These moist and juicy Greek turkey burgers are a great choice if you are looking for a leaner, healthier option to a traditional burger. Bursting with Greek flavours like feta, mint and lemon, these burgers are topped with our easy cool and creamy homemade tzatziki that brings the whole burger together.
Turkey is a great choice when trying to make healthier versions of your favourite meals, because it's such a lean meat. Turkey mince makes great burgers because it doesn't get dry like chicken mince can. It pairs beautifully with Greek flavours and there are even some veggies hidden in them too.
We are in full-on burger mode at the moment and we have plenty of burger recipes to keep you going. Burgers get a bad reputation for being unhealthy, but it's really easy to make a lighter version - it's all about the flavours.
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Why you will love it
- Ready in just 20 minutes - Quicker than going to the burger shop or ordering takeaway.
- Good source of lean protein - 100g (3.5oz) of turkey contains 29g (1oz) of protein, which is 58% of your recommended daily value.
- Easy to adapt - Mix up the herbs and cheese, for lots of different versions.
- Go great at a BBQ - Impress at your next BBQ with something different.
Ingredients needed
- Turkey mince - using a less than 5% turkey mince helps to make these burgers really lean. You could use a higher fat percentage, but this would change the nutritional information.
- Feta cheese - It's not a Greek dish without feta, right? This adds plenty of flavour, and some creaminess too. Try to use authentic feta, as you really will taste the difference.
- Red onion - You can swap this for shallots, which will give a sweeter flavour.
- Spinach - This is an easy way to give the burgers a green vegetable boost. Make sure to finely chop it, if you want it to be more "hidden".
- Garlic - Fresh is always best, but you can use ready chopped garlic in a jar if you want to save some time.
- Mint - The perfect herb for a Greek dish. It really helps to lighten up the burgers.
- Parsley and Oregano - The perfect Greek herbs to use.
- Lemon - This adds some freshness to the burgers.
Step by step
One: Put the turkey mince, feta, onion, spinach, garlic, lemon zest, mint, parsley and oregano into a large bowl.
Two: Using your hands, mix it all together.
Three: Form the mixture in to 2 burger patties and then put in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Four: Fry in a small amount of oil for 15 minutes, turning regularly. Alternatively, put them under the grill for 15 minutes, turning half way through.
Five: Serve on ciabatta rolls with lettuce, red onion rings, tzatziki and extra feta.
Greek flavours
As these are Greek turkey burgers, there were certain ingredients that were a must and feta is one of them. Crumbling some feta into the burger patties keeps them extra juicy and adds a lovely creamy and slightly salty flavour.
You get a real burst of lemon when biting in to these burgers too, which is something I love about Greek food. The lemon helps to keep them nice and light and fresh tasting too. Greek cuisine is all about the herbs as well, so you will find fresh mint and parsley the stars of the show there.
What to serve these burgers with
Tzatziki is a must! Use our really easy Homemade Tzatziki Recipe to top these burgers with and then you can add some lettuce, red onion and some extra feta when serving them in a bun. As for a side, we ate them with some vegetable crisps. But why not try our Baked Polenta Fries or Baked Sweet Potato Fries?
We served ours in a ciabatta bun, but you could serve them in a pita bread to keep it Greek.
FAQs
You can form the burger patties in advance then keep them in the fridge until you are ready to cook. They would be good in the fridge for about 24 hours. The tzatziki can be made in advance too, so then all you have to do is cook the burgers and pile everything up.
Yes, you can freeze turkey burgers. Put them on a tray and freeze them. Once they are fully frozen, you can stack them with baking paper between them and then put in a freezer bag. Once fully defrosted, they can be cooked as normal.
Extra tips
• Make sure the turkey you get isn't too lean. It needs some fat in it to stop thee burgers from getting dry.
• For some extra Mediterranean flavour, add some chopped sun dried tomatoes in to the burger mixture.
• We served our burgers in ciabatta rolls, however you could serve them in pita breads to keep it Greek.
• Put the burgers in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before cooking so they firm up and hold together (especially important if you are cooking them on the BBQ).
• To form the patties, use cold, slightly wet hands - this will stop the mince sticking to your hands.
