Ground turkey can be kind of, well, boring if you don’t dress it up right. That’s why I made these turkey burgers with a twist and added fun add-ins to the burger patty for maximum flavor and color. And instead of the ketchup and mustard treatment, these juicy burgers get a homemade lemon dill yogurt sauce, crunchy slices of cucumber, and a few slivers of red onion. If you’re looking to change up your burger game, these Mediterranean Turkey Burgers are it!
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Can the Turkey Burgers be Grilled?
Yes, you can definitely grill these burgers instead of cooking them in a skillet. An outdoor grill or even an indoor countertop grill, like a George Foreman grill, will work great.
Why 19 oz. of Ground Turkey?
I’ll never understand why, but some brands sell ground turkey in 19 oz. packages instead of one-pound packages (if you work in that industry and know why, please let me know). If you can only find a one-pound package of ground turkey, you can still make this recipe. I wouldn’t adjust any other ingredients, just make four patties instead of five and they’ll be a little extra flavorful.
What to Serve with Mediterranean Turkey Burgers
Since I had a half cucumber and red onion leftover from the recipe, I used them to make a small batch of my Super Fresh Cucumber Salad. It’s the perfect light side to these burgers. You could also serve them with something like Herby Potato Salad, Mediterranean Coleslaw, Steak Fries, Mediterranean White Bean Salad, Quinoa Tabbouleh, or a simple green salad (mixed greens, tomatoes, and a vinaigrette).
Can I Use Fresh Spinach?
Yes, you can use fresh spinach in this recipe instead of frozen, if you prefer. I suggest chopping the spinach until it’s in small pieces so it’s easier to mix into the meat. You may also want to sauté it briefly in a skillet to get some of the water out. You’ll want about ¼ cup once sautéed.
Mediterranean Turkey Burgers
Servings 5Ingredients
Lemon Dill Yogurt Sauce
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt ($0.50)
- 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice ($0.03)
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- 1/8 tsp dried dill ($0.02)
- 1/8 tsp salt ($0.02)
Turkey Burgers
- 19 oz. ground turkey* ($3.89)
- 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes ($0.83)
- 1/4 cup minced red onion ($0.08)
- 2 oz. frozen spinach (1 cup when frozen) ($0.25)
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta ($0.57)
- 1 tsp dried oregano ($0.10)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.04)
For Serving
- 5 hamburger buns ($3.04)
- 1/2 cucumber, sliced ($0.75)
Instructions
- Make the lemon dill yogurt sauce first. Stir together the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic powder, dried dill, and salt. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Prepare the add-ins for the turkey burgers. Finely chop the sun dried tomatoes, mince or finely dice the red onion, crumble the feta, and then thaw and squeeze all the moisture out of the frozen spinach (2 oz. will be about 1 cup when frozen, ¼ cup when thawed and squeezed dry).
- Add the ground turkey, sun dried tomatoes, red onion, feta, spinach, dried oregano, garlic powder, and salt to a bowl. Mix the ingredients together until evenly combined.
- Divide and shape the turkey mixture into five burger patties. Make them flatter and wider than usual because they will shrink up and in as they cook.
- Heat ½ Tbsp cooking oil in a skillet over medium. Once hot, add three of the turkey burgers and cook for 5-7 minutes on each side, or until browned and cooked through. Repeat with the remaining cooking oil and the rest of the burger patties.
- To serve, smear some of the lemon dill yogurt sauce on a bun. Add a turkey burger, some sliced cucumber, and sliced red onion, then enjoy.
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Equipment
- Chef’s Knife
- Color Cutting Boards
Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Mediterranean Turkey Burgers – Step By Step Photos
Make the lemon dill yogurt sauce first, so the flavors have a little time to blend. Stir together ½ cup Greek yogurt, ½ Tbsp lemon juice, ⅛ tsp garlic powder, ⅛ tsp dried dill, and ⅛ tsp salt. Refrigerate the sauce until ready to use. And yes, you can use plain non-Greek yogurt if needed, it just makes a less thick sauce. :)
Prepare the burger add-ins. Chop about ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes (I use the dry pack, not the kind packed in oil), mince or finely dice ¼ cup red onion (save the rest to slice and place on the burgers), crumble 1 oz. feta (about ¼ cup), and thaw then squeeze all the moisture out of 2 oz. frozen spinach. The spinach is about 1 cup when frozen, ¼ cup after it has been thawed and squeezed dry.
Place 19 oz. ground turkey, sun-dried tomatoes, red onion, feta, spinach, 1 tsp dried oregano, ¼ tsp garlic powder, and ¼ tsp salt in a bowl (sorry, I forgot the oregano, garlic powder, and salt until after the photo was taken).
Mix the ingredients into the ground turkey until it’s all evenly mixed.
Divide and shape the meat mixture into five burger patties. Make the patties thinner and wider than you’d expect because they do shrink up and inward as you cook them.
To cook the burgers in a skillet, add ½ Tbsp cooking oil to a skillet and heat over medium. Once hot, add a few of the burger patties and cook on each side for 5-7 minutes, or until well browned and cooked through. Repeat with the second half of the oil and the remaining burger patties.
To serve, spread some of the lemon dill yogurt sauce on a bun, add a cooked burger patty and a few slices of cucumber and red onion. Enjoy!
This was so good! Salty and herby. Made five nice sized burgers with 16 ish oz turkey. I would make this for my friends
Been making these for literal years. I always check back on the recipe for measurements. Figured today I just just comment to add a twist I’ve been doing for a few years. Add Roasted Red Peppers from a jar instead of sun dried tomatoes. It’s divine. OG recipe is great, but I eat these so often, I change it up now and again.
I just made these amazing turkey burgers with the yogurt sauce. They were so delicious! The burgers are moist and so flavorful. The sauce was a great addition. I didn’t have frozen spinach so I used frozen Kale. I can say they are the best turkey burgers I’ve ever eaten anywhere! Thank you for this go to recipe! I too used ground Butterball 93/7 turkey. Amazing!!
Turned out great!!
This burger tasted amazing and was so easy to make!
One of our favorite meals! Delicious!
A hit in our house! I make these often and love them. I will use fresh or frozen spinach, whatever I have on hand.
