These light and juicy turkey burgers cooked on the grill are going Greek, with the addition of sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, feta cheese, and a creamy homemade tzatziki sauce, for a healthy lunch or dinner recipe!
This post is in partnership with Kroger
January is all about making easy swaps in the kitchen to prepare dinners that are a bit more healthful—but still cure your cravings.
I mean, I love, love, love a great quinoa salad, and I’m totally down with eating my favorite egg white fritatta nearly every day of the week. And a 10-minute salmon dinner? There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.
But when the burger cravings strike during my New Year-mindful-mode, and I’m somehow able to harness the willpower not to make my favorite garlic burgers, I turn to this burger recipe instead.
Again this year I’m happy to create and share recipes as a Kroger blogging ambassador where I’m featuring all sorts of products from Kroger grocery stores for my family, and for yours.
The Simple Truth line from Kroger are an array of products you’ll find throughout the store that are either organic or natural, and are free from 101 artificial ingredients and preservatives. That alone makes them very easy to fit into nearly every meal I make.
This recipe marries two of my favorite things: Burgers and Greek-inspired flavors. Whether it’s pasta, salads or even slow-cooker breakfasts, I just can’t seem to get enough of Mediterranean flavors.
Natural ground turkey is the base of this recipe. I like the Simple Truth brand because while low-fat, it isn’t fat free so it still has flavor and is always fresh in the meat case.
Since there is so little fat in this meat, I add an egg yolk and some olive oil to the turkey mix as binders so they don’t fall apart when grilling.
The med-inspired flavors are pretty classic. Fresh chopped spinach I buy already washed and stemmed (such a time-saver), sun-dried tomatoes, red onion and feta cheese are all added to the mix.
While many meatballs, meatloafs and any other meat-ish dish that call for eggs as a binder are simply cracked right into the mix, I prefer to whisk my egg separately in a bowl with the oregano, garlic (I prefer it pressed rather than minced) with the salt and pepper. Then, I add it to the burger mix to make a more homogenous blend by forgoing a fork and simply digging my hands straight into the mix.
They’re gonna get dirty anyway while shaping the patties so why not just go for it now?
I refrigerate my burgers for at least an hour after shaping them to firm up and hold up when cooking. You could also prepare these and let them rest in the fridge before cooking/grilling for up to 2 days.
The next level of Greek flavor comes from a garlicky tzatziki sauce, making it a great sub for mayo, ketchup, or mustard. I prefer to make my sauce and then refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes so the flavors meld.
And to avoid a slippery sauce, don’t forget to squeeze the water from the grated cucumber before mixing.
These burgers can be cooked inside on a non-stick grill pan or outside on a traditional grill. Be sure to oil your grates well if you’re cooking outside so the burger doesn’t stick due to that low-fat thing again.
Whole wheat buns garnished with butter lettuce and sliced red onion complete this burger outfit, but if you’re diligently watching the carbs or looking for gluten-free options, these are just as delicious served protein-style and wrapped in a lettuce leaf as a bun.
Tip: Use a meat thermometer to make sure your burgers are completely done. They should be cooked to 165 degrees to make sure they’re done, but not overdone and dry.
Recipe Ideas to Serve With Your Greek Turkey Burgers
- Refreshing Drink: Mediterranean-Style Mint Lemonade
- Salad: Greek Salad with Avocado
- Side: Tabbouleh
- Side: Greek Pasta Salad with Cucumbers and Artichoke Hearts
- Dessert: 130 Calorie Greek Yogurt Lemon Bars
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Greek Turkey Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce
Ingredients
- For the Turkey Burgers
- 1 pound ground turkey
- ½ cup fresh spinach leaves chopped
- ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion minced
- ¼ cup feta cheese crumbled
- 2 cloves garlic pressed or minced
- 1 egg whisked
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon each Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 soft whole-wheat hamburger buns
- Bibb lettuce leaves
- Sliced red oinon
- For the Tzatziki Sauce
- ½ cucumber halved with skin and seeds removed
- 3/4 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt
- 2 cloves garlic pressed or minced
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill minced
- Pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
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In a large bowl, add the ground turkey, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, red onion and feta. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, egg, olive oil and dried oregano and kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper then pour over the turkey and mix with your hands to combine. Divide the burger mixture into 4 portions and mold into patties. Place on a cutting board or plate dividing the patties with parchment paper and refrigerated for 30 minutes up to overnight. You could also individually freeze the patties at this point for up to 3 months.
