Turkish Lamb Pita Burgers

I love these little burgers. Love, love, love them! I recently bought a rather large bag of bulgur and have been looking for ways to incorporate this nutritious, delicious grain into our meals. This recipe is super healthy and tastes decadent!

Don’t let the long ingredient list scare you, just give yourself a head start and prep ahead; weekends are the days I like to spend a little extra time creating dinner for my family.

Turkish Lamb Pita Burgers

Courtesy of eatingwell.com

Serves 6

1/3 cup bulgur

1 cup boiling water

2 tsp whole coriander seeds

2 tsp whole cumin seeds

¾ cup nonfat plain yogurt, preferably Greek

¼ cup finely chopped scallion greens

¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided

2 tbsp chopped fresh mint

1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano

1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp sugar

1½ tsp freshly ground pepper, divided

2 cups diced tomato

½ cup finely chopped red onion

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

12 oz ground lamb

4 ounces 93%-lean ground turkey

1 cup finely chopped yellow onion

1 large egg

2 tbsp chopped garlic

½ tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground allspice

Pinch of ground cinnamon

6 whole-wheat pita breads, warmed

Combine bulgur and water in a small bowl; let stand until the water is absorbed and the bulgur is tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain any excess liquid.

Meanwhile, heat coriander and cumin seeds in a small skillet over medium heat until they begin to pop and are fragrant and lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Scrape into a small bowl to cool, then crush in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder.

Combine 2 teaspoons of the spice mixture with yogurt, scallion greens, 2 tablespoons parsley, mint, oregano, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar and ½ teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Combine tomato, red onion and oil in another small bowl.

Preheat broiler. Coat a broiler pan with cooking spray.

Place the reserved bulgur, the remaining spice mixture, the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley and the remaining 1 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Add lamb, turkey, yellow onion, egg, garlic, cayenne, salt, allspice and cinnamon. Gently combine, without overmixing, until evenly incorporated. Form into 12 equal balls, then form each into an oval patty about ½-inch thick.

Place the patties on the prepared broiler pan. Broil, turning once, until browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 165°, 8 to 10 minutes total.

Slice open the warmed pita breads. Fill with 2 burgers, about 1/3 cup tomato mixture and 2 generous tablespoons yogurt sauce each.

                    

Make Ahead Tip: Store the toasted spices (Step 2) in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Cover and refrigerate the yogurt sauce (Step 3) for up to 3 days.

For a printable version of this recipe, please click here.