Lamb is a favorite at our house—and also one of the more challenging meats to cook well, thanks to its higher fat content. For years, Ed would keep close watch over the grill, ever ready to rescue the chops from a sudden flare-up. But everything changed once we discovered sous vide. (And by we, I mostly mean Ed!)

If you’re not familiar with sous vide, it’s a method of cooking food ‘under vacuum’ in a water bath held at a precise temperature. The idea is beautifully simple—instead of cooking meat to reach a target temperature, you cook it at that temperature. So for example, chicken cooked sous vide goes into a 165°F water bath (versus a 350°F oven and cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F) and stays there—no guesswork. It’s a longtime trick of the trade in restaurant kitchens, and it’s a total game changer for home cooks. Meat turns out perfectly cooked every time.

I’ll admit, I resisted the idea of a sous vide immersion circulator for a while. I thought it was just another kitchen trend that would fade away. I was wrong! We started with Breville’s Joule Sous Vide and loved it so much that we upgraded to the Joule Turbo when it came out. It’s compact, easy to use, and controlled by an intuitive app.

While we’d previously made beef burgers sous vide, this was our first time trying lamb burgers—and we’re now wondering what took us so long. I started with seasoned ground lamb (though if you’re craving simplicity, salt and pepper is just fine) and formed four modestly sized burgers to ensure even cooking. After vacuum sealing, they went into the water bath at 135°F (for medium-rare). They’re ready in 45 minutes but can hang out for up to another 75 minutes without overcooking—a sous vide perk I love when timing dinner with the rest of life.

Just before serving, the burgers get a quick sear on the grill for that perfect outer crust. Meanwhile, I had plenty of time to slowly cook down red onions into a jammy balsamic topping. (Pro tip: double the onions for a future meal. You’ll thank yourself later.)

We served our lamb burgers over a bed of peppery arugula, topped with those deeply caramelized onions and a bit of crumbled French feta. But you could just as easily slide them onto small burger buns for a more traditional take. Each person got two burgers—about six ounces total after cooking—which felt just right.

These burgers are rich, flavorful, and wonderfully hands-off thanks to sous vide. They’re a perfect way to bring restaurant-level cooking to your backyard table. Whether you’re a sous vide convert or just sous vide-curious, these lamb burgers might be the push you need to give it a try. Trust me—you’ll never go back to grill-only again. 

Fear not, you can also cook these from start to finish on a grill or skillet on top of the stove.

Sous Vide Spiced Lamb Burgers

 

Sous Vide Spiced Lamb Burgers

Juicy, flavorful and foolproof
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Main Dish
Servings 2

Ingredients
  

  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
  • Zest from 1 medium lemon
  • 1 medium clove of garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon paprika also referred to as ‘sweet paprika’
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional or to taste
  • 1 pound ground lamb
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 large red onion halved and thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Serve on a bed of arugula (about 4 ounces) or with 4 small hamburger buns

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, stir mint, lemon zest, garlic, oregano, paprika, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne pepper (if using) and 1 teaspoon Kosher salt.
  • Add lamb and mix with your hands until just combined (do not overmix). Shape mixture into four equal patties (about 4 inches across and 3/4-inch thick). Transfer burgers to a vacuum sealed bag or ziplock freezer bag (remove as much air as possible).
  • Heat sous vide machine to 135°F for medium-rare. Once the water is heated, add the burgers and cook for 45 minutes. You can leave the burgers in the water bath for another 1-1/4 hours if that works better for your schedule. (That means they’re fine in the bath for 2 hours.)
  • While the lamb burgers are cooking, prepare the balsamic onions. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and add olive oil.
  • Add onions and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt. Stir occasionally until the onions begin to soften and brown a little, about 10 minutes. Don’t rush – it’s okay if it takes a bit of time.
  • Stir in the brown sugar and cook for another 3 minutes.
  • Add balsamic vinegar and stir to deglaze the pan. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer mixture for about 5 minutes until the onions are soft and jammy. Season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. It’s okay if they cool slightly before serving as they will thicken up a bit.
  • Remove the cooked burgers from the bag and pat dry with a paper towel.
  • Heat a gas grill on high and cook the patties for 1 to 2 minutes on each side.
  • Place each patty on a bed of arugula or small hamburger bun. Divide balsamic onions and crumbled feta cheese between the four burgers. Serve warm.

Notes

  • Recipe can be doubled. I recommend four lamb burgers per bag (whether vacuum seal bag or ziplock bag).
  • Adjust the temperature on the sous vide for medium (140°F) or medium well (145°F). Cook for the same amount of time (45 minutes). Since you’re going to finish these on the grill, they will cook a bit more.
  • You can finish off the sous vide burgers in a skillet on the stove if you prefer.
    Don’t have a sous vide? No worries, prepare the burgers as listed and cook them on a gas grill or in a skillet on top of the stove. Heat either a gas grill or skillet on top of the stove to medium-high and cook the burgers for 3-4 minutes per side.
Sous Vide Spiced Lamb Burgers