I love this recipe! Give it a try, you will not be disappointed!!!
I made these for dinner tonight. I ended up using fresh spinach. They turned out great! They were really delicious! I will definitely be making them again. 😋
My groccery store didnt have organic ground turkey so i made with chicken and still tasted amazing!
I was a bit skeptical that I could make a delicious turkey burger but Beth always comes through! These were so easy and yummy!
I subbed mayo for yogurt for my dairy-free husband, and served the patty over quinoa for my gluten-free self. I also added some sun-dried tomato pesto to the top in addition to the dill sauce. So good!
It’s been a while since I’ve made this recipe, it has been a go-to in our house for years! But I did notice you changed the recipe, is there anywhere I can get the old one? Love these burgers!
Huge fan of this recipe! Turkey burgers tend to be a bit bland and dry, but not this one! I love feta so I added a little extra to the yogurt sauce which made all the difference for me.
I’ve made these burgers several times and we love them. Tonight they seemed a bit dry. I did add a bit extra of onion, spinach and sun dried tomatoes. Maybe that was the issue. ?!
So Good!!! The turkey burgers are great – I did as some others suggested and made them smaller and used pita bread. And that sauce!
I did half the called for feta and and the other half chopped kalamata olives. Overall less punchy flavors than I was expecting, but all of the mix-ins make for an actually flavorful, not-too-dry turkey patty. Definitely don’t skip the sauce.
I used ground pork as it is what I had, and made a roasted garlic aioli instead of the yoghurt sauce because I had two heads of roasted garlic that needed using up, and wow was this fantastic. I would highly recommend the aioli (really just two heads of roasted garlic squeezed into about a quarter cup of mayonnaise) – yum.
Also, just FYI – I formed this into four quite large but thin (1cm) burgers and roasted them in the oven for 20 minutes. It made life easy – I could not have fitted more than one burger at a time into my pan and this way everyone’s lunch was ready at the same time. The burgers did shrink by perhaps 15% which worked perfectly with the large wholemeal baps I got from M&S.
going to run a restaurant], really admire your site. All the best>
Good luck with your restaurant! That’s exciting! ~ Marion :)
Hi Beth,
I noticed you made some adjustments to this recipe. I copied this recipe from you in 2018. Lost copy, I just went online and noticed you”ve made adjustments. You no longer add an egg or breadcrumbs and use garlic powder instead of mined garlic for yougurt sauce. Any particular reason why?
Hi Joan! When I retested this recipe I found that I liked it even better without the breadcrumbs and egg (and with less ingredients it’s easier!), so I went with that. :) And then I also decided I liked the garlic powder here instead of the minced garlic because it produces a more even, deep garlic flavor instead of the pungent sharp garlic flavor that fresh garlic has. Depending on the application, sometimes I like fresh, sometimes powdered, and sometimes a combo!
Does the nutritional info included at the bottom of the recipe include the hamburger bun and/or sauce or just the patty?
All ingredients listed in the recipe are included. XOXO -Monti
I made these tonight, but I made them bite sized. They were great!! I also used the sauce and served it with pita bread and a cucumber and tomato salad. This was super refreshing and filling. Will make again.
These have so much flavor going on, it’s delightful!
Thank you!
I made these for dinner last night and they were a HUGE hit! My husband said it was the best turkey burger he’s ever had. Loved how easy they were to prepare; I made the patties earlier in the day while my baby napped and then refrigerated them until dinnertime. I got 5 patties out of 1 lb. of meat, but maybe they were smaller than usual…? I was just matching them to the size of our burger buns. Will definitely be making these again!
Can these be frozen after they are formed.? I am the only one eating turkey burgers in my house.
Yes, that should work well.
I absolutely loved these! My ground turkey was 1 lb so I made 4 patties. I froze 2 bc I am only one person and when I later ate those they were just as good! Only change I made was roma tomatoes instead of sundried. I am back for the recipe to make them again tonight an I plan to use sour cream instead of Greek yogurt for the sauce bc I like it better. Also, I air fried the first burger I made but the other 3 burgers I did on my inside cast iron grill pan! The grill pan in best!
These burgers are delicious! They have tons of flavor and taste like you spent much longer in the kitchen than you actually have to. They even got a thumbs up from my husband, a hamburger traditionalist :) Thank you for the great recipe!
Does the nutrition info include the bun?
Yes. I reran the recipe through the nutrition calculator just to be sure. :)
Anyway I can get the old recipe? I recall egg and breadcrumbs so I would love to have it just as it was— it was so good!
Yep, I’ll email it to you. :)
These were so good! Really juicy and amazing flavor. Easy and healthy!
I love how flavorful and juicy this recipe is! Really turns boring ground turkey into something delicious!
Made this with pork and a jarred sun dried tomato pesto instead of sun dried tomatoes. It was fantastic! Also made some oven fries and the cucumber tomato salad as sides. Yum!
Why is it in the recipe and the directions it does not include an E gg as an ingredient. Yet in the picture where it shows all the ingredients together for the turkey Greek burgers it has an egg in it. Which is right? I’ve made it several times without the egg and just noticed the picture today when I was making them.
The recipe was updated a while back and my new version does not require an egg. You may be seeing an old photo that someone pinned to Pinterest? The new recipe and new photos do not include egg.
Super good. I made these burgs kinda oblong to fry them. I put them in a pita, topped with your Mediterranean slaw and the lemon dill yogurt sauce and (a little of your Mediterranean cucumber salad). Gals. Guys. Just do that. And maybe start a new … wait. Listen close… what is that… Those are church bells twangin. I just married this sammich.
19 oz of ground turkey? I made it many times….one of our favorite burgers! I lost recipe so glad to find this recipe again…goanna print. Please let me know about measure for ground turkey. Thank you!
Yes, some brands package ground turkey in 19oz. packages, for some reason. If you can only find a 16oz. package that will work just fine.
These were fantastic, even though I messed up and forgot the oregano. The flavors are awesome and recipe is easy to follow. I did have 1 ‘substitute’ as I used sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, as that was what I had on hand. I feel like that was okay for me personally, as the only available ground turkey at my local store was super lean. The sauce recipe was yummy too!
