Lamb Burgers with Minty Green Goddess Mayo

What's your ultimate mint pairing? For me it is a toss up between mint chocolate and lamb & mint. Completely different flavor profiles, both delicious and both minty! These spicy lamb burgers with minty green goddess mayo are so packed with flavor. Indian spiced lamb burgers topped with minty green goddess mayo and balsamic onions. I know it seems like a lot of work but its actually a pretty easy dinner and completely worth it!

The Burger

Using ground lamb (which I find in my local supermarket, but you can also try a local butcher) had always been intimating for me. I think lamb in general was a bit of an unknown territory for me. But I decided to play around with the flavors I knew. For me that was homemade chicken burgers and Green and Smoky Chicken Meatballs and lamb kebabs. (Looking for a meat-free alternative? I would reach for a plant based burger option for this recipe?

Using a similar flavor profile, I used generous amounts of garam masala, garlic and ginger to season these lamb burgers. All of these seasonings are spicy, strong and earthy, which pair nicely with lamb.

The other trick is to use a warming spice like cinnamon, allspice or clove for lamb. In this recipe I use cinnamon. Cinnamon and lamb though they sound like an unusual pairing is actually quite traditional, especially in Middle Eastern preparations of the meat. It was used as a marination spice due to its preserving properties but the strong flavor of cinnamon is also the perfect match for the similarly strong flavor of lamb.

This combination of spices actually turned out so amazing with the lamb burgers! But what's a burger without toppings??

Minty Green Goddess Mayo

This minty green goddess mayo is the perfect pairing with lamb burgers. Its simple but has just the right amount of earthiness, spicy, freshness to compliment the lamb. I used scallions to provide a mild onion flavor, but instead of raw scallions, I charred them slightly to sweeten them. This charring step makes a big difference in the flavor of this green goddess.

Of course the main flavor is the fresh mint! I intentionally decided not to include it in the lamb patty itself because I was afraid of cooking the mint and losing the flavor. In the green goddess mayo, you just need a few leaves of fresh mint to get the flavor of mint. Remember be careful of overdoing it with the fresh mint - you do not want toothpaste flavored mayo!

Balsamic Red Onions

The last component for this burger is the balsamic red onions. Try not to skip out on these! You need topping for your burgers right? If you're slicing onions for your burgers, just take the extra few minutes and saute them in balsamic vinegar. It completely changes the flavor of the onions by making them sweet and tangy and caramelized! But also the sweet tangy onions with the spiced lamb burgers and minty creamy green goddess is out of this world! Try it!