I was so happy to finally see some non-frozen ground lamb at HEB last week! It was branded HEB “Natural” and stocked near the ground beef section. Since lamb is common in Middle Eastern and North Indian cuisines, I thought of trying these kebab-like lamb burgers.
And what goes better with a kebab than a spicy, tart, herb sauce? The mint-cilantro chutney is a refreshing and extremely versatile condiment to have on hand as it goes well with pretty much anything. You can use it as a marinade or as a sauce for any pan fried or grilled fish, shellfish, chicken, beef or lamb recipe.
Lamb Burgers
Ingredients:
- 2lb ground lamb
- 1 medium sized white onion finely chopped
- 2 tsp ginger powder
- 3 tsp all spice powder
- 2 tsp salt (to taste)
- 2 tsp sumac powder (optional. Usually available in the Mediterranean section of the International aisle)
- 1/2tsp grassfed butter
- Let the lamb sit outside the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes before you open it so it comes to room temperature. This makes it much easier to evenly combine it with the seasonings.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the lamb, onion, and seasonings. The most effective way is to combine it with your hand until it forms a homogenous mixture. If possible, let it sit outside for 15-20 minutes to let the flavors get absorbed before forming the patties. (These can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance and stored covered in the refrigerator).
- Heat your pan up to medium high temperature (I recommend using a flat, cast iron pan).
- While your pan is heating, form thin burger patties (about 1/4 of an inch thick) so that they cook through evenly.
- When the pan is ready, add the butter and swirl it around. Then, add the burger patties, making sure they don’t touch each other.
- Let them cook undisturbed for 3- 4 minutes on one side. Then flip and cook for about 2-3 minutes on the other side, until the meat is cooked through.
- Sumac is a sour, lemony, deep red colored powder that goes great with any grilled or pan fried meat. Sprinkle a little bit of this powder on the burgers and flip one more time , cooking for about 30 seconds and then serve.
Mint-Cilantro Chutney

Ingredients:
- 1 bunch mint*
- 1 bunch cilantro*
- 3/4th of a medium sized onion roughly chopped
- 1 -2 lemons (to taste, depending on their size)
- 1/2 jalapeno roughly chopped
- 1 -2 tsp salt (to taste)
- Blend all of the above ingredients in a food processor.
- Once a paste is formed, taste and adjust with any of the ingredients to your desired spice level.
*Note:
- Because of the sharp flavor of the mint, the general ratio for mint:cilantro is 1:2.
- This chutney needs to be consumed while it’s fresh since the ingredients are all raw. It can be stored in the fridge for 2-4 days.
- As a variation, you can add some tamarind for more tartness or a dash of honey to make it sweet.
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