Seasoned Lamb Burgers stuffed in a pita along with homemade Tzatziki, feta cheese, lettuce, and red onions for a filling lunch or dinner. This recipe originally published July 11, 2012.
Who knew it would be so hard to find ground lamb in my small town? I love lamb but I can't get it at very many restaurants around town. There are one or two that have delicious lamb chops but I didn't think I was ready to try that yet. So far I've only worked with leg of lamb and ground lamb.
Usually I can find lamb around Easter so I stock up and freeze as much as I can. This Easter I didn't do that so I was stuck trying to find it in the store during the summer months. Luckily I did find one store that carries it and says that it is now a regular item that they order in.
Several years ago I was unable to get it at any time other than Easter so I had asked the butcher at Martin's if they would order me some. I was assured at the meat counter they would and it would be in on Tuesday. On Tuesday morning I stopped on my way to work and there was no ground lamb. This went on for 4 weeks with me asking the meat counter every week to please order me some ground lamb.
On the fifth week when I walked into the meat department I asked yet again if they had any ground lamb. The man looked at me and asked if I was the lady that kept coming in and asking for it. I told him that I was and he led me over to where there were three package of ground lamb. He handed me one but I quickly told him I wanted all three since it was so difficult to find it here. He looked surprised but handed the packages over.
This is the same store that now carries it as a regular item. Don't think I haven't been checking to make sure but in the last 4 weeks I've bought ground lamb twice and it's been there both times so I think they're telling me the truth.
I bought the lamb to make Lamb Pitas from Cook's Illustrated. As usual they didn't disappoint. Both Frank and I thought the lamb pitas were delicious. The lamb patties were moist and packed with flavor. The feta cheese added a nice bite to the pitas. The Tzatziki sauce was cool and flavorful and paired perfectly with the lamb pitas.
This is a recipe that I've been making every few months for the last 8 years so you know it's a keeper!
Lamb Pita Sandwiches with Tzatziki Sauce
Ingredients
For Tzatziki Sauce:
- 1 c. plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
- 1 t. salt
- ½ t. black pepper
- 1 T. lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 t. fresh dill, chopped
- 1 t. oregano
For the lamb patties:
- 4 (8 inch) pitas
- ½ small onion, chopped
- 1 T. lemon juice
- 1 t. salt
- ½ t. black pepper
- ½ t. dried oregano
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lb. ground lamb
Toppings:
- 2 c. shredded iceberg lettuce
- 4 oz. crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
Instructions
1. In a small bowl combine the cucumber, salt, and lemon juice. Put in a strainer over top of a bowl and let sit for 30 minutes.
2. Discard the liquid from the cucumbers, then in a small bowl combine the Greek yogurt, cucumber mixture, garlic, black pepper, dill, and oregano. Mix well and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
3. Cut off the top quarter of each pita. Tear one of the quarters into 1 inch pieces and place in a food processor. Add the onion, lemon juice, salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic to the pita in the food processor. Pule until a smooth paste forms.
4. Put the onion mixture into a large bowl. Add the ground lamb and mix until well combined. Form the ground lamb mixture into 4 or 5 log shaped patties that will fit inside the pitas.
5. In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Add in the ground lamb patties and cook for 4-5 minutes per side. When the patties are cooked through remove from the pan to a paper towel on a plate.
6. To assemble put ¼ cup of Tzatziki sauce in each pita followed by a lamb patty. Top with lettuce, feta cheese, and red onion.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated
Ashley Marie Lecker
This sounds delicious! I love gyros and this reminds me of those flavors. I love anything with tzatziki sauce!
Amy (Savory Moments)
We don't eat lamb much, but always enjoy it when we do. These look delicious!
Karen
Lucky for me we have lots of middle eastern grocers here, but I too don't understand why "regular" grocery stores don't carry much of it! I've actually ground it myself! Your sandwich sounds delish.
Lisa Kerhin
I love how easy this is to make! It's been forever since I've had lamb burgers
Ellen
I had a college friend whose family owned a Greek restaurant. He would make something similar. I can't wait to try this.
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Ahhh, one of my favorite foods. I have made it with "real" lamb and ground lamb and they are both so good. Your version looks awesome!