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Prepare the tzatziki sauce by grating the cucumber. Gather the cucumber together and place in a paper towel and press the water out of the shredded cucumber and place in a medium size bowl. Add the yogurt, garlic, red wine vinegar, fresh dill, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 3 days.
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Heat a non-stick grill pan over medium heat and spray well with cooking spray.
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Place the turkey burgers on the grill, cover with an upside down sheet pan or lid and cook for about 5 minutes per side. Be sure to watch the burgers and monitor your heat as the burgers will brown quickly if the heat is too high.
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Slather buns with tzatziki sauce and garnish with lettuce leaves and red onion. Or serve bunless in the bibb lettuce leaves.
Hey, thanks for stopping by, make it a great day and make something healthful, and good.
This post is sponsored by Kroger. As always, thank you for reading and for supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. All opinions are always my own.
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Maria De Carlo says
January 25, 2017 at 4:10 amI love burgers. Thanks for new yummy burgers recipe. I must try this one on next holiday. Photography was also Amazing!
heidi says
January 25, 2017 at 11:36 amThank you Maria, I think you’re going to love this recipe.
Arthur in the Garden! says
January 25, 2017 at 7:44 amYummy!
heidi says
January 25, 2017 at 11:36 amIt certainly is! Hope you give it a try Arthur.
Sara @ Last Night's Feast says
January 25, 2017 at 1:16 pmI love tzatziki sauce! I have honestly never thought to put it on a burger. I definitely making this.
Laura | Tutti Dolci says
January 25, 2017 at 7:06 pmGive me all the burgers, these look perfect!
Platt College says
January 25, 2017 at 8:25 pmThese turkey burgers look yum. Have to try this recipe.
2pots2cook says
January 26, 2017 at 1:56 amThank you ; I consider it to be your invitation for Ms. Spring to come, at last :-) Enjoy your day !
Eleni says
January 27, 2017 at 9:53 amThese look so yum!! Plan on making this weekend!
ERICA FIGUEROA says
February 10, 2017 at 7:44 amthese look yummy.. Is there any way to get a calorie count on these?
Work It Women says
February 12, 2017 at 2:08 pmLove this recipe! It inspired my trip to Trader Joe’s this weekend! http://www.workitwomen.com
Ana says
February 23, 2017 at 9:13 pmThese burgers turned out so well! All of the flavors really work well in the turkey burger and the my husband said that this is the best tzatziki sauce that he has ever had. Thanks for the recipe!
Karen says
March 5, 2017 at 5:08 pmI just made these. Had no buns so served in pitas.. They are SO GOOD! We love gyros and this was an easy, cheap, lower calorie alternative. Thank you!
Kayla H says
March 22, 2017 at 6:31 pmDo you happen to know the calories? These are so yummy!
Amanda says
April 10, 2017 at 8:57 amCould you sub dill weed for the fresh dill in the sauce?
Amanda says
April 10, 2017 at 8:58 amMaking the burgers for supper tonight! Would love to make the tzaziki too but missing the fresh dill :(
Ken says
June 18, 2018 at 7:51 pmI freeze my dill and it lasts all winter and longer. Just wash it, freeze on a try in one layer, then throw it into a freezer bag.. Dill available whenever needed.
Cindy says
April 16, 2017 at 9:03 pmHeidi, thank you for this awesome recipe. There is a lot of prep involved, but so worth it! Delicious and healthy!
Jeanne-Claire says
April 25, 2017 at 10:35 amHi! If I freeze the patties is it better to then cook from frozen or should I thaw them first? Can’t wait to try them!