Cook time was a little longer for me, but I believe that was because my burgers were a little thicker. This recipe would also make yummy slider-style burgers for hors d’oeuvres.
Can this recipe be used to make as a meatloaf instead of burgers? If so, what do recommend for baking temperature and time? Do you think breadcrumbs or eggs should be added?
You could probably do a meatloaf version of this, but I’d need to do some testing before offering suggestions. But I’m really glad you asked because I’m going to put that on my list of recipes to make! :)
I’ve now made this recipe at least 4 times. It somehow always gets better than the last. This week I’m using it as a meal prep and made the mixture into meatballs to top my salads with this week for lunch. Can’t wait!!
I like to make these burgers with ground pork. I also use fresh spinach…wash and chop it up and MW at 50% power for about 2 minutes in a bowl…then squeeze out extra liquid with the back of a spoon. Yummy recipe! It’s a keeper!
DELICIOUS! Followed to a T, only wish I had doubled the recipe!
Hi Beth, just about to make this and my mouth is already watering! Wondering if the sauce keeps well? I’m cooking quite a few burgers to eat throughout the week, and thinking if I should make the sauce each day or if I can make it in a larger quantity now. Thanks!
Hi Rox, yes, the sauce does keep well in the fridge for 4-5 days. :)
Pro tip: mix leftover cucumber slices with leftover yogurt dill sauce and add a tiny splash of vinegar to make cucumber salad for the next day’s lunch! This was so yummy! Hence why there were only some cucumber slices left over!
They were amazing! So flavorful, will definitely make again!
Love this recipe. I always double the yogurt sauce and pair with a tomato/cucumber salad. Do you think these burgers would freeze well, either raw or frozen?
Yep, you could freeze them either way! They’ll probably taste best if frozen raw, so that they don’t essentially get cooked twice from reheating.
Why did you take out the egg and breadcrumb and garlic out of this recipe? Especially because the breadcrumbs help keep the burger from becoming too dry (something that can happen easily when working with ground turkey)
I don’t find that they’re necessary to hold the burger together and they’re still quite juicy without the extra ingredients. I had written about not needing them (and regretting adding them) in the original text of the blog post. And I find the garlic flavor is a little more even throughout the patty when using garlic powder rather than fresh. But hey, cooking is all about doing it the way you personally like, so make sure to do it the other way if that’s what you prefer! :)
Are these freezer friendly Beth?
Yes, you can freeze either before or after cooking, whichever you prefer. :)
Question Beth: Can you freeze these burgers? I was thinking in terms of meal prep.
For the record I rarely leave reviews, but just had to give a shout out to you for this recipe. We are a family of five and had a guest the first time I made these. It is a rare occurrence when everyone can agree on a meal. Theses burgers received RAVE reviews across the board. I did not have frozen spinach so I sautéed some baby for a couple of minutes with some butter and garlic (sorry) these are phenomenal. Thank you!
We love these burgers, but I do have a question about the calories you listed….does the value of 392.62 kcal for “1 burger” includes the bun and the yogurt sauce? I’m trying to lose a few pounds and counting calories has become my latest obsession :-) Thanks.
Yep, it includes everything listed under ingredients. :) But keep in mind these are a broad estimate and it can vary quite a bit from what is listed. There’s a link to our nutrition disclaimer just below the numbers if you want to read more.
These were terrific! I usually find ground turkey to be disappointingly bland and meh. These burgers were tasty, flavorful and juicy and had a surprisingly small amount of salt added. I think this recipe would be great as meatballs in a bowl with hummus or a salad and will happily make again. I had tzatziki already on hand and used that, but will keep this recipe for another time. Thanks for another winner, Beth!
I messed up and didn’t squeeze out the spinach, but they were still good. I also had sundried tomatoes in oil and they worked fine. I had 19.2 oz of meat but also had only 4 buns so made 4 burgers. I used store bought tzatziki, so I can’t comment on the sauce. Husband said they’re the best turkey burgers he’s had,
So delicious and pretty quick to whip up for a weeknight dinner! Will definitely be making these again.
These burgers are fantastic! In the picture above there is an egg but no egg on your recipe. I recall we used to put bread crumbs in this has that changed since the updated recipe?!
Yes, the old version of the recipe included egg and breadcrumb, but I don’t think that’s necessary (as the original blog post stated), so I didn’t include them in the updated version. :)
So delicious! Husband and I love eating these and we make them probably once a week! We make them into rice bowls :)
Wow! this looks so yummy and juicy for a turkey burger. Super perfect for a weekend lunch with my family. My kids will definitely love this! I’m also thinking of having an apple and kale salad with it. Thank you for shairng!
Really enjoyed these! They have a great tanginess and lots of flavor. As recommended, I used 93% lean ground turkey and that made the burgers plenty juicy; if yours are dry check you didn’t buy 99% lean. I cannot for the life of me find dry sundried tomatoes, like this recommends, in my grocery store, so I bought the ones packed in oil & drained them/patted them dry as best I could. The flavor & texture of these are perfect — the cucumber on top is excellent for a little crunch.
This was very good! I left out the spinach because I didn’t have any and didn’t feel like making a special trip. Weirdly, we didn’t have hamburger buns on hand, but we DID have pita pockets so that’s what we used. Delicious!
I have to say this wasn’t my favorite recipe of yours but they were good turkey was kind of dry and chewy. Now what else can I use the sun dried tomatoes in?
Actually I enjoyed these more as leftovers. I think the flavors blended
Sarah, try Beth’s Tomato-Basil No-Knead Bread. SOOOOO good!
This is one of my go to recipes. So easy and delicious!
These were delicious!
These burgers were delicious! We subbed 2 tbs tomato paste for the sun dried tomatoes since we didn’t have any in the pantry. Served these in oven-warmed pita. Yet another easy and delicious recipe from you, Beth! Thank you ☺️
These were delicious. I subbed the dried tomatoes for Roma tomatoes, but everything else I kept exactly the same. They are so delicious, very light, and the sauce is amazing. I’ve tried other recipes with this same sauce on here and I love putting it on stuff, it’s so worth it.
