Harissa Lamb Burger with Pistachio Pesto, Tahini Mayo and Pickled Onions

These Middle Eastern inspired lamb burgers are juicy, delicious and full of complex flavours. If you don’t have baharat or za'atar, then use a teaspoon of cumin, ½ teaspoon of each cardamon and cinnamon instead. Cook lamb patties to the rare or medium-rare so they will remain moist. Burger patties, pickled onions, pesto and mayo can be made the day before and kept covered in the fridge.

Lamb Burger	Pickled Red Onions
500 g Lamb mince 50 g Dried apricots, finely chopped 1 tbsp Harissa 2/3 tbsp Baharat or za'atar Sea salt and freshly milled black pepper Tallow for cooking 4 Burger buns Handful salad leaves Extra chopped pistachios	1 Red onion, thinly sliced 240 ml Apple cider vinegar 30 g Raw sugar 2 tsp Sea salt 1 tsp Wholegrain mustard
Tahini Mayonnaise	Pesto
100 g Mayonnaise 1 tbsp Tahini	50 g Pistachios, toasted 30 g Parmesan, grated 1 Large garlic clove 10 g Mint, leaves picked 70 ml Extra virgin olive oil

For the pickled onions, peel and slice the onion and set aside. Add the vinegar, sugar, salt and mustard to a clean glass jar, screw on the lid and shake well to dissolve the sugar and salt. Add the sliced onions and give it a good mix. Chill for at least an hour before using. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
For the burgers, put the lamb mince in a bowl with the dried apricots, harissa, baharat, salt and pepper. Mix to combine and shape into 4 patties. Transfer to a plate, cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.
For the pistachio pesto, put all ingredients in a mini food processor and blitz to a sauce, leaving a bit of texture in nuts.
Remove the burger patties from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature. Meanwhile, mix the mayonnaise and tahini together.
Heat a large frying or griddle pan over a medium heat. Melt a little tallow and fry the patties for 8-10 minutes, turning halfway, until cooked through. Remove and cover with foil while you toast the buns in the lamb fat in the pan.
Spread the burger bun bases with tahini mayo and add a few spinach leaves. Top with a burger, 1 tablespoon of pistachio pesto, sprinkles of extra chopped pistachios and some of the pickled onions. Top with the bun lid and enjoy!

14 comments:

Tom 30/7/26 15:02: ...what a tasty looking presentation.
DEZMOND 30/7/26 15:07: Cannot believe you would eat poor little lambs! The green pistachio pesto looks interesting!
eileeninmd 30/7/26 17:23: Looks like a delicious burger Angie, thanks for sharing. Take care, have a wonderful day!
Mimi Rippee 30/7/26 18:33: Another fabulous dish! I love lamb burgers, but you really included some unique ingredients! Love it all together.
Pam 30/7/26 18:45: They look and sound so flavorful & delicious.
Maminek kulinarny 30/7/26 18:51: A delicious idea!
Golden-brown, glossy buns and a rich, tasty filling guarantee a real feast.
Thanks for the useful recipe for pickled onions!
Warm regards :)
Lori 30/7/26 18:54: I love lamb burgers and we actually had them last night. I made basil pesto with pistachios over the weekend, and it is really good. Next time I will be sure and add some to the lamb burger.
Eva Taylor 30/7/26 18:56: I just love all the flavours within this burger recipe. It's definitely burger season here in Canada, our BBQ is on most nights. We used to have a French restaurant in Toronto that made the absolute best lamb burger ever! Then shortly after Covid, they sold to the CEO of a large chain and he ruined it! I was able to reach out to the chef who was there when it was authentic and she sent me the recipe! Mind you, I had to scale it down from 60 burgers (hahahaha)
Bill 30/7/26 21:04: Looks nice but I would substitute the lamb. Never liked it as a kid or now.
Brian's Home Blog 31/7/26 00:10: That really has to be seriously good!
Lowcarb team member 31/7/26 00:49: I have family members who would greatly enjoy this recipe ... I must keep it in mind!

All the best Jan
Kathylorraine 31/7/26 03:58: Sounds dellicious
Hi! I am LiLi! 31/7/26 04:57: Looks so good. I'm going to try making these recipes one of these days. Bookmarking this.
Ruby Rose and the Big Little Angels 3 31/7/26 05:03: Every part of that sounds fantastic