Our recipe for Low FODMAP Lamb Burgers with Tahini Sauce and Feta Herb Salad shows you how delicious a burger can be without beef or a bun! This lamb burger gets its Mediterranean flavor from lots of fresh herbs – a combo of oregano, mint, dill and parsley – as well as feta, cumin, and of course, the star of the show, juicy ground lamb. Tahini is low FODMAP in portions of 2 Australian tablespoons (30 g) according to Monash University. The tahini gets extended with water and lemon juice, in addition to Garlic-Infused Oil, so you get to use enough of it as the perfect condiment for our lamb burger.
Tahini & FODMAPs
Tahini is a sauce made from ground sesame seeds. It can be made from raw sesame seeds or toasted sesame seed; make sure what you buy is fresh as it can turn and go rancid due to the high oil content of the sesame seeds. I like roasted and used it here.
When shopping for tahini the label should just say sesame seeds! There is typically nothing else added. The oils can separate during storage and float to the top, so be sure to stir everything in jar together well before measuring.
A little but in hummus or a roasted eggplant dip is classic and delicious. Here it is used to make a simple garlicky sauce (using garlic-infused oil, of course) that is also very bright with the inclusion of lemon juice.
The Tahini Sauce component down below makes about 1 cup (240 ml), by the way. The ½ cup (112 g) tahini in this sauce is equal to 8 tablespoons of tahini, which means your finished sauce must be divvied up into 4 servings in order to be low FODMAP. This means your serving size can be a generous ¼ cup (60 ml) of Tahini Sauce per person.
Fresh Herbs vs. Dried Herbs
We have many containers of dried herbs and spices in our Test Kitchen and we reach for them often. But sometimes fresh is needed to create the flavor, look and texture that we are going for and this recipe is a perfect example. For our Low FODMAP Lamb Burgers with Tahini Sauce, fresh is best.
Yes, I know there are several different herbs called for here. I happened to develop this recipe when I had plenty at my disposal as you can see. This is on the deck right outside the Test Kitchen.
If you do not have economic access to all of these herbs, here is what I suggest: you could use dried dill and oregano (you will have to go by taste and instinct) but please try to have fresh parsley and mint.
And if you have to leave the mint out, you can, but you will be missing a fantastic flavor component.
How To Make Low FODMAP Lamb Burgers with Tahini Sauce
Make the Tahini Sauce first, whisking those ingredients together. Before you add salt the sauce will taste quite flat and one-note. Don’t be shy with the salt; the sauce comes alive.
For the Lamb Burgers simply combine those ingredients together in a bowl and they are best brought together with your hands. Mix them all well, but do not over-work the meat, which would lead to heavy burgers.
Divide the lamb mixture into quarters and form patties. Use your thumb to make an indentation in the middle of each burger. This will keep the burger from puffing into a ball when cooking; it will retain its burger shape much better.
When you cook them, you can cook them to your desired level of doneness. I like my lamb a bit pink.
Meanwhile make the salad by tossing those ingredients together in a clean bowl. You can dress the salad very lightly with Red Wine Vinaigrette or leave salad plain. I actually like it just fine without. Divide the salad onto 4 plates.
When the burgers are done, place a burger on top of each salad mound, drizzle each with about ¼ cup (60 ml) of Tahini Sauce and you are ready to eat.
For a different take on lamb burgers, try our low FODMAP one with a Tzatziki Sauce!
Want more quick and easy dinners? Check out our article, Easy Peasy Dinner and Dessert: 20 One-Pan, One Bowl Low FODMAP Recipes for Busy Nights.
Low FODMAP Lamb Burgers with Tahini Sauce
Our recipe for Low FODMAP Lamb Burgers with Tahini Sauce and Feta Herb Salad shows you how delicious a burger can be without beef or a bun! This lamb burger gets its Mediterranean flavor from lots of fresh herbs – a combo of oregano, mint, dill and parsley – as well as feta, cumin, and of course, the star of the show, juicy ground lamb. Tahini is low FODMAP in small portions of 2 Australian tablespoons (30 g) according to Monash University. The tahini gets extended with water and lemon juice, in addition to Garlic-Infused Oil, so you get to use enough of it as the perfect condiment for our lamb burger.
Ingredients:
Tahini Sauce:
- ½ cup (112 g) tahini
- ¼ cup (60 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons Garlic-Infused Oil, made with olive oil, or purchased equivalent
- ¼ cup to ½ cup (60 ml to 120 ml) warm water
- Kosher salt
Lamb Burger:
- 1- pound (455 g) ground lamb
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped scallions, green parts only
- 1 tablespoon Garlic-Infused Oil, made with olive oil, or purchased equivalent, plus extra
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat leaf parsley
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh mint
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Salad:
- 2 cups (150 g) shredded lettuce, such as Iceberg or Romaine
- 1 cup (64 g) chopped scallions, green parts only
- ½ pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 Persian cucumbers, ends trimmed and discarded, sliced thinly crosswise
- ½ red bell pepper, cored and cut into strips
- 1/3 cup (12 g) finely chopped flat leaf parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 2- ounce (55 g) feta, crumbled
- A few black or green olives; optional
- Red Wine Vinaigrette; optional
Preparation:
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For the Tahini Sauce: Whisk together the tahini, lemon juice and oil and add enough warm water to make a flowable sauce. Taste and season well with salt; set aside. (After use, refrigerate any extra in an airtight container for up to a week. Re-stir before using).
