Moroccan-Spiced Burgers with Harissa Mayo

It’s well known that I’m a harissa fiend.
I have a love affair with the North African fiery paste and I love putting it on…well, everything.
Spaghetti, chicken, potato salad, you name it.
So it was only a matter of time before I would put it inside a burger to create a — in my humble opinion — memorable meal.

If I have any complaint about regular burgers, it’s that it’s usually all about the toppings and sauce but the burgers themselves tend to be plain.
Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy quite a bit a regular burger with cheese and bacon but it’s also nice to add flavor to the ground beef itself.
And I know all too well that people often complain that once you start mixing things into the burger you may end up having a mini meatloaf on your hands.
First off, I don’t mind at all a mini meatloaf but I also don’t fully agree on the premise. Seasoning the beef doesn’t create a meatloaf, it adds flavor and excitement.

So I took harissa paste, then added some cumin and thyme along with garlic, salt, and pepper. The result was a burger so well flavored inside and out.
The harissa with the cumin, thyme, and garlic give an exotic flair to this succulent, smoky, tangy, and spicy burger.
The sauce is a delectable mix of mayonnaise and more harissa.
Served on grilled buns with sauteed onions, tomato, salad, and pickles.
What’s there not to love?

Moroccan-Spiced Burgers with Harissa Mayo                                                                          Print this recipe!

Ingredients
Serves 4

1 lb / 453 gr ground beef (I used 93%)
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons harissa paste (make your own harissa with this recipe), divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon thyme
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 medium onion, sliced ¼-inch thick rounds
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 rolls (I used GF rolls)
¼ cup mayonnaise (make your own mayonnaise with this recipe)

Tomato, salad, and pickles

Directions

In a large bowl combine the ground chuck, salt, black pepper, 1 tablespoon of harissa, cumin, thyme, and garlic powder.
With dampened hands shape into 4 oval patties. Set aside.
In another bowl, toss the onion slices with the olive and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Heat a grill pan (or an outdoor grill) over medium heat (if you don't own a grill pan, you can use a regular skillet). Add onions and cook for 10 minutes, until tender, turning once.
Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
Grill the burgers over high heat, turning once, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Grill the rolls until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes.
In the meantime, mix the mayonnaise with the remaining tablespoon of harissa, and season with salt and pepper.
To assemble the burgers, slice the pita bread into two. Spread the harissa mayo on the pita bread, top with the patties, onions, tomato, and salad.
Close the sandwiches and serve!

Nutrition facts

One burger (roll and toppings included) yields 431 calories, 24 grams of fat, 26 grams of carbs, and 28 grams of protein.