Turkey burgers with all the Greek flavors ~ spinach, feta, Kalamata olives and sun-dried tomatoes. Serve on buns with an easy lemon garlic yogurt sauce for a delicious weeknight dinner.
I don't make turkey burgers often at home, occasionally picking some up from the butcher counter. They're good, easy and something different. Then on a recent trip visiting a friend, we ate out often and there were a few turkey burgers ordered. My favorite had all the Mediterranean flavors that make me swoon.
I said to her, I'm making one of these when I get home with all these flavors and then some, meaning sun-dried tomatoes. So that's what I did, and that's what I love now when I want a turkey burger at home. So easy, and so good!
HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED
The seasonings are most definitely Greek, meaning oregano and a little dill and I also use a Greek seasoning blend. That is the perfect Greek flavor profile for me.
Fresh spinach, briny Kalamata olives, feta cheese and sun-dried tomatoes. And onion and garlic. These burgers are loaded with flavor.
HOW TO MAKE GREEK TURKEY BURGERS
It's really simple and just a matter of combining all the ingredients and forming patties. But there are some steps involved and I took a few tips for this recipe from the spanakopita burgers on the Shockingly Delicious website, mainly cooking the spinach first, and chilling the patties to firm up before hitting the skillet.
Step 1: Sauté the spinach with onion and garlic in olive oil until it wilts. Set aside to cool a bit.
Step 2: Mix the ground turkey with spices, then add the olives, sun-dried tomatoes, feta and spinach mixture, gently mix to combine.
Step 3: Form into four patties and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up before cooking.
Step 4: Cook about 6 minutes a side in a skillet with a little olive oil until cooked through.
HOW DO I SERVE THESE BURGERS?
I love a quick and easy yogurt sauce with these burgers. Super simple, just some plain Greek yogurt, garlic and fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper. Lettuce and tomato are good choices, and toasted brioche buns are my favorite choice, always.
RECIPE NOTES AND TIPS
- Use fresh spinach, frozen will work, but it's just easier to buy a bag of fresh baby spinach and you won't have to deal with excess water from the frozen stuff. If you use frozen spinach, squeeze out the excess moisture before sautéing with the onion and garlic.
- If you don't have a Greek seasoning blend, just use dried oregano and dill, 1 teaspoon each.
- Kalamata olives are easily found in jars in the grocery aisle with other olives. Or you could try the olive bar that many grocery stores now have and easily get just the amount you need.
- Pop the patties in the freezer for a short bit to firm them up, they will hold their shape and cook easier.
- You can cook them on the grill for sure, just make sure it's super clean and oil the grates. These burgers are rather delicate, and for that reason, I prefer a well-seasoned cast iron skillet or nonstick pan. More control and I use a lid to help ensure that it cooks through.
- I highly recommend the yogurt sauce, but tzatziki sauce, either homemade or store-bought is good, too. So is mayo, and tomato and lettuce, or just nothing at all, I guess. But I like a little somethin' somethin' on my burger!
Greek turkey burgers are really, really good and full of flavor. Seriously, tho, you need to try these, you will love them, I promise. Kelly🍴🐦
You like burgers? Check these out!
- Diner-style patty melts with caramelized onions and Swiss cheese.
- The one and only Juicy Lucy burger, stuffed with hot molten cheese.
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Greek Turkey Burgers
Ingredients
Turkey Burgers
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ½ red onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or finely chopped
- 8 ounces fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped 6-8 ounces bagged baby spinach
- 1 pound ground turkey mix of light and dark meat
- 1 teaspoon Greek seasoning
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
- Pinch crushed red pepper
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
- 12 pitted Kalamata olives, quartered
- ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped I use oil-packed ones in a jar, drained
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
Yogurt Sauce
- ½ cup plain yogurt, preferably Greek-style
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- Juice from ½ lemon, or to taste
Instructions
- Heat a good swirl of olive oil in large skillet. Sauté onion until softened and then add garlic, stir for a few seconds until fragrant. Toss in all the chopped spinach and cook and stir until wilted. Transfer to bowl and set aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ground turkey with all the spices and salt and pepper. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, olives and feta cheese and then the cooled down spinach mixture. Gently combine until well mixed.
- Form into four large patties of equal size, arrange on a plate and place in freezer for 30 minutes to chill.
- Meanwhile, make yogurt sauce. Combine yogurt, garlic and lemon juice, season with a little salt and pepper and chill until ready to serve.
- Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook burgers about 6 minutes a side until cooked through. Serve on buns with yogurt sauce.
Recipe Notes
- If you don't have Greek seasoning, use a teaspoon each of dried oregano and dried dill.
- You can use ground turkey or ground chicken in this recipe.
- Chilling the burgers in the freezer for a short while helps firm them up and makes it easier to cook them.
- A nonstick or well-seasoned cast iron skillet works best. These burgers are more delicate than traditional beef burgers. I flip a couple times on each side so they don't get too brown, as well as cover with a lid halfway through to ensure they cook through.
- The yogurt sauce is easy and delicious and highly recommended!
Meathead
Wednesday 27th of May 2020
My Big Fat Greek Turkey Burger