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Take your turkey burgers up a notch! These delicious burgers are packed with so much savory Mediterranean flavor.
BURGERS FOR THE BUSY COOK
A variety of good burger recipes is a busy cook’s best friend! (Check out my other burger recipes in the links below.) Most burger patties can be frozen in their raw state and then cooked as needed providing a no-prep dinner that’s perfect anytime you want an easy, delicious meal. These Greek Turkey Burgers are no exception. I often double the recipe and keep the stash in my freezer and on nights when I’ve had a super busy day or just don’t feel like fussing around in the kitchen, I’m so thankful that they’re there!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR GREEK TURKEY BURGERS
Frozen chopped spinach – I love the convenience of frozen chopped spinach but many recipes that call for it, including this one, require that you extract the water from the spinach prior to combining it with the rest of the ingredients; this can be a cumbersome task. You can use your hands to squeeze the water out of the spinach but an easier, more effective way to remove the water is with a nut milk bag or potato ricer. Here’s a video demonstrating these techniques. (The vegetable being used in the video is zucchini but the methods are the same for spinach.)
Lean ground turkey – Use lean ground turkey for Greek Turkey Burgers, but don’t go too lean. I’ve found that 90% lean is perfect. Anything above that will produce tough, dry burgers.
Bread crumbs, rice crumbs, or cracker crumbs – You have some flexibility here. Feel free to use plain old store-bought bread crumbs (or homemade) but you can also crush up any mild tasting crackers you might have on hand and use these instead (a great use for all those broken pieces that end up at the bottom of the box). Another option that works well, especially for those following a gluten-free diet, is rice bread crumbs. These aren’t widely available in mainstream grocery stores so you may have to purchase them on-line. Here are a couple of good options: Orgran Gluten Free All Purpose Rice Crumbs and Clearspring Organic Gluten Free Wholegrain Brown Rice Breadcrumbs.
Feta cheese – Salty feta cheese gives these burgers a decidedly Mediterranean flair. To make the recipe prep easier, look for the pre crumbled feta cheese (usually sold in small plastic containers) instead of blocks. If all you can find is blocks of feta, just be sure to crumble it well without too many oversized chunks.
Egg – A single egg is what binds all the ingredients together so don’t omit it.
Aromatics – garlic, onion, Greek seasoning, salt, and pepper – These ingredients give the burgers a huge flavor boost. I buy Greek seasoning from Amazon but you can easily make your own Greek seasoning blend by combining 2 teaspoons each of oregano and garlic powder, with 1 teaspoon each of cinnamon and dill, and ½ teaspoon each of peppermint, nutmeg, red pepper, and chives.
TIPS FOR PERFECTLY COOKED BURGERS
If weather permits, cook Greek Turkey burgers on an outdoor grill, but if it’s rainy or cold outside use a cast iron grill pan to cook these babies in the oven where they’ll come out extra moist. Here are a couple of helpful tips for oven grilling in a cast iron pan:
- Brush the pan with a little bit of olive oil.
- Preheat the empty pan for at least 15 minutes on the bottom rack of a 400-degree oven.
Getting the pan nice and hot before you pop the burgers in will ensure beautiful grill marks along with a well-browned exterior and perfectly cooked interior. It’s preferable to defrost the patties prior to cooking but if you don’t have time, simply add another 5 minutes to the cooking time and use a meat thermometer to ensure the meat is cooked through. (The USDA recommends cooking ground turkey to 165 degrees F.)
MORE BURGER RECIPES
For more easy, delicious burger recipes check out Oven Roasted Gorgonzola Wild Rice Hamburgers, Curried Black Rice Veggie Burgers, Oven Grilled Boursin Chicken Burgers, and Eggplant Lamb Burgers.
If you make Greek Turkey Burgers don’t forget to snap a pic and tag me over on Instagram @QueenofMyKitchen. I’d love to see your creation!
Greek Turkey Burgers
Ingredients
- 10 ounce box of frozen chopped spinach, thawed
- 1 pound lean (90%) ground turkey
- 1 cup bread crumbs, rice crumbs, or cracker crumbs
- 1 cup (4½ ounces) well crumbled feta cheese
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon Greek seasoning (see notes #1)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil (for brushing grill pan)
Instructions
- Place the thawed spinach in a colander and press/squeeze it to remove as much water as possible. (You can also use a potato ricer or nut milk bag to remove the excess water if you have one.)
- Add the spinach to a large bowl along with the remaining ingredients and mix well. Form into 6 burger patties (see notes #2).
- Preheat a grill or gill pan (see notes #3) over medium high heat and cook the burgers for 10-12 minutes per side.
Notes
- You can purchase Greek seasoning or make your own. To make your own combine 2 teaspoons each of oregano and garlic powder, with 1 teaspoon each of cinnamon and dill, and ½ teaspoon each of peppermint, nutmeg, red pepper, and chives.
- If freezing, wrap each patty individually and store them in a large, zip lock bag in the freezer.
- To cook these burgers in the oven using a grill pan, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and place the empty pan in the oven for 15 minutes before adding the patties and cooking per the recipe. If cooking from frozen add an extra 5 minutes and cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
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I am so happy that my family love the burgers and it came out so great. My son love it much.