Lamb burgers with feta

Delicious Greek-style grilled lamb burgers with feta topped with tzatziki, tomatoes, lettuce and red onions.

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Αρνίσια μπιφτέκια με φέτα. We love lamb. We didn’t always; its strong flavour was not consistently appreciated by our developing palates, but we came around. It is a special ingredient that we don’t have too often, but when we do we like to treat it with as much care and attention as possible.

We are always taken aback when a non-Greek assumes Greeks eat lamb more often than any other meat. We wonder if it was only in our family that lamb was a special occasion food. But then we remember that although lamb is popular in Greece, other meats such as pork, are much more so. In some areas, goat even surpasses the consumption of lamb. And then we also remember that the Mediterranean diet we were privileged to be raised on prioritizes less meat and more other stuff. Lamb, pork, goat, beef and even chicken are less frequently enjoyed than fresh fish and seafood and vegetarian recipes.

But when we do have lamb, boy do we savour it! Growing up we had lamb a few times a year. Easter was always one of those times and if you would like to read more about a big Greek Easter celebration you can check out our post here. Our parents would also cook up a nice roast lamb with potatoes for company or a special Nameday; those were always delicious gatherings. Leftovers were often used to have the best lunch which included our amazing lamb sandwich. These days we also love to grill lamb chops and rack of lamb; both of these were rarities when we were kids because they were so expensive. Today, whenever we do make this for supper we always save some for our Mama and Baba.

When you want the flavour of lamb, but don’t want to invest in an expensive cut, (or the entire animal), then ground lamb is a great option. In this recipe for lamb burgers with feta you get all the luxury of lamb in a way which is economical, incredibly quick and easy, and very delicious.

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Helpful hints

How can I keep my burgers from contracting and puffing up in the middle while they cook?

We know what you mean! You start with perfectly formed patties and end up with burgers that are domed in the middle. That’s the result of the meat contracting as it cooks…and it’s annoying. The easiest way to combat this problem is to make a small indentation in the center of your burger patty with your thumb. Problem solved!

(The circular mark you see surrounding the indentation made with our thumb is from the burger press 🙂 )

Can I omit the feta in this recipe?

The feta is optional and although we love it the burgers will be quite delicious without it as well. In fact, when we are cooking these up and only 1 or 2 people don’t want the feta we make their burgers first and then add the feta to the rest. Just be sure to keep on eye on which lamb burgers are which as you cook them.

What is the safe internal temperature for ground lamb?

We love this resource from the American Lamb website; it clearly indicates that the various temperatures you want to achieve if you want your lamb rare, medium or well done. As you can see, if you want your final temperature to be 160 degrees Fahrenheit, remove the lamb burgers from the heat at 150 degrees Fahrenheit. As the meat rests it will increase in temperature by about 10 degrees.

If you like the idea of these lamb burgers, we think you’ll also love these recipes:

Biftekia with roasted lemon potatoes

Soutzoukakia with rice

Biftekia with french fries

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Thanks for sharing!