Tunisian Merguez-Spiced Lamb Burger with Coconut-Harissa Sauce

About This Recipe

Merguez, the fiery, cumin-and-harissa spiced lamb sausage, is one of Tunisia's most recognizable culinary exports, now common at grills and markets across France and the wider Mediterranean thanks to North African immigration. This burger takes that same merguez spice blend — harissa, cumin, coriander, garlic and a touch of fennel — and works it directly into a ground lamb patty rather than stuffing it into a sausage casing, topped with a coconut-harissa sauce that isn't traditional but adds a creamy, modern contrast to the spice. Mixing the harissa and spices directly into the raw ground lamb, rather than just seasoning the outside, is what gives the patty its deep merguez flavor all the way through rather than just on the surface. A quick pickle of red onion in vinegar and sugar cuts through the richness of the lamb, echoing the sharp, acidic pickles and relishes often served alongside grilled meats in Tunisia. The coconut-harissa sauce, stirred together from coconut milk, harissa and a squeeze of lime, is a modern condiment rather than a heritage one, but it plays well against the patty's real North African spicing.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 700 gground lamb
• 1.5 tbspharissa paste
• 1.5 tspground cumin
• 1 tspground coriander
• 0.5 tspfennel seeds(crushed)
• 2 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 0.5red onion(thinly sliced, for pickling)
• 3 tbspwhite vinegar
• 1 tspsugar
• 0.33 cupcoconut milk
• 1.5 tbspharissa paste(for the sauce)
• 1lime(juiced)
• 4burger buns
• 1 cuparugula

Instructions

1. 1

   Pickle the onion

   Toss sliced red onion with vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt. Let sit at least 15 minutes.

2. 2

   Mix the merguez patties

   Combine ground lamb, harissa, cumin, coriander, crushed fennel seeds, garlic and salt. Mix gently and shape into 4 patties.

3. 3

   Make the coconut-harissa sauce

   Whisk coconut milk, harissa and lime juice together until smooth. Set aside; it will thicken slightly as it sits.

4. 4

   Cook the patties

   Grill or pan-sear the patties over medium-high heat, 3-4 minutes per side, until well charred outside and cooked to your preferred doneness.

5. 5

   Assemble

   Spread the coconut-harissa sauce on the buns, add arugula, the patty and pickled onion, then close with the top bun.

Variations

• •

  Traditional sausage format: shape the same seasoned lamb mixture into logs and grill as merguez sausages instead of patties.

• •

  Beef blend: mix half ground beef with half lamb for a slightly milder, less gamey burger.

• •

  Extra heat: add an extra tablespoon of harissa to the patty mix for those who want more fire.

Storage

Refrigerate cooked patties, pickled onion and sauce separately up to 3 days. Reheat patties gently in a skillet; assemble fresh for the best texture.

Frequently Asked Questions