Juicy Sous Vide Lamb Burgers Recipe with Rosemary and Garlic

I’ve been experimenting with new proteins in my SousVide Supreme water oven, and today I tried lamb burgers cooked sous vide. My inspiration came from J. Kenji López-Alt’s Food Lab write-up about sous vide burgers — his description of thick, juicy burgers cooked edge-to-edge medium rare convinced me to give this a go. If you love consistently cooked, juicy patties with a crisp exterior, sous viding is worth trying.

We’re talking burgers that oozed juices for nearly a minute after biting into them. Burgers that were thick, juicy, and perfectly medium rare from edge to edge with crisp brown crusts. We’re talking nearly perfect burgers here.

This was an easy, practical experiment that produced flavorful results. Below is a clear, tested approach you can follow to make sous vide lamb burgers at home.

Time to make sous vide lamb burgers!

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground lamb
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 heaping teaspoon tabil seasoning

Equipment

• Sous vide water oven or immersion circulator
• Vacuum sealer and bags (or high-quality resealable bags and water displacement method)
• Kitchen torch or very hot skillet for finishing
• Baking rack and foil-lined tray
• Paper towels

Method

Prep your equipment and set the sous vide to 137°F (58.3°C). Note: 130°F will yield a more pronounced medium-rare; 140°F will be closer to medium. I chose 137°F for a balance between a rosy interior and a slightly firmer texture.

Generously season the ground lamb with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the tabil seasoning and gently fold the mixture to distribute the seasoning evenly without overworking the meat. Divide the seasoned lamb into four equal portions and shape them into patties about ¾ to 1 inch thick.

To prevent vacuum-sealer compression, freeze the patties for about two hours until they are firm but not rock solid. Once slightly frozen, place two patties in each vacuum bag and seal them. If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, use heavy-duty resealable bags and the water displacement method to remove as much air as possible.

Submerge the sealed patties in the preheated sous vide bath for approximately two hours. The patties can be left in the water bath for as little as 45 minutes or for up to 12 hours without significant loss of texture, so there’s some flexibility depending on your schedule.

When the cooking time is up, remove the patties from their bags and pat them very dry with paper towels. Drying the surface thoroughly is essential for achieving a good external crust.

Arrange the patties on a baking rack set over a foil-lined tray. Finish the burgers with a high-heat torch held about 4–6 inches away, moving in small circular motions for an even char. If you don’t have a torch, quickly sear each side in a smoking-hot skillet to develop a deep brown crust. Aim to create a short, intense sear without cooking the interior further.

Let the patties rest for a minute, then serve. The sous vide process yields an even doneness from edge to edge and keeps the lamb exceptionally juicy. If you prefer a slightly rosier center, try lowering the sous vide temperature to 130°F next time. If you want a firmer interior, raise it toward 140°F. I’ll be testing different temps and char levels on subsequent batches.

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