Best American Gyro Burgers With Tahini Sauce Recipes

SHAWARMA BURGERS WITH TAHINI-YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Gather your ingredients.
• For the sauce: Peel a clove of garlic with a crack of knife against the heel of your hand. In a small bowl, whisk up yogurt, tahini, the juice of 1 lemon and cumin. Then grate the garlic into the sauce with a zester or paste it with a knife (add a fat pinch of salt). Whisk sauce again.
• For the burgers: Preheat a cast-iron skillet or heavy griddle or frying pan over medium to medium-high heat.
• Place ground lamb or chicken in a mixing bowl. Season the meat with salt and pepper, cumin, coriander, paprika, sumac if using, turmeric, cardamom, crushed red pepper, allspice and nutmeg. Crack 2 cloves garlic and grate them into the bowl or finely chop. Peel the onion and grate about 3 tablespoons of it into the bowl. Finley chop the mint and parsley then add them to the lamb. Combine all the ingredients and mound up. Score meat into 4 equal portions and form 4 patties, thinner at the center for even cooking.
• To prepare the burgers, add EVOO, 1 slow turn of the pan, to skillet (a thin layer to just glaze the surface). Add patties and cook about 7 minutes for lamb, a minute or two longer for chicken, turning occasionally. If cooking lamb, press down with spatula when you turn the patties -- lean ground lamb tends to tighten as it cooks more so than other ground meats.
• When you remove the patties they can be served as such but for a more authentic facsimile of shawarma, we rest the patties and very thinly slice them on a bias. Regardless, while the burgers cook, prepare your toppings of choice.
• Assemble burgers: bun bottoms, sauce, patty or thinly sliced shawarma, lettuce, hot cherry peppers, cucumbers, herb leaves, dressed fennel and onions, bun top. OR split a pita and fill with giardiniera and Israeli pickles.
• Poke with a couple of toothpicks and split burgers down the middle. Serve burgers with chips.

AMERICAN GYROS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9x13-inch baking dish. Line with parchment paper that extends up the sides. Turn the parchment paper over so the oiled side is up.
• Place ground lamb and beef in a mixing bowl. Add onions, garlic, rosemary, oregano, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and bread crumbs. Mix until well combined. Transfer to prepared baking dish and press the meat mixture firmly into the dish in an even layer that extends to the edges. Meat mixture should be packed and fairly dense.
• Bake in preheated oven until nicely browned, 40 to 45 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Cool to room temperature. Transfer to a plate. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, 1 to 2 hours.
• Transfer meat to a cutting board. Cut into 3 pieces crosswise. Slice each piece into 1/8-inch thick slices as you need them.
• Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook slices until browned, about 2 minutes per side.

FALAFEL SPICED TURKEY BURGER

Steps:

• For the patties: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, coriander, cumin and cinnamon and cook until fragrant, another minute. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, combine the egg and breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Add the turkey, spread it out, and sprinkle it evenly with 3/4 teaspoon salt, a few turns of black pepper, the crushed red pepper, cilantro and the slightly cooled onion mixture and use your hands to mix to combine. Do not overmix. Form into 4 balls, then flatten the balls into patties (make the patties bigger in diameter than you ultimately want them since they'll shrink while cooking-about 4 inches is good. If you're forming these in advance, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook.
• Heat a large skillet with a thin layer of olive oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle both sides of the patties with salt and pepper and cook until browned and the patties have an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, about 5 minutes on each side.
• For the tahini yogurt sauce: Stir together the yogurt, tahini, garlic, lemon zest and juice in a bowl until smooth and spreadable. Stir in the mint and season with salt and pepper and hot sauce, if using.
• For serving: Toast the buns in the skillet used for the patties, adding a little more olive oil as needed, until they get lightly browned and crisp around the edges. Assemble the burgers with a slathering of tahini yogurt sauce, a little pile of onions, a leaf of romaine and a couple of torn fresh mint leaves. Enjoy!

GYRO BURGERS WITH TZATZIKI SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, mint, vinegar, salt and pepper in a small container. Cover and refrigerate.
• Combine beef, oregano, feta cheese, onion powder, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl. Form into 4 patties.
• Grill patties on each side until desired doneness is reached.
• Grill pitas for a minute or two on each side to warm.
• Assemble sandwiches - open pitas, add burger, a dollop of sauce, and any of the sliced vegetables listed above for garnish. Enjoy!