A whole meal that you will love to make over and over because of how easy and savory this dish is to make.
Spring is always, to me, lamb season. This year, I wanted to expand my culinary journey by making some lamb patties—something new in our kitchen and very well welcomed.
I love the earthiness of the lamb and the added spices, which are rich in flavor and savory.
Coriander and cumin are the only spices used with this dish, bringing out the best foot forward in taste.
The couscous is enhanced by the sweetness of the apricots and balanced off with the cumin.
Couscous is the perfect side dish for lamb patties. Consistent in flavor, and yet not too heavy or overpowering the flavors of your dish.
The lamb has this excellent coriander and garlic undertone, which is not overpowering and will make you return for more.
It took about 25 minutes to prepare this wonderful dish. Easy to prepare on a weeknight, even with all the bustle of life around you. A little bit of the Mediterranean in your dish
In this Article
Spiced Lamb Patties
Lamb patties are crisp, and they taste less gamey than the chop. Therefore, it plays well with strong spices such as cumin, fennel, chili flakes, coriander, garlic, cayenne, and nutmeg.
Furthermore, because of the very rich flavor, it does not need much work to enjoy them.
Mixing plain yogurt or any greek style of yogurt with the lamb, the meat is tenderized by it.
I would not recommend using regular yogurt as it will be too watery and not allow the ground lamb meat to bind well.
What is Greek Yogurt?
Greek yogurt is also known as a concentrated or strained yogurt, made by eliminating the whey and other liquids from regular yogurt.
High protein content, less added sugar and a much thicker consistency.
Greek yogurt is not and should not contain thickening agents.
Fat-free yogurt can also be substituted in this recipe.
Mint and Lamb
I love mint but never was fond of mint jelly. Somehow jelly to me is breakfast, and lamb is quite the opposite. However, the mint goes wonderfully with the lamb. It brings a freshness to the earthiness of the meat.
The lamb complemented the mint.
The mint, lemon juice, and greek yogurt combination bring to the plate a very rich in flavor sauce that has a burst of freshness with each bite.
Cooking tips and step-by-step instructions to create this excellent Spiced Lamb Patties and Couscous With Apricots
This recipe goes relatively fast once you start. My suggestion is to start with making the yogurt mint sauce before starting. This will allow time for the flavors to blend.
- Watch that the chicken stock for the couscous does not evaporate too much when coming to a full boil before you add the couscous. You do not want your couscous to be too dry and form clumps.
- When cooking the spiced lamb patties, use a skillet that has high boards and cook over medium heat. The lamb contains a lot of fat which will be released while frying them. This fat will splatter; therefore, the high-side skillet will help form making a mess around your work area.
- Place the cooked patties on a cooling wire rack to release the last bit of fat before you enjoy them.
When all your patties are ready, fluff the couscous, taste it, and season it.
Serve your beautiful dish with a bed of couscous, spiced lamb patties, and a dollop of minted yogurt.
If you enjoy this dish, check out these flavorful recipes:
Equipment and ingredients needed to prepare this dish
Spiced Lamb Patties and Couscous with Apricots
Ingredients
- ½ cup dried apricots ½ cup dried apricots cut into small chunks
- 1½ cup fine couscous 1½ cup fine couscous
- 2 cups sodium-free chicken broth 2 cups sodium-free chicken broth
- salt salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1½ pound ground lamb 1½ pound ground lamb
- 6 tablespoons Greek yogurt 6 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- 3 garlic cloves 3 large garlic cloves, mashed to a paste with a pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon coriander 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- black pepper Black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil 3 tablespoons light olive oil
- 2 tablespoons mint 2 tablespoons finely chopped mint
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine 4 tablespoons yogurt, 1 ½ tablespoons mint, salt and pepper, and lemon juice. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan, combine the chicken broth, apricots, salt, and ¼ teaspoon cumin. Bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the couscous, remove from the heat, and cover. Let it sit until all the liquid has been absorbed, timing according to packing direction.
- Meanwhile in a bowl combine the lamb, 1 tablespoon of yogurt, the garlic, coriander, and the remaining ¾ teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Mix by hand making sure you do not overmix the mixture. Shape into 8 equal patties.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the patties and cook, turning once. Once browned on the outside, slightly pink on the inside remove and place on a cooling rack.
- Fluff the couscous with a fork. Mix the remaining oil, and season with salt and pepper.
- Divide the couscous and patties among 4 plates. Add a dollop of the minted yogurt on the side and garnish with the remaining mint.
Nutrition
Giangi’s Kitchen provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as a registered dietician does not calculate them.
- Course: Beef, Veal & Lamb, Pasta, Rice & Grains, Dinners, Sunday Night Dinner
- Cuisine: International
- Occasion: Father’s Day
- Type: Under 45 minutes
Did you make this?
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Apryl Griffith
This looks delicious! My family loves lamb. The kids are going to be so excited for a new recipe! Thank you!
Giangi Townsend
The pleasure is all mine. A super easy and delcious recipe.
Enjoy!
Roma
The combination of mint & apricots with lamb is absolutely divine!
Giangi Townsend
I am so happy you enjoyed it.