BBQ Lamb Burgers with Fiery Chilli Halloumi

Super simple to make and transport to your venue, these BBQ lamb & chilli halloumi burgers are packed full of meaty flavour, fire and texture. In collaboration with Try Lamb.

BBQ lamb burgers with fiery chilli halloumi 

If I was a burger, I reckon this is the kind of burger I would be: fiery, smokey, meaty and with a whole lot of awesomeness hidden inside that takes a little time to discover. Layers. We’re all about the layers. 

This burger encompasses all my favourite flavours: the earthy flavour of lamb, the rich, slightly smokey flavour of cumin seeds, toasted just until they start to pop and then finely ground in a mortar and pestle, the cooling zing of fresh mint leaves and the fiery kick of chilli-infused olive oil. Then there’s the mouth-watering deliciousness of the squeaky, salty halloumi cheese. 

Pair this burger with the feeling of the sun beating down on you on a fine summer’s day with barely a breath of wind and the endorphin high that comes with physical exertion and you’ve got the formula for all of the happy.

Knee-deep in the North Sea – World Music Day 

If my mind had a soundtrack these days, the album Knee-deep in the North Sea by the Portico Quartet would be it. Their perfect combination of jazz, world and minimalist influences echo the quirky, abstract path my mind and lifestyle follow. 

I sit in my rocking chair in the morning, in my little seaside cottage, watching the sparkle of the morning sunlight glint off the waves as I sip my coffee. If each of those little points of shimmering light I see could make a sound, they would sound like the first notes of Zavodovski Island with the larger, undulating waves echoing the bass notes.

World Music Day, on June 21, originated in France in 1982. This annual, global, midsummer event consists of a series of free music events, often bringing music out onto the street… or sea.

This year, for World Music Day, I have created a barbecue lamb burger recipe, perfect for packing into a rucksack or dry bag and, if you fancy, taking on a kayaking adventure. 

You’ll need…

• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 500 grams lamb mince
• 50 grams bread crumbs
• 2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
• 1 small handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
• a small handful fresh mint, finely chopped
• a small handful fresh oregano, finely chopped
• 1 small free-range egg
• salt and pepper, to taste
• chilli-infused olive oil, to serve
• burger buns or flatbreads, tomatoes and salad, to serve

And this is how you make them…

1. Heat sunflower oil in a saute pan over medium-low heat and saute the onions and garlic until they begin to soften. About five minutes. Don’t let them brown. Cool slightly.
2. Add the onions to the lamb mince along with the bread crumbs, cumin and fresh herbs.
3. Add the egg and season well with salt and pepper.
4. Using your hands, mix well and shape into four thick lamb burgers.
5. Brush each burger and halloumi slice with a little oil. Fry the burgers for 8-10 minutes on each side, until the meat juices run clear, and the halloumi until it’s browned.
6. Assemble burgers as desired, finishing with the halloumi drizzled with chilli-infused olive oil.

Tips for making BBQ lamb burgers

• prep everything in advance so you’re good to go on-site
• invest in a digital meat thermometer – this takes the guesswork out of bbq’ing! You’re looking for an internal temperature of 71  °C and then you can get scoffing!
• don’t press down on your burgers with a spatula while cooking – you want to reserve all those delicious meaty juices
• bring your grill pan/barbecue to high heat before you put the burgers on
• only flip the burgers once during cooking
• leave the burgers to rest for a few minutes before serving 

Sea kayaking in Shetland

As we started easing out of the pandemic lockdown here in Scotland, many of us began to rejoice at the fact we were, once again, allowed back out onto the water. 

Kayaks have been loaded numerous times over the last couple of weeks with fuel for adventuring, at a social distance, of course. 

It was the first of these trips when I found myself sitting in a kayak in a flat calm sea, arctic terns flying overhead, puffins bobbing about in the water around me, wispy tendrils of cloud floating in an azure blue sky that I realised… Shetland isn’t that bad of a place to be locked down at all. In fact, it’s paradise. 

And there’s good food too.

The Try Lamb, Love Lamb Campaign

Lamb is an incredibly delicious and versatile ingredient. It’s easy to grow, too, thriving in European pastures.

The Try Lamb, Love Lamb Campaign was created to showcase the ease and versatility with which lamb could be incorporated into family meals. I and a team of other foodies have been regularly sharing lamb recipes with our followers, in collaboration with Try Lamb, in hopes that we will help inspire you to give lamb a try. Trust me, you’ll love it!

You can find out more about lamb by visiting the Try Lamb website.

Other BBQ Lamb Recipes You Might Like

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BBQ Lamb Leg Steaks with Harissa and Mint

A quick and easy BBQ lamb dish. Serve with a giant toasted couscous salad for delicious al fresco dining!

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This is a sponsored recipe post in collaboration with Try Lamb, although all thoughts and opinions expressed are our own. Thank you for supporting the brands who make it possible for me to do what I love: stand knee-deep in the north sea and eat good food.  Filming & photograph of Elizabeth in the sea by Southspear Media.