Fig & Feta Lamb Burgers with Brioche Buns
Juicy lamb burgers bursting with fresh flavors from sweet red onion, fresh dill and lemon zest, perfectly caramelized and sticky from sweet fig jam and salty feta cheese!
These are perfect for the grill, but I also love them seared on a cast iron skillet! The cheese and fig caramelizes excellently on the hot pan creating a delightful, slightly crispy outer crust.
The fig jam also works as a binder to bring all of those delicious ingredients together with the ground lamb, but I also add 1 egg yolk as well to keep the feta from falling out of the patty.
I enjoyed these on a simple, homemade Brioche roll, the recipe for the rolls is included below as well 🙂 This recipe makes 4 rolls, but can be easily doubled to serve a larger group.
Fig & Feta Lamb Burgers
Ingredients
For the Lamb Burgers:
- 1 lb ground lamb
- 1-2 sprigs fresh dill finely chopped
- ½ red onion finely chopped
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp pepper
- 1 cup feta cheese
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp fig jam
- 1 egg yolk
For the Brioche Rolls: (makes 4)
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tsp dry active yeast
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 egg
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1½ cup all purpose flour + more while mixing
- 1 egg yolk + 1 tsp water for egg wash
Instructions
For the Lamb Burgers:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 lb of ground lamb, 2 tsp salt, 2 tsp pepper, 1-2 sprigs of finely chopped dill, ½ finely chopped red onion, zest of 1 lemon, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 cup feta cheese, 2 tbsp of fig jam and 1 egg yolk.
- Stir to combine, I recommend mixing with your hands for best ingredient incorporation. Separate the mixture into 4 large sections, rolling each one into a ball and lightly flatten them to form burger patties.
- For the grill: Heat to medium-high (about 400–450°F). Place patties on the grill & cook for 4-6 minutes each side (depending on thickness). Flip only once for best texture. Let burgers rest for 2–3 minutes before serving. **Medium-rare: 130–135°F, Medium: 140–145°F, Well-done: 160°F
- For cast iron cooking: Heat over medium-high until hot (a drop of water should sizzle). Add 2 tbsp of butter and allow it to froth over the pan to prevent sticking. Place patties in the skillet and cook for 4-6 minutes each side, flipping only once. Allow to rest a few minutes before serving. **Internal temp the same as grilling
For the Brioche Buns:
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine ½ cup of milk with 2 tbsp of butter, stir until just scalding (lightly foaming on the sides but NOT boiling).
- Transfer milk and butter mixture to a large mixing bowl. Allow to cool 1 minute before adding 2 tsp of yeast to ensure it does not burn the yeast, it should feel warm but not hot to the touch. Add 1 tbsp of honey, stir into yeast mixture and let stand for 5-10 minutes until foamy.
- Add flour, salt and egg, begin stirring by hand or with your stand mixer using the dough hook. Add flour 1 tbsp at a time until dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl, dough will still be sticky to the touch. Continue mixing with dough hook for 2-3 minutes until dough ball is smooth.
- Oil a mixing bowl and set dough in bowl, cover with plastic wrap and tuck in a warm, dry place to rise until double in size (1 hour). I turn the oven light on and set it in there to rise.
- Once risen, transfer to a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 equal pieces, form into the shape of a ball, pinching the dough to seal, and covering with plastic wrap once more to rise an additional 30 minutes. The rolls will have doubled in size, if not bigger.
- Mix 1 egg yolk with 1 tsp water and gently brush each bun with egg wash. Bake at 357℉ for 16-19 minutes, until golden brown
