These grilled rissoles are easy and make a delicious appetizer OR main dish for any occasion!

What are rissoles?

Rissoles appear on dinner plates worldwide in many different forms. Sometimes these patties are coated in breadcrumbs and baked or pan-fried. Rissoles contain vegetables, fish, or chicken. However, in Australia and New Zealand, rissoles are made with ground lamb or beef. Think of them as grilled patty-shaped koftas seasoned with a smoky barbecue rub. Rissoles are smaller than burger patties and usually served with mashed potatoes and brown gravy.

I think you’ll love these grilled rissoles as much as I do. Feel free to use this recipe as a base, and add items to suit your liking.

Ingredients for Grilled Rissoles:

2 pounds ground beef, 80/20
Small yellow onion
Garlic minced
Italian parsley (flat-leaf parsley)
Tomato paste
Pitmaster BBQ Rub, or your favorite bottled rub
Worcestershire sauce

Steps to Make It:

Preheat grill for 375 degrees F or medium-high heat. I recommend cherry, oak, or mesquite wood for this recipe. Remember, they cook quickly, so these grilled rissoles might not absorb too much smoke flavor.
Place ground beef (or lamb) in a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients.
Gently combine, but do not overmix the ground meat. Form mixture into 8-12 equal-sized patties. I recommend 8 patties for dinner and 12 patties if serving these grilled rissoles as an appetizer.

Grilling:

Grill rissoles for 3-4 minutes, turn and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, based on size.
The rissoles have cooked through once they reach an internal temperature between 160-165 degrees F.
Check the internal temperature of multiple patties before removing them from the grill.
Serve two rissoles per person with your choice of sides.

Grilled Rissole Tips and Variations:

Size: If you are unfamiliar with grilled rissoles and need a size guide, refer to the size of slider patties. Ideally, they should be that size, but you can certainly make them as big as a regular burger patty!
Substitutions: This recipe also works well with ground pork, lamb, chicken, and turkey. Be aware that ground meat must be cooked to 165 degrees F. While I haven’t tried meat substitutes with this recipe, I’m confident that plant-based ground “meat” products would work just fine. If you try a vegan version of these grilled rissoles, please leave a comment and let us know how it went. We’d love to hear from you.
Cooking Method: You don’t have to grill these rissoles. You can bake, fry, or cook them (in batches) in an air fryer. Be prepared to adjust your cook times and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Additions: Try a little chopped-up pine nuts or walnuts in the patties. Not too much, maybe ¼ cup. You can also add a seeded and minced jalapeno for spicier grilled rissoles.

Grilled Rissoles

In Australia (and New Zealand), rissoles are made of ground lamb or beef. Think of them as Australia’s version of a patty shaped kofta, seasoned with a slightly smoky barbecue rub, then grilled. They are smaller than burger patties, and best served with mashed potatoes and brown gravy.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine: Australian, Fusion

Keyword: Australian BBQ, Australian food, Australian rissoles, grilled rissoles

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 30

Servings: servings

Calories: 470kcal

Author: Sabrina Baksh

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef or lamb, if preferred
1 small yellow onion minced
2 cloves garlic minced
3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons Pitmaster BBQ Rub or your favorite commercial rub
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
salt to taste optional

Instructions

Preheat grill for medium high heat
Place ground beef in a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Gently combine, but do not overmix the ground meat. Form mixture into 8-12 equal sized patties.
Cook rissoles for 3-4 minutes, turn and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, based on size. Once the rissoles reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, they are done. Check internal temperature of multiple patties before removing them from the grill.
Suggested plating: 2 rissoles per person, served with mashed potatoes, brown gravy and grilled vegetables.

Notes

Things to consider with this recipe:

Size: If you are unfamiliar with rissoles, and you need a size guide, think of slider patties. Ideally they should be that size, but you can certainly make as big as a regular burger patty!

Substitutions: This recipe works well with ground pork, lamb, chicken, and turkey. Be aware that all ground meats must be cooked to 165 degrees F. While I haven’t tried beef substitutes with this recipe, I’m confident that ground “beef” products would work just fine. If you try a vegan version of these grilled rissoles, please leave a comment. We’d love to hear from you.

Cooking Method: No, you don’t have to grill these rissoles. You can bake, fry, or cook them (in batches) in an air fryer. Be prepared to adjust your cook times, and follow manufacturer’s recommendations.

Additions: Try a little chopped up pine nuts or walnuts in the patties. Not too much, maybe ¼ cup. You can also add a seeded and minced jalapeno for a spicier touch.