I thought this had a lot of potential, but it doesn’t come through. The turkey burgers are VERY sticky, and have to be handled very carefully. Turning them is also requires care. Flavor wise, I put a blob of the dressing on each to add some flavor, still not really enough. I served these without buns, which would have further diluted their flavors, but didn’t really matter. Won’t do this again, there are lots of other recipes to try. Arborist Boulder
Turkey burgers and yogurt sauce were delicious. We added feta when we ate the burgers because my daughter doesn’t like feta cheese. Made the steak fries no a green salad. I knew I would love these when you posted them last week.
This was so good! It will definitely be on repeat! So light and flavorful!
Can you skip the feta or is there a dairy free substitute for feta? These sound great! Thanks
I don’t have a dairy-free sub for that, unfortunately. You can skip it if you prefer, but it will change the flavor of the burger slightly.
Feta is sheep and goat milk based, regular cheese is hard on my wife but she can eat feta!
If you want the saltiness that feta brings without using dairy, try some Kalamata olives. Briny and delicious, and they’re a bona fide Mediterranean food.
These sound delicious! I usually make bacon cheddar turkey burgers that my Dad loves, but I think we need to give these a try, too! If I wanted to add some mushrooms, do you think that would work with the flavors? I was thinking sautée them first to remove most of the moisture, then add them into the burger mix. Would they be better as a topping? Hmm….
While I don’t think mushrooms are 100% match for this flavor profile, I certainly wouldn’t turn them down! Using them as a topping is probably the easiest method. If you put them into the burger you’d want to chop them finely and sauté first, as you suggested. :)
I am loving these older recipes being brought back! Hard to believe this has been going for over a decade now, thank you! Making this one with some halloumi bites, can’t wait.
Thanks for reposting this recipe–I’d forgotten about it for a while, and it’s too delicious not to revisit. I don’t care for ground turkey, but have made this with both ground chicken and lean ground pork (93% lean at my supermarket). When we visited Greece several times in the early 1980s, we ate a lot of pork, which people don’t think of as a Mediterranean meat–souvlaki was always pork unless we specifically requested lamb, which cost more. I don’t think chicken souvlaki was an option at that time, although it probably is now. The marinated pork was sublime.
Since this recipe makes more burgers than the two of us eat at a single meal, I have turned the rest of the mixture into meatballs and baked in the oven for about 15-20 minutes to enjoy later–think meal prep with Greek type salads and orzo sides, or glorious pocket bread sandwiches for those yummy “leftovers.” Since they are so low fat, keep the meatballs small, about 1″ and cook quickly or they will seriously dry out.
The dill sauce is brilliant–I’ve used it on sandwiches, with pork chops, falafels, or grilled chicken. In the spring and summer, I use fresh dill from my garden–about 1 heaping tsp, but the dried dill is more convenient and still tastes terrific. For the yogurt sauce, I would recommend whole milk Greek yogurt–only a few more calories and since you only use a little and the burgers are low fat, the extra flavor is totally worth a few fat calories. To be really decadent, use sour cream–which I have done when I didn’t have plain Greek yogurt. Low or no fat yogurt is wonderful with fruit, breakfast granola, and other sweet things and in baking, but it lacks taste when used for savory dips and sauces. I also use whole milk Greek yogurt for tzatziki.
I love your suggestions, as always, Janet! Thank you so much for always sharing your wonderful insight and expertise. :)
Crazy question, could I use blue cheese instead of feta. That’s all I have in the fridge right now.
If you’re a fan of blue cheese, I say go for it! :) It will change the flavor of the burger, obviously, but physically it should act just the same as the feta.
I’ve made this before when they were called “Greek Turkey Burgers”. It seems that all you did was change the name (as the other recipe disappeared) and the questions above the recipe… Also, how can this be today on the “latest and greatest” section if it has comments from last year??? I don’t get it… did you just recycle the recipe or did you make any changes? If that’s the case, why don’t you explain that in the article? This is disappointing. I’ve actually gotten in touch with you before suggesting new recipes and was ignored. This seems to be unnecessary.
In addition to the new recipes that I make every week I also update about one old recipe per week because after almost twelve years my skills and knowledge have improved and I want my content to reflect that. Sometimes I’m just updating the photographs, sometimes I’m adding information to the blog post, sometimes improving on the recipe itself, sometimes it’s all of those things. It’s the “latest and greatest” because it’s what I’m working on most recently, and yes, I think it’s pretty great. We have over three million different people visiting the website every month, so while you may have seen this before not everyone has. I’m sorry this upsets you, but improving the quality of my work is important to me and I will always continue to improve and update old work. We always keep copies of the original recipes in case anyone wants it, so you can reach out to us at any time at support@budgetbytes.com and we can send you the old version if you prefer.
So what changed from the previous version?
I just skipped the egg and breadcrumbs, as I had suggested in the original blog post, because they are not necessary.
For the record, I love seeing some of the old recipes updated! Even when they don’t change, it is a good reminder of some of your amazing recipes that end up buried at the bottom of a Pinterest board!
you are being rather aggressive and rude if you ask me Marie. What’s your problem ?
These burgers are so delicious…easy to make and healthy…bun no bun with some tzatiki sauce awesome !!!! Thank you for the recipe.!
I will make these; sounds so good,
Just made these and they were so yummy!
These are amazing!!! The sauce pairs so well with the burger. This will become a regular menu item in my house!
I have a bunch of fresh veggies that I need to use up, do you think could I make these ahead of time and freeze raw between sheets of wax paper?
Yes, I think that would work great!
I love these! They’re so simple and delicious! My go to burger recipe!
Absolutely delish!!! I will definitely be making these again…I don’t care for Greek yogurt & I thought I would give it a try again and well nope…so next time I will try a different sauce (that’s just a personal side note) so yummy. Thank you for an easy and amazing recipe!!!
I made this recipe with a few substitutions and omissions. I used Tuscan kale instead of spinach and omitted sun dried tomatoes cause I didn’t have any. I also made this as a meat loaf and used the garnish sauce for serving..and let me just say it is phenomenal!!! So flavorful!!
