Greek-Style Smash Burgers
The viral smash burger taco trend is getting a mediterranean makeover with these Greek-style Smash Burgers that taste like your favorite gyro! The meat is a perfectly spiced mixture of ground beef and lamb and pressed into a pita before being cooked until golden brown and crispy.Top it with some marinated sumac onions, tomatoes, lettuce and a quick garlic yogurt sauce for a really easy and fresh summer dinner!
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Makes: 6 burgers
Video
Ingredients
Meat Mixture
- 3/4 lb ground sirloin
- 3/4 lb ground lamb
- 1/4 red onion, very finely minced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup minced parsley
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 1/2 tablespoons zaatar, plus more for sprinkling
- 2 teaspoons sumac
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Garlic Yogurt Sauce
- 1/2 cup full-fat greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Sandwiches
- 6 - 6” pita flatbreads
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon sumac
- 2 cups shredded lettuce
- 2 oz crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Make the meat mixture. In a large bowl, mix the ground lamb, sirloin, lemon zest, garlic, minced red onion, parsley, spices, salt and pepper together. Use your hands to mix everything together until it’s well combined and then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 48.
- Make the white sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon zest, garlic, and cumin and season with salt and pepper. Whisk in just enough water to make it drizzle-able and then refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. You can store this in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Marinate the onions. An hour before you plan to cook, mix the thinly sliced red onion with the lemon juice, parsley, olive oil, and sumac and season with salt and pepper. Toss the onion well to coat and let them sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Press the meat into the pita. Divide the meat mixture into 4 oz portions and roll each portion into a ball. Press the meat in an even layer on the flatter side of the pita so that it extends to the edges. Sprinkle the meat with more za’atar.
- Cook the smash burgers. Preheat a large griddle or skillet over medium heat for at least 5 minutes. Drizzle a small amount of oil into the pan and press the pita into the skillet, meat side down. Cook for 4-5 minutes, pressing down occasionally, until the lamb is browned and crispy. Remove the lamb pitas from the griddle, wipe out any excess oil, and return them to the pan lamb side up to toast the pita for 1 minute.
- Assemble. Transfer the lamb pitas to a serving platter and top as desired with the sumac onions, garlic yogurt sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, and feta.
Nutrition
Serving: 1pitaCalories: 497kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 27gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 781mgPotassium: 435mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 10IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 103mgIron: 3mg
