Minced lamb is a versatile ingredient used in many types of cuisine. One of our favourite recipes for minced lamb is spicy lamb burgers, which we serve with chilli and tomato sauce.
We were first inspired to make spicy lamb burgers because we enjoyed the flavours of lamb koftas so much but wanted to do something different. So, we devised a new burger recipe that has become a family favourite. A tomato and chilli sauce is the perfect accompaniment, as it adds heat, moisture, acidity, and richness to the dish.
As we have taken inspiration from koftas, we serve the burgers on flatbreads, rather than the traditional brioche buns. However, you can choose to serve the spicy lamb burgers on the bread of your choice or even serve them without bread if you prefer.
Our burgers are an easy-to-make, budget-friendly, and crowd-pleasing option that you can make for a weekday meal, a treat in front of the TV at the weekends, or an option to cook on the barbecue for friends. Here is our recipe for spicy lamb burgers.
Spicy Lamb Burgers & Chilli Sauce: Easy Recipe
Course: Recipes with MeatCuisine: Middle Eastern8
servings15
minutes30
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An easy recipe for Middle Eastern-inspired spicy lamb burgers served with tomato and chilli sauce, flatbreads, crunchy onion rings, and fresh slaw.
Ingredients for the Spicy Lamb Burgers
1 kg minced lamb
4 fresh chillies, finely diced
4 cloves of garlic
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander seed
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Ingredients for the Chilli and Tomato Sauce
1 can chopped tomatoes
2 fresh chillies, finely chopped
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions: How to Make Spicy Lamb Burgers with Chilli and Tomato Sauce
- Get started on the sauce first so it can simmer, develop flavour, and reduce while you make the spicy lamb burgers.
- Put the olive oil into a medium-sized pan over medium heat on the hob.
- Add the fresh chillies and crushed garlic and cook for two minutes.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, oregano, sugar, dried chilli flakes, salt, and pepper to the pan and stir.
- Reduce the hob to low heat and simmer the sauce for 20 minutes.
- When the sauce is ready, leave it chunky, mash it to a thick consistency, or blend to a thick puree.
- While the sauce is cooking, get started on the spicy lamb burgers.
- Put all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and use your hands to combine the ingredients thoroughly.
- Dive the mixture into eight equal balls, then press down to create patties (see additional tips).
- Add the olive oil to a large frying pan and put over medium-high heat on the hob. You may need two frying pans to give you enough room to cook the spicy lamb burgers evenly and to ensure the burgers brown properly rather than boiling in their own juices. If so, you will need additional olive oil to create decent coverage of the pan bases.
- Add the lamb patties to the frying pans and cook for approximately five minutes or until there is a golden brown crust.
- Flip the burger patties and cook for another five minutes on the other side.
- When the spicy lamb burgers are cooked, they will have a nice brown coating and feel firm to the touch.
- Serve the spicy lamb burgers onto a bun/ barmcake/ flatbread or straight onto the plate, then top with a spoonful of the tomato and chilli sauce.
Additional Tips
- If you are not a fan of lamb, you can use pork or beef mince instead.
- You can make the patties simply by creating balls and pressing them down with your hand. However, you can use a mould or pattie maker for an even shape.
- Experiment with the spice levels to suit your own tastes by adding more or less garlic, chillies, dried chilli flakes, cumin, and coriander.
- The sugar in the sauce takes away some bitterness and acidity from the canned tomatoes. If you are watching your sugar intake, you can omit this ingredient from the recipe.
- An alternative to frying is to bake the burgers in the oven to reduce your fat intake. It means you will not need olive oil for frying. If you put a rack into the baking tray, the excess fat from the spicy lamb burgers will drip into the bottom of the tray.
How to Serve the Spicy Lamb Burgers with Chilli and Tomato Sauce
We like to serve our spicy lamb burgers and chilli sauce with fresh salad and homemade slaw. Sometimes, we add beer-battered onion rings for some delicious and satisfying crunch (as pictured). However, you can serve it with fries, sweet potato fries, or any other accompaniment of your choice. A swirl of mayonnaise will add some creaminess to complement the acidity and heat from the tomato and chilli sauce.
Feel free to make your own adaptations to the recipe to suit your tastes. It is a recipe that is easy to adapt with the addition or subtraction of herbs and spices.
Have you tried our spicy lamb burgers with chilli and tomato sauce? Let us know what you think in the comments below.