• If you have a probe thermometer, the cooked internal temperature of turkey mince should be 165°F/74°C
More Greek recipes
Now you’ve tried the best turkey burger recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Greek Turkey Burgers
Ingredients
- 200 g (7 oz) Turkey mince
- 40 g (0.25 cups) Feta - crumbled
- 0.5 (1) Red onion - finely chopped
- 30 g (1 cups) Spinach - finely chopped
- 2 (2) Garlic clove - crushed
- 2 tablespoon Fresh mint - finely chopped
- 0.5 (1) Lemon - (zest only)
- 2 tablespoon Fresh parsley
- 0.5 teaspoon Dried oregano
- 1 pinch Sea salt and ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 4 tablespoon (8 tablespoon) Tzatziki
- 2 Ciabatta roll
Instructions
- Put 200 g Turkey mince, 40 g Feta, 0.5 Red onion, 30 g Spinach, 2 Garlic clove, zest of 0.5 Lemon, 2 tablespoon Fresh mint, 2 tablespoon Fresh parsley 0.5 teaspoon Dried oregano and 1 pinch Sea salt and ground black pepper into a large bowl.
- Using your hands, mix it all together.
- Form the mixture into 2 burger patties and then put in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon Olive oil and fry the burgers for 15 minutes, turning regularly. Alternatively, put them under the grill for 15 minutes, turning half way through.
- Serve on 2 Ciabatta roll with lettuce, red onion rings, 4 tablespoon Tzatziki and extra feta.
Recipe Tips
- Make sure the turkey you get isn't too lean. It needs some fat in it to stop thee burgers from getting dry.
- For some extra Mediterranean flavour, add some chopped sun dried tomatoes in to the burger mixture.
- We served our burgers in ciabatta rolls, however you could serve them in pita breads to keep it Greek.
- Put the burgers in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before cooking so they firm up and hold together (especially important if you are cooking them on the BBQ).
- To form the patties, use cold, slightly wet hands - this will stop the mince sticking to your hands.
- If you have a probe thermometer, the cooked internal temperature of turkey mince should be 165°F/74°C
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Margaret says
Great recipe Dannii, and an interesting (and new to me) way of using feta.
Dannii says
Thanks :)
Elizabeth says
Mm this sounds lovely! I am a big fan of feta and I bet it works really well with the turkey. I know what you mean about trying to take photos before the food gets cold!
Dannii says
The life of a food blogger, eh!?
Dawn says
We have that exact burger press. I love it, but do you find it is difficult to clean?
Dannii says
It is a little bit fiddly, but I didn't find it too bad.
Alexandria Ingham says
Ooo, we have turkey mince in the freezer and I've been wanting a burger recipe for it for a while. Thanks for sharing this. I may just have to pull the mince out to try it later this week.
Dannii says
Get that mince out of the freezer and give it a go :)
Lillian says
I love that burger press. What a great idea. I am a vegetarian, but I do make burgers for the rest of my family, so this would be better for me. Thanks for sharing :)
Dannii says
This is ideal if you don't like handling raw meat.
Tracy says
This would be really good with some avocado too.
Dannii says
Everything is good with avocado ;)
Erin says
A burger phone would be amazing! These look great by the way.
Dannii says
I so need one in my office. It is on my Christmas list already!
Jayda says
You should definitely get that tattoo!! Haha. I have never actually used ground turkey before! This sounds really good though. Everything really is better with feta!
Dannii says
I would have to have a serious feta obsession to get that tattooed, wouldn't I! haha
Claire @ Flake and Cake says
That burger press looks amazing, I'm definitely going to check them out! I really dislike handling meat - even with a wooden spoon - so this sounds like such a good idea. The burgers looks delicious too :)
Dannii says
Me too! This just makes everything much more clean. I can't stand having my hands covered in raw meat.
Megan says
Can you make this for for dinner tonight please and then deliver it? You should seriously have a HHH delivery service.
Dannii says
Haha, you are not the first person to ask that ;) Maybe I should consider it.
Taylor says
What do you usually have your burgers with? Do you have a strach on the side too, or leave it as you have the bun?
Dannii says
If it is a treat meal, then we will have the bun and homemade chips. If not, then usually we use a lettuce wrap instead of the bun and have sweet potato chips with it.
Caroline says
These sounds great, I have sometimes felt that homemade burgers can be dry but I guess with the feta this will help!
Dannii says
The feta really does help to keep it moist.
Louise says
P.S You have given me an obsession with feta!
Dannii says
Haha, sorry about that!
Louise says
This recipe just reminds me of you always saying "everything is better with feta". Totally true.
Dannii says
I do seem to say that a lot!
Craig says
This definitely sounds like my kind of burger. Lean, but with lots of flavour in it too. Do you have any other turkey recipes? As I am eating a lot of it at the moment, but getting a bit bored with it. Thanks.
Dannii says
Yes, I have quite a few in my recipe index. I recommend the sun dried tomato meatballs. They are really good.