Topped with feta cheese and tangy Kalamata olive aioli, this Greek Turkey Burger recipe will instantly become one of your favorites when you fire up the grill! Turkey is very underrated meat for making burgers, until now!
Turkey is very lean, which makes it a healthy choice when serving food to your family. Because it is so lean, you need to make sure that you don’t overcook it. You want it moist and juicy when you serve it.
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What goes into a greek turkey burger?
Well, obviously, you need ground turkey to make the homemade burger patties. But there are some other key ingredients that make this juicy turkey burger one of the best burgers around! The great thing is that if you don’t have all the ingredients on hand, they should be readily available at your local grocer.
Ingredients
- Lean ground turkey
- Egg
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Italian seasoning
- Red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- Mayo
- Kalamata olives, chopped
- Lemon juice
- Feta cheese
- Hamburger buns
- Cucumber, sliced
- Tomato, sliced
- Lettuce
How to grill Greek Turkey Burgers
In a large mixing bowl, add the lean ground turkey, egg, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning. To that, add the crushed red pepper flakes, Kosher salt, and pepper (freshly ground).
Mix all the ingredients together until just combined. You do not want to over mix the meat, or it will become tough when you grill it.
Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Now it’s time to start to form your Greek turkey patties. You are going to want to portion your meat to create 6 patties. Each patty should be about 1/3 of a pound or just over 5 ounces. Place them on the lined baking sheet.
Cover the patties with plastic wrap and place the baking sheet into the refrigerator for 30 minutes or up to 6 hours. This allows the meat to rest. It will also help to allow the patties to hold their shape and not fall apart when you are grilling them.
While your turkey patties rest, you can make your Kalamata olive aioli. Finely chop the olives. In a small mixing bowl, add the chopped olives, mayo, and lemon juice. Add a little bit of Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper if you like.
Preheat your grill to medium-high heat (about 400 degrees F) with one side of your grill set up to grill using indirect heat. Place the turkey patties on the grill over direct heat for 3 minutes, flip and grill for another 3 minutes. Move the patties to the indirect side of the grill and continue to cook for 8-10 minutes.
Internal Temperature
You want to grill your turkey burger patties to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F before removing them from the grill. Just before you do take them off the grill, add a Tbsp or 2 of crumbled feta on top of the patties.
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When grilling any meat but especially poultry, it is important to make sure it is cooked to the correct temperature. This Thermoworks Thermapen instant-read thermometer works perfectly.
If you want, you can toast the burger buns while the turkey burgers rest for a few minutes. Place them cut-side down on the grill over direct heat for about a minute. Make sure you watch them as they can go from just a touch of golden brown to burned very quickly!
Serving your Greek Turkey burgers
Now you can finish and serve your turkey burger just about any way you like. For me, I like to stick with the Greek theme and flavors.
Start by spooning a generous amount of the Kalamata olive aioli on the bottom bun. Then begin to layer it with lettuce, cucumber slices and tomato slices. Place the burger topped with the crumbled feta on top and finish it with the burger bun crown.
Is a turkey burger healthier than a hamburger?
The answer to the question is a turkey burger healthier than a beef burger is, generally speaking, yes. Turkey contains less saturated fat than beef and a few fewer calories. This, of course, depends upon how lean both the ground beef and the ground turkey are that you buy.
The great thing about this burger is not only that it tastes fantastic, but it’s also just a little different from your average ordinary grilled burger. You know the ones that everyone grills up all the time.
The zing from the spices and the Kalamata olive aioli add that Mediterranean flavor and flair to this lovely grilled sandwich! There is nothing better in my mind than putting a twist on a classic dish. Spice things up with something new and different. After all, who doesn’t like to travel to different parts of the world through the foods that we prepare and eat?
Can you freeze grilled turkey burgers?
Not that there is likely to be much in the way of leftovers after you grill these babies up, but I would not recommend freezing the turkey patties once you have cooked them on the grill. You can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. If you are freezing the cooked patties, they will tend to dry out as there is not a lot of fat in the meat.
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Greek Turkey Burger
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. Ground Turkey
- 1 Egg
- 2 tsp. Garlic Powder
- 2 tsp. Onion Powder
- 2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
- 1 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- ¼ tsp. Kosher Salt
- ¼ tsp. Pepper
- ½ cup Mayo
- ½ cup chopped Kalamata Olives
- 3 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
- 1 package Feta Cheese block or crumbles
- 6 Gluten-Free Hamburger Buns or regular hamburger buns if not gluten-free
- 1 Cucumber
- 1 Tomato
- Lettuce or greens of choice
Instructions
- Place 2 lbs. of ground turkey in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 egg to the ground turkey along with 2 tsp. each of garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning. Add 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes and ¼ tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper.
- Mix all of these ingredients just until combined. Try not to over-work the meat, or it may become tough when grilling.
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper.
- Portion the spiced turkey into ⅓ lb. (5.3 oz.) patties. You should end up with 6 patties.
- Set the turkey patties on the baking sheet with waxed paper and place them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. You can leave the turkey patties in the fridge for up to 6 hours.
- Heat a charcoal or gas grill to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- While the grill preheats, you can make the Kalamata olive aioli.
- Finely chop ½ cup of Kalamata olives into pieces.
- Place ½ cup mayo in a small bowl.
- Add 3 Tbsp. lemon juice to the mayo and mix until combined.
- Add the chopped Kalamata olives and stir until combined. Add a sprinkle of kosher salt and pepper if desired.
- Place the chilled turkey patties over the direct heat for 3 minutes, flip, and cook for another 3 minutes over the direct heat.
- Move the turkey burgers to more indirect heat and continue to cook for another 8-10 minutes. Remove from the grill when finished. Cooking times may vary depending on the thickness of your burgers and the amount of heat in your grill. The safe internal temperature for ground turkey is 165 degrees Fahrenheit. The internal temperature may be measured with a food thermometer.
- Sprinkle 2 Tbsp. or so of crumbled feta cheese or sliced feta cheese 1-2 minutes before removing the burgers from the grill.
- Place the sliced buns over the direct heat for a minute or so to toast them before serving (optional).
- Cut 1 cucumber into slices as well as 1 tomato (optional).
- Serve the turkey burgers by drizzling a generous amount of the Kalamata olive aioli on the bottom bun.
- Place the grilled burger on top of the aioli and garnish with sliced cucumber, tomato, and lettuce or greens of choice (optional).
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