During this quarantine time, I am doing grocery pick up instead of going into the store. Last night I came home with 4 packages of ground turkey instead of a family pack of chicken legs! I have NEVER cooked with ground turkey. Going to try these tonight because I actually have most of everything else on the list (give or take). Thanks so much for helping as I cook new things based on what’s on hand
This is full of fantastic flavor! I especially love the sauce! I had to add more breadcrumbs because my frozen spinach had a lot of moisture, so I’ll likely thaw and drain my spinach before adding it next time. Also, use plenty of oil if cooking these on the stovetop instead of the grill, because the turkey doesn’t have much fat and will stick to your pan if you don’t keep it moving or add oil. P.S. I served this with the Moroccan spiced sweet potatoes recipe and it was a great pairing!
This is full of fantastic flavor! I especially love the sauce! I had to add more breadcrumbs because my frozen spinach had a lot of moisture, so I’ll likely thaw and drain my spinach before adding it next time. Also, use plenty of oil if cooking these on the stovetop instead of the grill, because the turkey doesn’t have much fat and will stick to your pan if you don’t keep it moving or add oil. P.S. I served this with the Moroccan spiced sweet potatoes recipe and it was a great pairing!
Why would you call these burgers “Greek burgers”?
I am from Greece and even though we do make chicken or turkey burgers, this is not a traditional Greek food. Plus in our burgers we do not add spinach nor sun dried tomatoes.
These turkey burgers got a biggg stamp of approval from my “turkey burger expert” of a bf. I had some leftover whipped feta dip from the Super Bowl and used it instead of the yogurt sauce and omg… delicious. *chef’s kiss* Add these to your rounds ASAP!
Recipe looks amazing! What is the Calorie count per burger?
Thank you.
We only recently brought on a Registered Dietician to our team. She’s working hard behind the scenes to update the entire recipe database, over 1500+ recipes, with nutritional information. She’s working her way from the newest recipes back and it takes some time to update them all. Stay tuned!
5 star recipe! I absolutely loved this! My swaps were: fresh dill for dried, no bread crumbs, red bell pepper instead of sun dried tomatoes, and half arugula and spinach (I ran out of spinach lol), everyone loved them and they ate super healthy and clean!
The flavors in this recipe are so tasty! I used fresh spinach and instead of burgers I made these into meatballs. Cooked in my air fryer at 375 for 15 minutes. So good!
These were amazing! I forgot the sundried tomatoes, and they were still Incredibly flavorful!!
This has become a biweekly staple in my wife and I’s rotation. We actually serve over a bed of fresh baby spinach for a healthy option. 5 stars!
These were delicious…So flavorful! I EVOO’d my hands lightly before I made the mix into patties…Also added a little oil to the pan. They came out great! Will def make them again & again! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
These were AMAZING! My whole family loved them. Since I am eating low carb I had them without the bun and didn’t miss it at all. So much flavor!
This recipe is super great, lots of flavor and it is healthy
Made these last night by my daughter’s recommendation. LOVED them. I think the sun dried tomatoes is what makes them so delicious. Definitely making them again. Great idea to make them into a meatloaf. Less work.
These were fantastic! I left out the sundried tomatoes just because I’m not fond of them… And I didn’t use the egg or breadcrumbs. They were the most delicious burgers I’ve ever made!! Amazing I will definitely be making these in the future!!
Can you cook it all together as a meatloaf?
Probably! That’s a great idea. :)
So I made a huge batch because I had 3# of ground turkey to use up… I cooked half of the mix as burgers and the other half I made into meat loaves.
I omitted the breadcrumbs (because I didn’t have them anyway), and added a cup and a half or so of cooked quinoa (that I cooked in veggie broth for flavor) and an extra egg. I formed it into little freeform loaves on a sheet pan and topped with a sun dried tomato ketchup. Baked at 350 for 45-60 minutes, depending on size, until no longer pink in the middle. Very tasty and got great reviews!
These look great, gonna try them this week for dinner for the family. One tip I have for working with ground turkey, wear gloves! It doesn’t stick to food prep gloves at all. Life Changing!
I made these last night – we LOVED them! So, so good, and pretty easy to make. I REALLY love tzatiki sauce, so I almost made that instead, but the dill sauce was much easier to make, so I figured I’d give it a try – SO glad I did! I love dill, and this sauce was perfect for the burgers. Great recipe!!!
I made these last night, but with a twist. Instead of burgers I turned the mixture into meatballs (I got 25 or so about an inch and a half in diameter) and baked them in the oven until done.
To serve with them, I cooked some Orzo on the stovetop in chicken broth (two cups orzo, four cups broth) and once the orzo was cooked and the mixture smooth I added in a few tablespoons of pesto I had leftover from another recipe, and some Parmesan cheese I also had on hand.
I served the greek turkey meatballs on top of a pile of the pesto Parmesan orzo, with a dollop of tzatziki with the meatballs. The flavor was intense, but really good. I may not have needed the pesto, or at least not as much, but it was very much a ‘what do I have left in the fridge’ sort of thing. I don’t regret adding it, but even in its absence just the cooked orzo with Parmesan would have been fine.
What an AMAZING idea! I made the burgers last night and loved them, but next time I might have do this instead!
Sounds delicious!!! :-)
I just made these and I loved them! They tasted just like a gyro, but super easy! I used the ingredient list for 6 which calls for 1.25 pounds of turkey. I ended up using 2 pounds to get heartier patties to appease my husband to eating turkey burgers. ;) I went with slightly less sun dried tomatoes, slightly more spinach (~3oz.), used 1/2 a red onion (I love it!) and 2/3 a cup of feta. I toasted the buns in a pan with butter and it was amazing!
GREAT recipe! The sauce was perfect with it, and we had a few leftover burgers that froze well.
Super delicious, and the sauce was to die for!
Can you make these ahead and freeze them?
Yes, you could certainly mix up the meat, form them into patties, and freeze them. :)
Love these burgers! So good!
Hello, This is a great recipe, have been preparing it as meatballs especially for appetizers–and they are delicious. However, since we are all on “programs,” we need know the nutrition details (protein, sat fat, fiber, etc) Or if you have the weight watchers Smart Points per serving, that would be so very helpful! Thanks so much for a great recipe, and even better when we know the nutritional composition.
