste.
3. Separate the eggs, you will only need the yolks. Freeze the egg whites for another application. They are great used in omelets, souffle’, macaroons, haselnussmakronen and a host of other treats.
4. Combine the garlic, salt, lemon juice and egg yolks. Stream in good quality extra virgin olive oil until the mixture emulsifies and becomes nice and thick.
5. Add the chopped mint and just combine.
6. Refrigerate to let the flavors combine.

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What you need for burgers

• ground lamb
• onion
• garlic
• kosher salt or sea salt
• black pepper – freshly ground is best
• feta
• brie
• Kaiser rolls or hamburger buns or pita breads

How to make lamb burgers

8. Grate onion with microplane over a large bowl with the lamb. 9. All of the juices from the onion flavor the meat. 10. Grate garlic the same way. 11. Add salt and pepper. 12. Mix well. 13. Form burger patties. With your thumb, make an indentation on one side of burger in the center. (Place that side down on pan or grill first.) Spray with cooking spray for grill. Add oil to pan if doing them on stovetop. 14. Cook on first side until browned. Flip. (about 5 minutes for medium rare)

Cook on second side until done to your liking. (We cook to about 140°F, / 60°C. USDA recommends 160°F/ 70°C) Let burgers rest for 5 minutes (covered).

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Why you should try these burgers

• taste. They have amazing flavors that compliment each other perfectly.
• ease. These burgers and aioli take less than 30 minutes to get on the table, so they’re perfect for a quick dinner.
• healthy. Lamb is relatively lean. It has lots of selenium and iron and is a good source in Omega-3 fats.
• customizable. If there is anything you are not fond of in this recipe, it is perfectly acceptable to substitute another flavor. See suggestions below.

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Pro tips for delicious lamb burgers

• Lamb is very lean, like venison. It is best to cook it medium rare. 140 °F / 60°C. Medium at the most. 150°F / 65°C. The 160°F/ 70°C that USDA recommends will produce a dry burger. If you cook them to that temperature make sure you add more aioli.
• If you grind your own lamb, it may make you feel better than buying packaged lamb. The reason ground meats should be cooked to higher temperatures is because of the extra handling it takes to make them, Therefore, there is more risk of contamination.
• Be sure to make an indentation on one side of the burger with your thumb. This will stop the burger from ballooning in the center and will ensure even cooking. Place the indentation side down first when cooking.
• Add an alternative melty cheese for presentation purposes.

Substitutions for ingredients

• If you are cooking for a group, feel free to substitute ground turkey, ground bison, ground venison or ground beef.
• Don’t like feta cheese? Substitute cheddar, jack cheese or a fresh farmer’s cheese, like queso fresco.
• Red, yellow, white onion or shallots will all work great.
• If you don’t have fresh garlic you could use dried but I’d recommend fresh.

How to top them

Use your favorite fresh or sautéed vegetables to top these burgers.

• spinach
• lettuce
• arugula
• red onion
• fresh tomato slices
• fresh or sautéed peppers
• sautéed mushrooms
• additional cheese

These are amazing burgers. Don’t miss our Youtube video How to make Lamb and Feta Burgers

Side dishes to serve

• healthy tortilla chips
• beet chips
• green salad
• Southwestern salad
• tomato cucumber salad

Other lamb recipes

• loin roast
• loin chops
• meatballs
• shanks

Tools I use for this recipe

• food processor
• gas grill / smoker
• extra large bamboo cutting board

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Please ask any questions or share your comments in the comments section below. We’d love to hear from you.

I hope you enjoyed the recipe today.

Enjoy. And have fun cooking!

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Originally published 5/25/2018. Updated 6/1/2021.

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