With the weather warming up and the beginnings of summer finally in sight, we are so, so ready for grilling season and afternoons next to the pool. Living in Arizona, everyone always thinks we enjoy summer year-round, but we swear it gets cold here too! These burgers are the perfect way to start grilling season.
We were inspired by Mediterranean flavors to spice the burgers. There is a lot of flavor packed into each patty. It may seem like a lot of spices and herbs but trust us, the combination is really delicious.
We recommend making these with ground lamb (sticking to the Mediterranean theme), but you can definitely substitute lamb with any ground meat of your choice or even a vegan substitute. As far as toppings go, we topped ours with some crumbled goat cheese, sliced onions and tomatoes. Also, we found a harissa mayo in the grocery store which went so well with these burgers, but regular mayo works too.
PS we also made the buns at home – recipe coming soon!
Mediterranean Spiced Burgers
Ingredients
Burgers
- 3 tbsp olive oil divided + extra for searing the burgers
- ½ cup yellow onions chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 lb ground meat chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, or vegan alternative
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¼ cup fresh parsley minced
- 2 tbsp dried mint
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- ¼ tsp all-spice powder
- ½ tsp cayenne powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp lemon zest
Assembly
- burger buns
- sliced onions
- sliced tomatoes
- sliced avocado
- goat cheese crumbles
- ketchup
- mustard
- mayo
Instructions
- In a small pan, heat up 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and the garlic to the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Let the onions cook and caramelize, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes.
- While the onions are cooking, in a large bowl add all of the meat (whichever you’re using), garlic powder, parsley, mint, oregano, coriander, cumin, all spice, cayenne, salt, lemon zest, and 2 tbsp of olive oil.
- Once the onions are done, add them to the bowl too. Mix until all the ingredients are just combined.
- Divide the mixture into four equal parts and use your hands to make each part into a patty about a 1/2-in thick.
- Add some olive oil to a hot skillet and place the patties on the skillet. Cook one side for 4-5 minutes and flip the burgers and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Adjust cooking times for your desired doneness. You can also grill the patties.
- Serve the burgers hot with any toppings you like.
