Lamb Burgers with Lemon Garlic Aioli

I am a burger girl! A hot date for me is going to a new place where Craig and I try out the biggest, baddest, burger in the joint and then critique it and decide if it is worth coming back for. We have had some amazing, unique and BIG burgers. Some are very creative with their toppings or sauces and many are downright delicious. However, many times as I am eating, I am also thinking that I could easily do this at home and it would be cheaper AND better!

Burgers aren’t just beef! My Lamb Burgers with Lemon Garlic Aioli are amazingly tasty and so packed with flavor!

I typically don’t discriminate when it comes to burgers. While beef burgers are the frontrunner in popularity, I have had various mixtures of beef, pork, chicken, bison, lamb or turkey, which were wonderful too. Recently, one of my good friends, Sharon, who raises her own meat, had quite a big of extra organic, ground, lamb at her butcher and wondered if I would be interested in it. Uh YES and YES! All I could think about was Lamb Burgers with Lemon Garlic Aioli for dinner tonight!

I headed out to her butcher 45 minutes away. This is a mom and pop company, a 3-person run shop, owned by the same people for 50 years. You enter the shop by a red door in the alley and the butcher shop is small and unremarkable. However, the butcher was super friendly and offered to let me peruse the meat locker where they had the big ol’ hanging stuff and I was all in! I may have mentioned to you that I wanted to be a butcher when I was a kid, so I LOVE this kind of stuff!

I know some people think lamb is too, “lamby” and what they really mean is gamey or earthy tasting. If you are concerned about this, try New Zealand lamb, it is known to be mild or you can even try 50% beef mixed with 50% lamb. I found this organic lamb to be perfect! It was fresh, delicious and not gamey at all. The whole way home from the butcher shop, I was brainstorming my burger creation and came up with Lamb Burgers with Lemon Garlic Aioli and knew this is what I wanted. I opted to mix my ground lamb with salt, pepper, and lots of Feta cheese. I shaped these into patties and then threw them on the grill.

Lamb Burgers with Lemon Garlic Aioli for the win! These have moved to the top of my all-time favorite burger!

When you BBQ Lamb Burgers, you want to make sure you oil the grill to prevent sticking. Lamb is known to have less marbling, so it is apt to stick. Cook the burgers until they are beginning to firm and very slightly pink in the middle., typically about 5 minutes per side.

To build my perfect Lamb Burger with Lemon Garlic Aioli, I chose a medium soft bun and smeared my homemade lemony/garlic aioli on both upper and lower bun. You have to put this aioli on your Lamb Burger, this is a vital component, a nonnegotiable, don’t leave it off!! It is super flavorful and amazingly fresh tasting, PERFECT on lamb. I sliced a ripe tomato, thinly sliced red onion and topped that with peppery arugula.

When I create recipes, there is that moment when we take that first bite in hopes that it is as good in our mouths as I imagined it was in my head. When Craig and I bite into one of creations and then we both immediately stop chewing and just look at each other, wide eyed, with an “Are you kidding me?” look, I know I have a winner. This was a stunner!! An absolutely, fantastic burger that we had to have again, like 2 days later! I am already thinking about when we can have it again! I served this with homemade Rosemary Sweet Potato Fries, lots of napkins and a big smile! Give this a try, you will LOVE these Lamb Burgers with Lemony Garlic Aioli. Enjoy Friends!

What are your favorite Lamb Burger toppings?