Moroccan Kefta Burger Salad
Today we’re taking burgers to a new level with this flavorful and loaded Moroccan Kefta Burger Salad.
Hello burger season!
Summer is officially here and in my kitchen we are functioning AC free! That means lots of no bake/grill heavy recipes to keep things as cool as possible.
These Moroccan spiced burgers are best when made on the grill and make an easy and flavorful meal paired with just about anything. We’ve been enjoying them with lots of grilled veggies, fresh fruit, and of course, all up in our salads!
Moroccan kefta is essentially the equivalent of the American cheeseburger. It’s ground beef or lamb, mixed with lots of fresh cilantro, parsley, onion and Moroccan spices.
Moroccan kefta tips
While it’s near impossible to mess up your Moroccan kefta, there are a couple tips that will help ensure your Moroccan kefta burger salad packs a punch of flavor.
First off, take the time to marinate your ground beef in advance. For starters, this will result in super flavorful burgers. In addition, it means less work for you when it’s time to prep the salad.
The other trick I encourage you to pay attention to is your knife cuts and overall consistency.
Take the time to make sure your cilantro, parsley, and (especially) red onion pieces are small and consistently sliced. In addition, make sure your kefta (burgers) are consistently shaped! This way they will all have similar cook times and you will have less guess work to do over on the grill.
You don’t need to use skewers, but they do make handling the meat on the grill much easier. Here are the wooden skewers I’m using.
Favorite salad toppings
While these toppings aren’t all “traditional” Moroccan ingredients, they pair fantastically with these Moroccan spiced burgers.
Some of my favorite salad toppings:
- Moroccan tomato salad or just tomato
- Crumbled feta cheese
- Sliced cucumber
- Pickled jalapeno or pickles
- Spicy harissa sauce (or any chili sauce) mixed with yogurt and a bit of water for an easy dressing (full recipe below)
Happy cooking!
Moroccan Kefta Burger Salad
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 3–4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad, Burgers
- Method: Grilled
- Cuisine: Moroccan, Mediterranean
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
For the Kefta:
- 1 lb ground beef or lamb
- 1/2 onion, minced finely (yellow or red)
- 1 tbsp minced cilantro
- 1 tbsp minced parsley
- 1/2 tbsp cumin
- 1/2 tbsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp pepper
For the Salad:
- 1 head of butter lettuce – rinsed & dried (any kind of lettuce will work)
- 2–3 Persian cucumbers (any kind of cucumber will do)
- 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes (use whatever tomatoes you have!)
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1/2 tbsp harissa sauce (or any kind of spicy chili sauce)
Instructions
- In a bowl combine all ingredients for the kefta and mix well with your hands. Form into log shaped pieces around the skewers (if using).
- Heat your grill to medium high heat and grill the kefta for 3-4 minutes on each side. Take off the grill and let rest.
- Assemble your salad. Start with a layer of lettuce, topped with tomatoes, cucumbers, feta cheese, and your kefta. Top with dressing of your choice (I like using a spicy harissa yogurt – see notes for recipe). Enjoy!
Notes
For the harissa yogurt dressing:
Mix 1/2 cup yogurt with 1/2 tbsp spicy harissa sauce and 2 tsp olive oil.