So amazingly good! I just made them!
Tried it, came out delish, although, I omitted cheese, still came out great
Thank you for your recipe
How long do these need to cook? Would you be able to add the cook time to the actual directions please? Your recipes are the best and I’m so appreciative of you and your site!
It really depends on the size and thickness of the burger and which method you use to cook them, but in my George Foreman I usually go for about 7 minutes (make sure it’s pre-heated). Either way you’ll want to check it for doneness in the center and adjust as needed.
These were wonderful! I actually included extra sun dried tomatoes and added a little of the oil from the jar to the burgers, and they were so moist. Yummy recipe.
These were wonderful- huge hit! Only suggestion, I wish there was more instruction on cooking. I pan fried between medium-medium high and the edges stuck to the pan. I read above in comments that grilling for 12 minutes in a George Foreman grill worked well, will try this next time.
OMG!!! bursting with flavor. this is def going to be filed in the recipe archive and used over and over and over again!! thank you
Hey Beth! How would I bake these in the oven? These look amazing 👌🏼
I’d have to experiment with it first to figure out the right time and temperature.
BEST turkey burgers EVER!!! My entire family devoured them (I have a 3 and a 5 year old). This will definitely be in our regular rotation going forward! THANK YOU!
Thank You.
My first visit to your site–very nice!
What are those interesting carrots in the last picture?
Those are my Carrot and Feta Salad. :)
Have made these several times exactly as written (just doubling the recipe to get better mileage from the spinach and feta…the patties freeze well) and the recipe is perfect! Delicious, healthy, and easy THANK YOU!!!!!
Could you freeze these and save them for later?
Yes, these should freeze well. :)
Hi Beth,
Do you dry or oil packed sun dried tomatoes… I found both at the store and wasn’t sure which would work best
Thanks!
I like oil packed the best, but they tend to be more expensive than the dry kind. I used dry for this recipe. :) You can soak them in a little hot water for a few minutes to make them more plump and pliable, too.
It was pretty good. I really like the addition of the sun dried tomato….but I agree with Beth–ground turkey is not my favorite. I will probably only make these once or twice a year at most.
I just made these again the other night and they are great! I used fresh spinach that I just wilted in the microwave, and I go a little heavy on the dill in the sauce (love me some dill!!), but other than that, we follow the recipe exactly. These are so delicious, moist and flavorful!
Just made them.B st burgers I’ve ever eaten!!!!!
These are so satisfying and delicious! My entire family enjoyed them. I grilled them the first time and second time I cooked them on top of the stove in a frying pan sprayed with a little oil. They will be sticky when you shape them but they cook up firm with the egg and breadcrumbs in them. So glad you shared your recipe!
I love this recipe! Thanks so much for sharing! My husband and I both, give this recipe and dill sauce two thumbs up!
Trista
One of my favorite new recipes! It is absolutely delicious, thank you!
These were A-mazing!!!! My 15 year old daughter raved about them as well. Will definitely be making these all summer!
We don’t eat turkey burgers in Greece. Just because you toss in feta or olives or something else doesn’t mean it’s Greek.
Call it Greek inspired or just a turkey burger with feta, please.
Who cares!!
Even in Greece there will be different variations to recipes. I’m sure you have not tried them all. Lighten up!
Food is food, so it’s NOT a big deal!!! No one placed a gun to your head, and forced you to eat anything, especially turkey burgers!!!!
Do you happen to know the calorie value?
This looks absolutely delicious! Think I’m going to have to try this and either freeze or refrigerate the uncooked burgers for later.
We used thin burger buns for a low carb option and then for breakfast we layered a scrambled egg patty onto our leftover burgers and it was delicious all over again! Thanks for the great recipe!
I made these last night and they were wonderful! I got a little carried away with the onion, but it was fine. I cannot wait to make these for my family again!
Can you substitute something for the bread crumbs? What would you recommend?
You might be able to do cooked rice. Day old cooked rice would be best, so that it’s just slightly on the dry side.
I can’t even remember how many times my boyfriend and I have made this recipe (he’s obsessed). It’s equally as delicious every time. So simple, and cheap. I bought turkey and yogurt x2 and doubled the recipe. Try it!
I made these, but instead of the yogurt sauce I mixed some olive oil mayo with lemon juice, and and it was fantastic! I also used whole wheat English muffins as buns, which worked well. My husband and I loved these!
These are amazing! Making them again tonight! Substituted sour cream for yogurt and we like the sauce sooo much! Also used fresh dill instead of dried. Best recipe of the moment!
These are very good, I made them the other night!
This was by far one of mine and my partner’s favourite meals we’ve ever cooked together. On the menu for next week! Great recipe, thankyou!!
Do you think these will freeze well? If so, should I freeze them raw or cooked?
I think I would freeze them raw, then make sure to thaw them in the fridge the day before.
These freeze amazingly. I put raw ones individually in a zip lock bag and freeze them. I just thaw out an hour or so before cooking, they thaw fast individually. Makes great portion control for when I’m alone.
Oh my goodness, these were so good. I used ground chicken breast and I didn’t have sun dried tomatoes so I used roasted red peppers. Everything else the same. I was so scared it would be dry and lack flavor. That was not the case. Even my daughter and husband both loved it. Will be in our rotation from now on!
These are sooo good! My 2 toddlers even agree! Made with cucumber and tomato mint salad. Don’t even need a bun.
How long would u cook the patties in the skillet for…?
It will really depend on the size/thickness of your burgers, the type of skillet you have, and the exact heat of your skillet. It’s kind of one of those things you have to play by ear. If you have a meat thermometer that might be the easiest way to tell when they’re done.
