November 9, 2021

Spiced Lamb Pita Chips with Whipped Feta

These spiced lamb pita chips with whipped feta are set to be in your holiday menu! They are easy, quick to assemble and pack so much flavor. It starts out with a quick whipped feta filled with lemon + honey, homemade pita chips and a spiced lamb blend with onions and all my favorite spices.

This packs a punch of flavor with assembling on paprika spiced pita chips and a dollop of chili paste. Can you say YUM? I am all for holiday apps, and this may be one of my favorites right now!

THIS POST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY AMERICAN LAMB BOARD. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE SPONSORS THAT ALLOW LINDSEY EATS TO CREATE NEW RECIPES AND CONTENT. ALL IDEAS EXPRESSED ARE MY OWN.

Ingredients You Need

For your whipped feta

Feta cheese
Garlic
Lemon
Yogurt
Honey
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Ice cube

For your spiced lamb

Olive oil
Yellow onion
Cumin
Coriander
Smoked paprika
Regular paprika
Chili flakes
Ground lamb
Salt and pepper
Pita chips
Spicy paste
Parsley

Steps To Make This Recipe

Step 1

Begin to make your whipped feta. In a blender, stand mixer or food processor, whip your feta: add in feta, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, yogurt, honey, salt, pepper and 1 ice cube (this helps it get smooth!)

Mix well and whip until fully combined and creamy. Store in the fridge, covered, to set until ready to use.

Step 2

Next, make your spiced lamb. In a wok or skillet on medium high, drizzle on olive oil. Add in your diced onions and season with salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, smoked and regular paprika, as well as chili flakes. Let everything sweat out for 4-5 minutes.

Step 3

Add in your ground lamb and brown, using a spatula to break apart the lamb into tiny pieces to allow for even browning, on medium high heat. Adjust to low when browning is complete.

Once your lamb mixture is fully combined, and cooked through, and crisped, remove and set aside (around 20-25 minutes depending on desiring crispiness!)

*USDA recommends cooking ground lamb to 160 degrees.

Step 4

Optional: To make your own pita chips, take 3-4 slices of pita and slice into triangles. Season with salt, pepper and olive oil. Bake at 300 degrees for about 15-20 minutes until crunchy. Dust paprika and flakey salt when removed from the oven. Alternatively, you can just buy ready made pita chips.

Step 5

Now, time to assemble! Spread your whipped feta on your pita chip, then top with your lamb mixture, a small spoon of chili paste and finish with chopped parsley and a little bit of flakey salt. Repeat, add all your appetizers on a tray and serve.

Alternatively, you can serve this to be assembled table side. To display, keep a bowl of pita chips. On a platter, spread on your whipped feta, with all your ground lamb in the center, top with parsley and allow guests to make their own as well to dip/spread on their own chip.

FAQ’s & Tips:

Why are we using an ice cube for the whipped feta?

First, using an ice cube instead of water for example, results in a smoother and creamier dip! Second, It also helps conserve and brighten up the color. So this goes for any creamy dip, like hummus, or a green goddess dip! If you don’t want to use an ice cube, just make sure you’re subbing for cold water.

What if I’m not into spicy?

This is a spiced lamb dish, however, if you are not into spicy, I would omit all spice like the Calabrian paste, chili flakes and paprika. However, It will still be just as good with this removed as well if spice is not your thing!

What if I don’t like parsley?

Some other herb alternatives that would work well are chives or green onions, even some mint!

What’s another way to prepare this dish for a crowd?

There a few fun preparations you can use for this dish:

Assembling all the appetizers on the pita chips and serving on a platter, all ready to eat! (like the images shown here)
You can keep a bowl of pita chips on the table, with a platter of the whipped feta and the lamb on the same platter as well.
Another option is to keep it all separate. A bowl of pita chips, a bowl of feta, and a bowl/platter of the lamb topped with chopped parsley. This way, if you do have anyone vegetarian, they can just dip the pita chips in the feta or if someone can’t have dairy, they can just dip in the lamb and omit any dairy.
If you’re serving just for yourself for dinner, you can also make a nice dinner bowl with some greens and/or rice!

What are some chili paste options?

You can use Calabrian chili paste, chili oil, Sambal, sweet and sour sauce, anything you have access to that you love! If you don’t want this spicy, you can do a little drizzle of balsamic to add a little finished umami.

Spiced Lamb Pita Chips with Whipped Feta