Mediterranean Turkey Burgers

Lately, I’ve tried to get in the habit of taking Wednesday nights off from the gym, and coming straight home from work to try a new recipe. My hope is that the end product turns out good enough to post on the blog. Sadly not every recipe makes the cut. This week was a success though! I usually try to go to the grocery store on my lunch and get all the ingredients I need, so when I get home I can start the recipe and not have to rush. Cooking is much more therapeutic when you can do it at a leisurely pace. I had Gabe pick the recipe this week, because he always picks something I wouldn’t necessarily choose myself. This week was Mediterranean Turkey Burgers. The recipe is simple enough for a weeknight meal, and can easily be doubled for a crowd if you’re entertaining. The ingredients can be swapped to your taste and to whatever may be in stock in your kitchen. Καλή όρεξη! That’s “bon appétit” in Greek ; )

Mediterranean Turkey Burgers

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

Yogurt Sauce

6 oz. plain greek yogurt

1 lemon, juiced

1 fresh garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Burgers

1 1/4 pounds ground turkey

6 kalamata olives, minced

1/4 red onion, diced

1 handful fresh spinach, chopped

¼ cup crumbled feta

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 fresh garlic cloves, minced

⅓ cup bread crumbs

1 egg

6 fresh hamburger buns

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Toppings: sliced red onion, tomato, and cucumber

Instructions

Yogurt Sauce

Prepare the yogurt sauce by combining the yogurt, garlic, thyme, parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Stir everything to combine and then refrigerate to allow the flavors to come together while the burgers cook.

Burgers

In a large bowl, combine the turkey, spinach, olives, red onion, feta, garlic, oregano, egg, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. It works well to squish the mixture with your hands. Then, shape the meat into six patties.

Cook the burgers on a cast iron grill pan or a grill if you’ve got one. Grill the burgers until cooked through (internal temperature 165 degrees). Spread the yogurt sauce on both sides of the bun, add the burger and top with thin slices of red onion, tomato, and cucumber. Serve immediately!