This was really good! Even with having to sub out some ingredients it was a hit with my emerging eater. I’m going to put it on my rotation for him. My little one has a feeding tube and is now able to eat solids by mouth, no liquids, and has a milk allergy. I had to use diary free cheese and panko crumbs. I didn’t have a red onion and I used a bit more spinach and Italian seasoning. I started off sautéing them in a pan but half way through the little one was needing me so I transferred them to the broiler. I put a sprinkle of fiesta cheese on top of my patty. We ate it with vegetable rotini that was tossed with minced sun dried tomatoes, olives, capers, olive oil and Italian seasoning, coconut milk yogurt and fresh cucumbers and carrots. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
ohhhh myyyy these are soooo good!! I had to leave out and sub some ingredients because I am trying to empty my fridge before we leave for vacation Saturday (hooray!) so I used the turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, roasted peppers, red onion, and seasonings…I had to sub zucchini for cucumber…we skipped the sauce only because of trying to empty the fridge, and ate them over a bed of Quiona and sautéed zucchini!! Omggggg!! Can’t wait for leftovers for lunch tomorrow!! Will be trying the full recipe when we return, can’t wait!!
Oh my! So so so good. And I want to hug you because my two year old, who refuses to eat just about everything, at this burger. And loved it! Soooo good!
Could I use fresh baby spinach and if so,how much would you recommend? Thanks!!!
You could, but you’d probably want to sauté it down until it looks wilted like the frozen spinach, otherwise it will make it difficult for the burgers to hold together. I’d use about three big handfulls (about 3 cups?) of fresh spinach. That will wilt down quite a bit when sautéed.
about two or three cups of fresh spinach will do. no need to wilt down just roll the spinach up and give a nice chop :)
Can I just say, thank you for the step by step pictures! Not saying they’re always needed, but I hate when sites post 50 pictures of JUST the final product.
Will definitely be making these soon! Was there a certain amount of time you kept the burgers on the Foreman grill or is it more wait til it browns?
How long can the yogurt sauce last in the refrigerator?
Probably about 5 or 6 days.
Just made this for lunch. IT WAS AWESOME! I skipped the yogurt sauce (it’s just not my thing) and used my grill pan to go it on the stove top. I didn’t change the recipe at all and it was amazing! Will DEFINITELY make again!!
these burgers are so amazing!!! They reheat so well….I have had one for lunch everyday this week! I wasn’t a fan of the dill sauce so I topped it with a little of ketchup and mayo!
We had these for dinner tonight (minus the dairy ingredients because I’m allergic) and I thought they were so good! Thanks for an amazing recipe!
Do you know the calorie count on one pattie?
375 w/ bun
Just made these for dinner and everyone loved them! They didn’t even notice the onions! Yum yum!
Hi I have made these a couple of times, they are really good. I use fresh garlic and didn’t have sundried tomato so used roasted red pepper I think it added a bit more moisture. Thanks for a great recipe.
Just made these for dinner and wow were they good! My husband said he had his doubts about “turkey” burgers but was pleasantly surprised. They were also very filling – we wanted to have more so bad but couldn’t do it! Thank you for the recipe, it’s a keeper!
Just made these for dinner and they were great! I really like them without a bun too, just slathered in the yogurt sauce :) i baked them in the oven at 375 for 30 minutes, turning once halfway through and they were perfect. Thank you for the awesome recipe!
How long did you cook these on the george foreman? I am looking forward to making them!
I usually do about 6-7 minutes.
This is pretty interesting mix. I’m gonna give it a try. I often add ground flaxseeds into mine. Not only it’s full of goodness like Omega 3s, but it actually makes your burger more moist.
The only thing I found strange is your avoidance of fats… like selecting leaner meat, low-fat yogurt, etc. Fat is crucial for our bodies and especially for the brain – you might wanna rethink your stand on it. :) http://greatist.com/health/saturated-fat-healthy
These look great. I’m not a sun-dried tomatoes fan. Do you think they are critical?
Nope! They just added a little something extra to an already good burger. :)
This recipe is amazing! I made a couple patties, and put the rest of the batch into the freezer. They kept extremely well. Still so flavorful.
Every recipe I’ve tried from Budget Bytes has been amazing, and this one didn’t disappoint either. I’m not typically fond of sun-dried tomatoes, so I was a little on the fence with the idea of throwing them in something, but no regrets. I could only get seasoned tomatoes, but the flavor was subtle enough that I don’t think it did much to change the taste. Overall verdict? So good I almost want to cook another right now…and I just had one.
I’ve just got my first freezer (EXCITING – officially an adult now :P) and I’m completely clueless about what’s good to go in it. Would these freeze well? Looks like it’d be pretty easy to make single servings instead of the batch if not. They look amazing!
My cooking abilities leave much to be desired…luckily my man does most of the cooking or else I would starve. That being said, I attempt making a meal every so often. When I saw this recipe posted on Buzzfeed’s “7 easy dinners to try this week”, it looked super delish and not too difficult (as the title would imply), so I decided to give it a try. The prep was easy. That yogurt sauce is legit! I’ve been spreading the leftover on pita with hummus and sun-dried tomato tapenade. I found the burgers easy to mold without using the egg or breadcrumbs. I love that I was able to sneak some veggies in the patties too. Super yum. I enjoyed them, but more importantly, my boyfriend was very impressed. I will definitely be making these again soon!!!!!!!
I’m trying to figure out what the green is in the patty? Spinach? I didn’t see that in the ingredient list. These look amazing!
It’s the 2 oz. of spinach, which is listed in the ingredients between the onion and feta. :)
Amazing! Trust me… grill on the bbq instead of an indoor grill!
These were so very good! I wonder if the recipe could be used to make meatballs?
Probably, yes! :)
I think that this was one of the BEST recipes that I’ve ever put into my mouth! It’s a keeper! I might make it into a meatloaf next time and see how that works. Great recipe!!!!
Wow these were great!! I didn’t use bread crumbs nor egg and they turned out perfectly. I ate mine without a bun and without the sauce and it was great. So much flavor!! My whole family loved it.
I just wanted to express my delight in finding your website. I too am from Louisiana, and I was lucky enough to have a mother who taught me how to cook, how to save money, and how to make use of my freezer. With that said, my family taught me how to make these amazing meals that wasn’t so amazing for my waistline.
I was so tired of typing “budget friendly healthy meal recipes” in Google. Now I don’t have to! I will be purchasing your cookbook very soon!
Thank you for all your recipes! They are fantastic! Keep up the good work!
So great! Thanks for the recipe.
Very tasty. I used fresh garlic instead of jarred and no egg or crumb and it held together fine. Round number two is tonight.
