Cypriot beef burgers
A succulent, juicy beef burger featuring favourite Cypriot spices and a topping of tzatziki and marinated red onions. An explosion of flavour and a must for anyone who loves the flavours of authentic gyros, soutzouk and kebabs.
Ingredients
Serves: 4
- 100g peeled, seeded and grated cucumber
- 450g plain yoghurt
- 2 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sumac
- 450g beef mince
- 1 small onion, minced
- 1 1/4 teaspoons dried red chilli flakes
- 1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon Urfa biber
- 15g butter, softened
- 1/2 red pepper, chopped
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 burger buns
Method
Prep:1hr ›
Cook:10min ›
Ready in:1hr10min
- Place the grated cucumber on a tea towel or piece of kitchen paper. Top with another towel, and pat dry; set aside. Scoop the yoghurt into a large piece of muslin or cheesecloth, twist the ends to close, and squeeze to remove excess moisture.
- Transfer the strained yoghurt to a bowl, and stir in 2 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice. Gradually add 1 tablespoon olive oil, whisking constantly, until fully incorporated. Mix in the garlic, dill and cucumber; cover and chill in the fridge till needed. (Can be made a day in advance.)
- Combine the red onion, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and sumac. Cover and chill in the fridge.
- Place the beef mince in a bowl and add the minced onion, chilli flakes, coriander, cumin, Urfa biber and butter. Mix gently with your hands until all of the ingredients are well distributed.
- Place red pepper in blender and blend until it is mostly pureed. Pour off any excess liquid, and add the red pepper puree and salt to the mince; mix well. Divide the mince into 4 equal portions and form into burgers slightly larger than the buns, as the burgers will shrink a bit when cooked.
- Preheat the barbecue for high heat, and lightly oil the grate.
- Brush the burgers with 2 tablespoons olive oil and BBQ on high and direct heat for about 5 minutes per side, or until done to your liking.
- Place each burger on a bun; top the burgers with cucumber and yogurt tzatziki and the red onion and sumac mixture.
Ingredients
Sumac and Urfa biber, a dried Turkish chilli, are available in Turkish or Middle Eastern markets, or online.
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Reviews & ratings
Average global rating:
(11)
Reviews in English (7)
I use all recipes for all my recipes and I have never written a review. That's how good these are. I shaped these into logs and used a whole wheat low carb wrap along with the sauce and some tomatoes and onions. Could not find Urfa biber so used a little less than the called for amount of chili powder. My husband said that he could eat these every night for the rest of the summer. Awesome! - 14 Aug 2011 (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)
Very Tastey! I did make a few changes. Used sour cream instead of yogurt and did not have the spices of sumac or coriander so did without and they were still great. Served with tomatoe slices on them. My Husband ate two because they were so good. Will make again for sure! - 27 Jul 2011 (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)
Really great burgers. I used about 1½ cups of Greek yogurt and skipped the straining step. The urfa biber was wonderful; it has a smoky, almost chocolatey flavor. I didn't need a whole red onion; next time I'll just eyeball how much I think I’ll need for four burgers. I will make these again! - 06 May 2012 (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)