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Smoking Chimney

Recipes from a working kitchen · Cape Town

Ostrich Hamburger

By Marna Ross Updated 12 August 2026 4.48 from 33 ratings American
This delicious ostrich hamburger, is a creation of my own which I invented while working at my last job. The owners wanted to have a lovely ostrich burger on the menu, so I took time to combine a few lovely ingredients to make a spectacular ostrich hamburger. The ostrich patties I make from scratch too, and my husband absolutely love burger nights. He still think, after each time, that I make the best ostrich patties ever. The secret ingredient I would say that absolutely make this recipe stand out is the dark opal basil. I must agree that if I were to be given a few hamburgers, blind folded, taste each hamburger and tell which one is mine, I would for sure taste mine out of a million hamburgers. The dark opal basil, together with the ground coriander and chutney just gives it a distinct lovely flavour. At home we usually buy a packet monkey gland sauce - I am very much for home-made sauces but this particular “packet” monkey gland sauce is just the best supermarket sauce if you don’t have time. If you do have time, you can make the tzatziki sauce, it is great with it too! I sincerely hope this would become your Friday evening meal or your weekend spoil!Enjoy this with a light strawberry mousse as dessert.Try this Zinfandel Rosé as the pefect wine companion to pair with the Ostrich hamburger.
A lean and healthy gourmet ostrich hamburger stacked with fresh salad on a bun.
Prep 20 min
Cook 20 min
Total 40 min
Serves 6

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Ingredients

Ostrich Patties

  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • ½ green pepper, finely chopped
  • 500 g ostrich mince - Woolworths stock these
  • 3 Tablespoons chutney
  • 1 Tablespoon ground coriander
  • 6-7 tablespoons crumbs(or more)
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • a handful chopped parsley
  • 3 hand full chopped dark, opal basil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • a few turns of black pepper corns grinder

Assembling

  • 6 good quality, fresh buns, each cut in half and buttered
  • 6 portions of lettuce to cover the 6 buns
  • 6 Tablespoos onion marmalade onions (see my recipe) or balsamic onions- 1 Tablespoon per person
  • 6 slices tomatoes - 1 per person, seasoned with salt and pepper
  • 6 cheese slabs or grated cheese - 1 per person
  • 6 ostrich patty fried - 1 per person
  • 12 slices streaky bacon, crispy fried - 2 per person
  • 3 avocados, sliced - ½ per person
  • tzatziki sauce(½ cup grated cucumber, mixed with 4 tablespoons double cream Greek yogurt,½ - 1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped, added to the yogurt, seasoned with salt and pepper and a dash op lemon juice)
  • a long skewer to add in the middle of the stacked hamburger to keep it together, with a piece of cucumber and cherry tomato onto the top to be a garnish as well - per person
  • balsamic glaze to decorate the plate
  • chippies if you want to serve some on the side

Method

Ostrich Patty

  1. Combine the onions and green pepper together and mix well

  2. Add the ostrich mince and mix well

  3. Add the coriander, chutney, crumbs, egg, the parsley and opal basil and mix well together

  4. Add the salt and grated black pepper

  5. weigh the patty seize you want- 150 g/200 g or 250 g and form a ball

  6. Press it down and take a large cup or ramekin to make a round circle

  7. TIP: At this step it is important to see that the patty is firm

  8. Sometimes it is not firm enough and then once you start to fry it, it will break

  9. If you see it is not firm enough, add more crumbs to the mixture

  10. This will prevent it from breaking while frying them

  11. Fry in a pan on low heat until cooked, but this will go quick

  12. Do not over-fry the patty - it will become tough and dry

Assembling

  1. Butter the buns

  2. Add the lettuce and cover the buns

  3. Layer each burger with a spoonful or 2 onion marmalade or balsamic onions

  4. Add the seasoned tomato slices

  5. Layer with the cheese

  6. Layer with the ostrich patty

  7. Add the avocado slices

  8. IF DOING WITH THE TZATSIKI SAUCE: Add the 2 slices of bacon and last add the tzatziki sauce on top

  9. Add the other half of the bun on top TO GARNISH: Add the skewer through the middle with the cherry tomato and cucumber stick on top

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