Sam says
December 29, 2017 at 5:09 pmI defrost my other turkey burger recipe before cooking. I’m sure it would be the same for these
Crissy says
May 11, 2017 at 6:49 pmI love turkey burgers so much! These had so much flavor, I love Greek anything. I didn’t add sundried tomatoes, onion, or egg. They were still absolutely perfect. I add lemon to my tzatziki and leave out the dill. Thanks for this great recipe, can’t wait to make again!
Angie says
May 21, 2017 at 9:52 pmI was just dx’d with type 2 diabeties and this sounds like a great recipe that I can eat. Will have to figure out the carbs and everything for it but sounds yummy and I can’t wait to make it. Thank you!
heidi says
May 23, 2017 at 11:09 amI hope this works for you Angie, you can alway wrap the burgers in lettuce leaves to keep the carb count lower as well. Enjoy!
gloria says
May 25, 2017 at 9:08 pmPretty tasty! At first I thought the mixture was kind of wet and hard to mold. The 30 chill time is essential. I ran out of steam to make the Tziki. Just served on buns with mayo/olive oil. Delish!!
Maria says
June 8, 2017 at 3:49 pmExcellent burgers! I bought my tzatziki sauce and put it all into a pita. SO good, will definitely make again. Thanks.
Anne says
July 8, 2017 at 5:46 pmHad these for dinner tonight – they were so good! Will definitely fix these again!
Genevieve says
August 20, 2017 at 8:30 amIm having a hard time keeping them together when i cook them, but other then that they’re very delicious! Any suggestions on how to keep them from falling apart during frying?
Yesenia says
May 8, 2018 at 5:48 pmI was having the same problem then I resorted to the oven which works best so I can sit and eat with the family also
Holly N @ Spend With Pennies says
August 22, 2017 at 7:41 pmWe made these for dinner tonight and I wouldn’t change a single thing! They came out moist and delicious with a perfect blend of flavors. Everyone loved them. Thanks for an easy recipe that will be a regular in our rotation!
Jodi says
November 26, 2017 at 3:27 pmThis recipe just made dieting so much easier. Very Yummy
Annie says
January 16, 2018 at 7:56 amI made this yesterday and my husband (beef snob) and 19 month old both loved it! I didn’t have a cucumber so I made the “tzatziki” without it, and it was still a delicious addition. Thanks for the wonderful recipe that I’ll keep in the family’s rotation.
Laura says
January 25, 2018 at 9:04 pmThanks for the recipe, however these completely fell apart on our grill :( The sauce was great and we made do with crumbled burgers.
Mindy says
February 15, 2018 at 10:32 amThese Greek turkey burgers were SO good. We had them with the tzatziki sauce over a salad. They have so much flavor!
heidi says
February 16, 2018 at 8:35 amI love that you turned it into a salad Mindy. So glad you enjoyed!
D says
March 1, 2018 at 10:22 amCan you please provide the nutritional values?
I have already tried them once, so good!
Alyssa says
March 9, 2018 at 10:52 amI almost never comment on things, but I have to say that these are probably the best burgers I’ve ever had. I’ve made them 3-4 times now and they have been delicious each time. Definitely a new favourite! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Shelby Maloney says
March 12, 2018 at 6:20 pmI just made these and they were a hit! I’ll definitely be making them again.
I had Hawaiian and Potato buns at home so that’s what we used. I also forgot to get lettuce and don’t love red onion, so those were left off the final product.
My husband said this was his favorite thing he’s eaten in a long time! Thanks for the recipe!
Heather says
April 19, 2018 at 7:46 pmI made this today and LOVED it! Made everyone hungry just by the aroma of it cooking! Big hit!
Kathy Jones says
June 17, 2018 at 4:07 pmmade this today, didn’t have everything in for it but I can say the veggies really do make a lovely moist burger for sure. Will be making these again. Might just try with beef for the heck of it too.
Leïla says
November 11, 2018 at 8:59 amThese have been my go to Turkey burgers for almost 2 years. They”re so simple and delicious!
Ashley @ Foodie Crush says
November 14, 2018 at 8:18 amI love that Leila! Thank you <3