Moroccan-Style Lamb Burgers (or Meatballs… or Whatever You Fancy!)

loiskaranina
3 days ago
2 min read

A plate of rice topped with minced meat, green leaves, and chilli peppers, with a fork and spoon. Sauce in a dish in the background. — Say goodbye to boring mid-week meals

If there’s one recipe I come back to again and again, it’s these Moroccan-style lamb burgers. They’re fragrant, juicy, and packed with warming spices — the kind of meal that makes the kitchen smell incredible before you’ve even taken your first bite.

What I love most about this recipe is how versatile it is. Some days I shape the mixture into thick, juicy patties. Other times I roll it into meatballs and tuck a little cube of feta into the centre for a creamy, salty surprise. And when I’m in full meal-prep mode, I batch cook the whole lot and reheat it with heaps of green leafy veg for easy, satisfying lunches.

However you shape it, this recipe always delivers.

Ingredients

For the lamb mixture:

500g minced lamb
A handful of fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
A handful of fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garam masala
2 tsp sweet smoked paprika

For the harissa yogurt sauce:

3 heaped tbsp Greek yogurt
½–1 tsp harissa paste (depending on how much heat you like)
Juice of ½ lemon

Moroccan Lamb Recipe

1. Make the lamb mixture

In a large bowl, combine the minced lamb, chopped mint, chopped coriander, ground cumin, garam masala and sweet smoked paprika. Season well with salt and pepper.

Mix everything together thoroughly using your hands — this helps evenly distribute the herbs and spices throughout the meat.

2. Choose your adventure

For burgers: Shape into patties and chill for 15–20 minutes to firm up. Fry in a lightly oiled pan over medium heat for around 4–5 minutes per side, or until cooked through and nicely caramelised on the outside.

For feta-stuffed meatballs: Take a small portion of the mixture, flatten it in your hand, place a small cube of feta in the centre, and seal the lamb around it before rolling into a ball.

You can:

Fry them in a pan until golden and cooked through, or
Oven bake at 180°C (fan) for about 18–22 minutes.

The feta melts slightly inside, creating the most delicious creamy middle.

For meal prep: Brown the lamb mixture (as patties or meatballs), then store in the fridge. When reheating, toss into a pan with loads of green leafy vegetables — spinach, kale, or chard work beautifully — and warm through. Add a spoonful of sauce at the end for creaminess.

Chopped green onions, coriander, and mint on a wooden board, with a turquoise bowl of red and brown spices. Bright and fresh kitchen scene.

The Harissa Yogurt Sauce

Simply mix the Greek yogurt with the harissa paste and lemon juice. Taste and adjust — more harissa for heat, more lemon for brightness.

The cool, tangy yogurt balances the warm spices of the lamb perfectly and brings everything together.

How to Serve

Stuffed into flatbreads with crunchy salad
With couscous or herby rice
Keto-style: Over a big bowl of greens for a lighter option
Or simply as-is, dipped generously into the harissa yogurt

This is one of those recipes that adapts to whatever you need it to be — quick midweek dinner, weekend sharing platter, or grab-and-go lunch.

Fragrant from the cumin and garam masala, smoky from the paprika, fresh from the herbs, and lifted by that creamy, spicy sauce… it’s bold, comforting and endlessly flexible.

Let me know how you make yours — burgers, meatballs, or something entirely different?

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