These turkey burgers feature lean ground turkey combined with crumbled feta and chopped spinach. They're juicy and packed with flavor and make a great choice for your next cookout!
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Why this recipe works
I love a good homemade burger, but sometimes cookouts can get a little boring with the same old burgers and hot dogs. This recipe is a perfect change up for those times you want something a little different. They're juicy and packed with flavor and will surely wow your guests!
Ingredients
- Ground Turkey - I use the 93% lean variety and not the 99% lean ground turkey breast. You'll need the little bit extra fat to help keep the burgers moist on the hot grill.
- Feta Cheese - I prefer the block style feta over pre-crumbled. It's much easier to dice it into small even sized chunks for mixing into your burgers.
- Spinach - I use chopped fresh baby spinach and saute it in a little olive oil for about 2 minutes until wilted. Then drain off any excess water that's released during cooking. You can use it raw if you like too. Frozen will also work, just be sure to thaw it and remove as much excess moisture as possible.
- Bread Crumbs - these will help bind everything and hold the burgers together
- Olive Oil - Adding a little touch of olive oil to the burger mix gives additional moisture to the burgers and helps keep them from drying out.
- Garlic - Minced garlic gives a great boost of flavor to the burgers. Garlic powder will also work.
- Oregano - Another flavor booster.
- Salt and Pepper
What spinach should I use?
How you start depends on what type of spinach you use. If you use thawed frozen chopped spinach you'll begin by thoroughly draining the spinach to remove any excess moisture. If you use fresh spinach you can either saute it quickly in olive oil or just chop it and use raw. I prefer mine sauteed.
How to prepare turkey burgers
- Simply add your spinach, turkey, and the rest of the remaining ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix them together. I find it easiest to use my hands for this.
- Form into 4 equal sized balls and smash them into round patties and set on a plate.
- Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours before cooking.
The refrigeration is important to give the patties time to set up so they hold together when cooking. If you go straight to the grill after making your patties they will very likely fall apart when you go to flip them.
Cooking tips for turkey burgers
Turkey burgers get a bad rap for being dry and bland. This is usually due to the low fat content of the meat compared with typical beef burgers. The key to cooking these spinach and feta turkey burgers and keeping them moist is to cook them over medium heat so they can cook through without drying out. If you use a high heat you will dry out the meat before the center is cooked.
The addition of the feta cheese and the olive oil also helps keep these turkey burgers from drying out and makes them super juicy. They're also well seasoned throughout so every bite is packed with flavor.
It's important to ensure that your grill rates are scrubbed clean and then lightly coated with oil before adding your turkey burgers. This will help to keep them from sticking. To do this I add about a tablespoon of vegetable oil to a folded up paper towel and wipe the grates to coat them before turning on the heat.
Grilling your turkey burgers
Cook the burgers for around 5 minutes per side until they are cooked through. I like to use a thermometer such as my Thermoworks Thermapen Mk4 to be sure that I cook them to a safe internal temperature of 165°F. That way I can pull them off as soon as they are cooked through and keep them as moist as possible.
Another quick tip, if you're making these burgers along side beef hamburgers, set up two zones on the grill with one side for medium-high heat for the beef burgers and the other set to medium-low for the turkey.
How to serve the turkey burgers
These burgers are great topped with a spread of homemade tzatziki sauce, some fresh spinach, and thin sliced red onion. Thin sliced cucumbers or sliced roasted red peppers are other great options. They're also great with more traditional burger toppings like lettuce and tomato.
Recipe Tips and FAQs
The burger patties can be made up to 1 day ahead of time before cooking. The cooked burgers also reheat well. For the best results reheat in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through. You can also reheat in the microwave.
You can also freeze the raw or cooked patties. To use frozen raw patties let them that prior to cooking so they will cook evenly.
Cook over medium heat until they reach an internal temperature of 165° F. About 5 to 6 minutes per side.
📖 Recipe
Spinach and Feta Turkey Burger
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey preferably 92-93% lean
- 2 cups fresh spinach chopped, see note
- 4 ounces feta cheese diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix with your hands until thoroughly combined.
- Divide the mixture into 4 equal sized balls and smash into round patties, approximately 1 inch thick.
- Transfer to a plate and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cooking.
- Cook on grill over medium heat to an internal temperature of 165°F, around 4-5 minutes per side.
Notes
* All nutrition information we provide are estimates based on third party calculators. We encourage you to calculate these on your own for accurate results.
Melanie
Love this recipe. Make it all the time.
Scott
Thanks so much!