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For the Lamb Burgers: In a mixing bowl, combine the lamb, scallions, 1 tablespoon oil, parsley, mint, oregano and cumin with a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. Use hands or a wooden spoon to combine well and form into 4 patties. Make an indentation in the middle of each patty. Heat a nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add a little of the extra oil just to coat the bottom and add burgers. Cook until charred on the outside and almost halfway cooked through, flip over and cook second side. Cook to your desired level of doneness.
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Meanwhile make the Salad: Simply toss the lettuce together with the scallions, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper, parsley, dill and feta – and olives if using. Dress very lightly with Red Wine Vinaigrette or leave salad plain. Divide salad onto 4 plates.
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When burgers are done, place a burger on top of each mound of salad, drizzle each with ¼ cup (60 ml) of Tahini Sauce and serve immediately.
Notes:
Tips
FODMAP Information
Our recipes are based on Monash University and FODMAP Friendly science.
- Cucumbers: Both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly have lab tested cucumbers. FODMAP Friendly gives them a “Pass” at ½ cup (64 g).Monash states that no FODMAPs were detected upon lab testing and set a serving size at ½ cup (75 g).
- Garlic-Infused Oil: Make your own Garlic-Infused Oil or buy a commercial equivalent for the easiest way to add garlic flavor to your food. Fructans in garlic are not oil-soluble, so garlic-infused oil is low FODMAP.
- Lemon Juice: Monash University has lab tested lemon juice and it is low FODMAP in ½ cup (125 g) amounts.
- Lettuce: Iceberg lettuce has been lab tested by Monash and FODMAP Friendly and both recommend a generous low FODMAP serving size of 1 cup (75 g), as it only contains trace amounts of FODMAPs (according to Monash).
- Lettuce: Romaine lettuce, has been lab tested by both Monash and FODMAP Friendly. Also labeled as cos lettuce on the Monash app, their lab tested determined a generous low FODMAP serving size of 2 cups (75 g). FODMAP Friendly gives it a “Pass” at 1 cup (75 g).
- Red Bell Peppers: Red bell peppers have been lab tested by Monash University and have shown no detectable FODMAPs. FODMAP Friendly has lab tested red bell peppers and states that 1 small pepper at 75 g is low FODMAP.
- Scallions: The green parts of scallions are low FODMAP as determined by Monash University lab testing and can be used to add onion flavor to your low FODMAP cooking.
- Tomatoes: Both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly have lab tested common, beefsteak tomatoes. Monash University lab tests have shown no FODMAPs. FODMAP Friendly gives them a “Pass” at ½ cup (75 g) portions. Cherry tomatoes and Plum (Roma) tomatoes have also been tested by Monash and FODMAP Friendly. Both Monash and FODMAP Friendly recommend 75 g of cherry tomatoes as a serving (about 5 or ½ cup) and 75 g of plum or Roma tomatoes, which is about 1 small tomato or ½ cup.
Please always refer to the Monash University & FODMAP Friendly smartphone apps for the most up-to-date lab tested information. As always, your tolerance is what counts; please eat accordingly. The ultimate goal of the low FODMAP diet is to eat as broadly as possible, without triggering symptoms, for the healthiest microbiome.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. For a more detailed explanation, please read our article Understanding The Nutrition Panel Within Our Recipes.
We loved this dish! I really enjoyed the lamb burgers w/tzatziki recipe but my father didn’t care for the tzatziki sauce. I tried this recipe and it was a WIN! I like my tahini sauce more garlicky and a bit zestier so I added one teaspoon of FreeFod brand garlic replacer and another 1/4 cup lemon juice. Since you have cautioned us in the past about keeping in mind our total FODMAP load when making substitutions, I only had 1 tablespoon of the tahini sauce. I am not sure how the total FODMAP load was affected by my substitutions and didn’t want to risk getting sick. My family members do not have such worries and loved the tahini sauce on these lamb burgers and on the salad as well. I continue to be so, so grateful for these wonderful recipes and access to not only your considerable breadth of knowledge but also your emotional support as I adjust to this new way of eating/cooking!
What a happy and detailed report! You did the perfect thing with the tahini – of course as you progress into Challenge and when you are stable you can try more for yourself and see how you do. Love hearing about the whole family:)