I made these last night for my husband and I. They were very fresh tasting, flavorful, and light. We both enjoyed them and I plan on making them again. The only change I made was to use roasted red peppers instead of sun-dried tomatoes, since we like the peppers better.
Thanks for posting this. This is about the 4th or 5th recipe of yours that I’ve tried, and I haven’t found a bad one yet. Keep it up!
Wow, these were fantastic! Kids loved them… asked if we can make a weekly Greek turkey burger night! Yum!
OH. MY. GOD. I’ve been so excited for my next cooking night since I found this recipe, and they did not disappoint. This is probably the best burger I’ve ever eaten. Truth be told, I’m not super in to super meaty things (ie. burgers), but if every burger was like this, I’d be so on board. So much flavour, and the yogurt dill sauce is amazing. I whipped up some honey balsamic carrots for the side. I can’t wait for dinner tomorrow!!!
I made these on Saturday night on the Foreman. HOLY COW. They were incredibly good. So much flavor. I served them with a small side of a typical greek salad (romaine, cherry tomatoes, red onion, oil/vinegar dressing) and replaced hamburger buns with sandwich thins… the whole meal came in at under 500 calories.
What would be another cheese to use instead of Feta?
Well, the feta gives the burgers a distinctly Greek flavor. You could try some mozzarella or goat cheese, but it may stick to the cooking surface and definitely won’t have that classic Greek flavor.
Made these tonight! So tasty! The sundried tomatoes really made the burger have a sweet element. I had to substitute other herbs for the dill but everything turned out great! The guys had seconds!
Oh, I meant to add that I made one change to the recipe. I used ground chicken instead of ground turkey. Will try gt next time. Thanks again.
OMG, this was so awesome! I made this for the fam tonight and received kudos all around the table. I love your blog; so many great cheap ideas. Thanks for the inspiration.
I’ve been making these turkey burgers for 6 months now, about once a week! It is a FAVORITE in our house! I don’t change the recipe at all! These burgers are so amazing! I always tell myself I am going to double the recipe so I can freeze some for later, but that would never happen! we would just end up eating turkey burgers for like 4 days! I love your website, I pretty much stick to your recipes only when I cook, I have never been let down! Thank you so much for this amazing recipe and your amazing website! My boyfriend is a very happy man because of your recipes! :)
Made these today. Left out the egg and bread crumbs and they were perfect. I used the george foreman grill and let them cook on med/high for 12 minutes. Out of this world!!
Made these today. Left out the egg and bread crumbs and they were perfect. I used the george foreman grill and let them cook on med/high for 12 minutes. Out of this world!!
SHUT THE FRONT FREAKIN DOOR. These turkey burgers are so out of control good that I ate two before the rest were finished. I took your advice and nixed the egg and breadcrumbs. They held up perfectly on their own. No GF grill here, so I made them in a cast iron skillet with a smidgen of extra virgin olive oil, but other than that no other subs. Have you ever eaten something that would make you want to cry/slap someone/both? These burgers were it! I’ve never eaten a turkey burger this juicy. Winner winner turkey dinner for sure!
Amazing burgers…sooooo tasty and I’ve always been really against ground turkey (go beef!) but these changed my mind.
I will say that I did them in an iron frying pan. Next time, I’ll start them in that, and finish them in the oven. They got a little dark before I was comfortable they were done throughout!
Also, since I’m cooking for one and this is one of the spendier recipes, I divided it into sets of two (yes I eat two burgers at a time)and froze four and cooked two. Three meals, four bucks each for THIS GTFO
Just made these on a Foreman —- they were DELICIOUS! This recipe is a keeper for sure. Healthy and yummy.
has anyone made these on the grill? how did they turn out?
I tried adding fresh cilantro chopped instead of the spinach and added some red-wine vinegar (about 1 tbsp) for a kick. It was YUMMY that way too. My kids liked it both ways and beg for this weekly. Thanks so much!
yum!!! amazing! thanks for sharing the recipe and good to know that it has worked well without turning out a dry patty!
I think this may truly be the best burger I’ve ever made! I used fresh spinach and slow roasted my own tomatoes, but other than that I followed your recipe. I fully expected these burgers to be a little dry but they were super moist! I loved the dill sauce as well! So happy I made this, as it will now become a simple recipe to add to the rotation! Thanks so much!
Tina
Soooo good! I made these for my family and it was a huge hit! I’m recently teaching myself how to cook and this impressed everyone! This blog is great :)
This looks delicious! I’ve got some reduced-fat feta in my fridge that I’ve been trying to find a good recipe for.
These were great! Thank you!
Unreal. They were SO good. Thanks for another awesome recipe Beth.
Wow, here’s one of those shrinking packages for you: the Fage I just bought yesterday is 6oz, not 7. Stupid food prices.
This was delicious! Thanks for the recipe!!
We make home made burgers regularly. It’s a lot cheaper than buying gourmet burgers which cost $10-12 NZ each. I’m the same when it comes to making burgers. I start off with a small handful of ingredients but then get over excited and the burger ends up being a towering monstrosity. I’ve never seen ground turkey here in New Zealand, but it seems to be a nice change from other minced meats. Though I bet it would be pretty expensive if I managed to track it down. Turkey isn’t all that common here. It’s more like a luxury item…Yup, just tracked down some turkey at my local supermarket. They only do smoked turkey and it’s $30 per kg.
You could probably do it with ground chicken. I’d think it would taste similar.
Looks good! Oh, and for a change up, substitute mint instead of dill for the tzatizki yogurt sauce. That’s how I prefer it :)
I gotta try these! I always make turkey burgers and love to try new ones. I find the key to good cooking with ground turkey is to always get all white meat – it’ll say it on the package. Otherwise it tastes funny and smells even worse.
oooh yum! i love trying new ways to cook turkey burgers. this recipe is next up for sure!
This recipe sounds great. Some of my favorite ingredients: spinach and feta. Can’t wait to try this Greek inspired burger.
oh..my…God! This may be just the tastiest burger EVER made! I must try it and the yogurt dill sauce looks to die for!…wow, I just got really excited over a burger..haha! Can’t wait to try it!