Spiced Lamb Patties And Couscous With Apricots - Weekend Dinner

Spiced lamb patties and couscous with apricots. A whole meal that you will love to make over and over how easy and savory this dish is. 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.

Spiced Lamb Patties and Couscous With ApricotsPhoto byGiangi's Kitchen - Giangi Townsend

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

Spiced Lamb Patties and Couscous with ApricotsPhoto byGiangi's Kitchen - Giangi Townsend

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 vibrant 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 concentrated or strained by eliminating the whey and other liquids from regular yogurt.

Greek yogurt has 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.

Spiced Lamb Patties and Couscous with ApricotsPhoto byGiangi's Kitchen - Giangi Townsend

Cooking Tips

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 with 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.

Spiced Lamb Patties and Couscous with ApricotsPhoto byGiangi's Kitchen - Giangi Townsend

Ingredients needed to make this Spiced Lamb Patties and Couscous with Apricots

My Spiced Lamb Patties and Couscous with Apricots is published on GiangisKitchen.com

I only recommend the products that I love and use. This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

• ½ cup dried apricots cut into small chunks
• 1½ cup fine couscous
• 2 cups sodium-free chicken broth
• salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1½ pound ground lamb
• 6 tablespoons Greek yogurt
• 3 large garlic cloves, mashed to a paste with a pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• Black pepper
• 3 tablespoons light olive oil
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped mint
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine 4 tablespoons of yogurt, 1 ½ tablespoons of mint, salt and pepper, and lemon juice. Set aside.
2. Combine the chicken broth, apricots, salt, and ¼ teaspoon of cumin in a large saucepan. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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 and slightly pink on the inside remove and place on a cooling rack.
5. Fluff the couscous with a fork. Mix the remaining oil, and season with salt and pepper.
6. Divide the couscous and patties among 4 plates. Add a dollop of the minted yogurt on the side and garnish with the remaining mint.

If you enjoy this dish, check out these flavorful recipes:

Mushrooms and Herbs Salad

Seared Salmon with Peas, Potatoes, and Mint

Turkey Sausage Boulettes – or Patties

Do you like this recipe?

~ I invite you to visit Giangiskitchen.com for the complete printable recipe and tips for my Spiced Lamb Patties and Couscous with Apricots.

~ Subscribe to my Newsletter and get my free weekly menu, recipes, and grocery list.

~ New to cooking and need help getting started? Giangi's Kitchen Back To Basics - Cooking 101 eBook is what you need to achieve all your cooking dreams.

~ Come and cook along with me on Giangi's Kitchen YouTube channel.

Meet Chef Giangi

Spiced Lamb Patties and Couscous with ApricotsPhoto byGiangi's Kitchen - Giangi Townsend

I am a passionate cook, recipe developer, author, and food photographer with nearly 14 years of food blogging experience. Inspired by my French and Italian heritage, I work with other foreign and domestic chefs and have had countless discussions with chefs at famous restaurants globally. I enjoy sharing these creative culinary delights in simple, straightforward, easy-to-understand recipes.

I only recommend the products that I love and use. This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.