These Tender Greek Turkey Burgers are a hit. Ground turkey is blended with garlic, kalamata olives, feta, and capers. Stack’em how you want, but cucumbers, roasted red peppers, and spoonfuls of tzatziki are the true way to go.
Burgers: you can do so many fun things with them. And the restaurants in my little town do not shy away from being adventurous. Menus here are brimming with bold combinations that include bourbon maple bacon, guacamole and grilled pineapple, fried egg and béarnaise… but every time we go for burgers, I find myself ordering the same ol’ classic stacked with cheddar cheese, pickles, a tomato, crisp iceberg, an onion, ketchup, mayo, and mustard.
That, my friends, is the perfect burger.
But at home, I like to shake things up once in a while. And I certainly don’t regret shaking things up to bring you this beautiful beast.
How to make a juicy and flavorful turkey burger.
Turkey burgers get a bad rap for being dry and flavorless because they’re lean; fat is flavor. But there are ways around this.
Don’t overcook your burger. Overcooked poultry is a recipe for disappointment. I get it, salmonella is awful and we’re better safe than sorry—but safe doesn’t have to mean lacking in everything good. Get yourself a meat thermometer (one of the most important kitchen gadgets, in my opinion), and cook those patties until they reach an internal temperature of 160º F. Protein continues to cook after being removed from heat, so it will reach the preferred internal temp of 165º F once your burger is fancied up and you bite into it. A little side tip: using your thumb to press a dimple into the center of any burger patty will keep it from shrinking up and drying on the grill.
Jack up the seasoning. When it comes to flavor, poultry needs all the help it can get. So don’t be afraid to season the heck out of it. The rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon of salt for every pound of ground meat. In my turkey meatball recipe, I cut the salt in half because the marinara they’re cooked in brings on extra flavor. But when it comes to burgers, salt’em up. Garlic powder, onion powder, herbs, and Worcestershire sauce go a long way, too.
Get the right kind of meat. Look for ground dark meat turkey. If you can’t find that, find a turkey that is, at max, 80-90% lean. (Butcher is best, but as Ina Garten would say, store-bought is fine.)
Add moisture. I always add an egg to any burgers I make as a binder, but here, the egg multitasks by bringing some extra moisture to the meat.
Refrigerate before cooking. This step is more to help with keeping the patties together than assisting with tenderness and flavor, but it’s crucial. I refrigerate my turkey burgers and meatballs for at least 30 minutes prior to cooking, if not a few hours longer.
Tender Greek Turkey Burgers.
I’ve been all about (and maybe overdoing) Mediterranean flavors lately. It shows in these antipasto sandwiches and in these stuffed pasta shells. But before taking a break from all of that good stuff, I had to bring you this recipe.
The patties are packed with garlic, kalamata olives, briny capers, feta cheese, red onion, and spices. Every bite is jam-packed with flavor, making these turkey burgers a total win for warm-weather dinners. When it comes to toppings, I like to slather on the tzatziki and pile on the cucumbers and roasted red peppers.
If you try this recipe or create your own variation, let me know in the comments! I love connecting with you.
Also, snap a photo and tag me on the Insta @killing__thyme and be featured in our newsletter.
Looking for more recipes that swap ground beef for ground turkey? Check out my Tender Turkey Meatballs With Easy Marinara Sauce and my Instant Pot Ground Turkey Tacos.
Here are some more tasty ground turkey recipes…
- Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers from Delightful Mom Food
- Sweet Potato Turkey Egg Bake from Crumb Top Baking
- Turkey Meatloaf from Pinch and Swirl
Tender Greek Turkey Burgers
Ingredients
- 4 hamburger buns or kaiser rolls
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- 1 lb lean ground turkey dark meat preferred, OR between 80-90% lean.
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup drained kalamata olives, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 TBSP drained capers, finely chopped
- 2 TBSP freshly chopped parsley
- 1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme or Italian herb mix
Topping Suggestions.
- Tomato slices
- Leafy greens
- Cucumbers
- Roasted red peppers
- Red onion
- 4 Hamburger buns or kaiser rolls
- Tzatziki
- Olive tapenade
- Pesto + mayo
Instructions
- Line a paper plate or baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- Place the ground turkey in a large bowl. Add all of the ingredients from the kosher salt through to the dried herbs. With clean hands, get in there and mix the ingredients until well combined.
- Shape four even patties with your hands. Ensure they're solid and well-formed, then set onto the parchment-covered surface. Wash your hands and place the patties in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, if not a few hours. This will help the patties become more sturdy and stay together when cooking.
If cooking on a skillet.
- Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the patties. (Depending on the size of your skillet, I'd suggest no more than two at a time. You don't want to overcrowd the skillet.) Cook the patty for about five minutes. Carefully flip the patties, and cook for another 5-7 minutes, or until the patties reach an internal temperature of 160º F. (Protein continues to cook once removed from the heat, so once the burgers are prepared, they'll have reached the ideal 165º F.)
If cooking on the grill.
- Always start with a CLEAN grill. This will prevent your meat from sticking and falling apart. Preheat the grill to high heat.
- Grease up the grill by lightly dipping a ball of paper towels in olive or vegetable oil with tongs. Using those tongs, carefully glide the oiled paper towel over the grates until they're fully coated and glossy. (You may have to do this 3-4 times.)
- Place the turkey burgers on the grill and cook for five minutes, covered, until you get some nice grill marks going. Then, carefully flip the patties and continue to cook them, covered, for 3-5 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 160º F.
To serve.
- Serve on fresh buns or kaiser rolls with your fave toppings. See ingredients list for suggested toppings.
I tried these turkey burgers last week and they were absolutely delicious! So moist and flavourful. I love the flavour combo. I will definitely be making these again. Thanks for sharing. :)
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Donna! Thanks for stopping by with feedback :)
Nothing boring about your turkey burgers. On the contrary, you’ve seasoned them perfectly.
I’m glad you think so, Karen :)
These burgers look sooo delicious, I love the Greek flavours! A burger with tzatziki is always so good, I can’t wait to try this recipe out!
My dad always said that it isn’t a good burger unless it’s messy, and this looks about as messy as it gets. Absolutely loving everything about this burger!
I never go for beef burgers. I always go for turkey burgers. In fact, I picked up some ground turkey yesterday to make some turkey burgers for the weekend, so I’m going to give this recipe a try! Love the Mediterranean flavours, and all of your tips for cooking the patties are super helpful! Thanks for a great recipe Dana!
Omggggggg…THIS! How scrumptious do these look?! My other half and I love burgers and we eat them at least once a month. We’re also Greek food lovahs, sooooo this one’s goin down, for sure! Love all the ingredients…and girl, your sandwich skills are off the hook!
oh boy!! These look amazing. We had our first barbecue in MONTHS yesterday and I can’t wait to add these to our burger rotation.
Dana, this recipe is GENIUS! The olives and the feta in this burger…. oh sheesh DROOL! My husband is a burger lover, but I don’t eat beef, and I think this is going on our menu very soon!
Those burgers look absolutely scrumptious! I can’t believe how good they look and my gosh the sides you have with them is a salad – you don’t need anything else. We’re having the family over as soon as the weather turns a little warmer to break in our new gas grill. These turkey burgers will be ideal.
I’ve seriously never seen a burger that looked so juicy, vibrant and flavorful. I hope you were using a mandoline to slice your vegtables, otherwise I’m going to have to go back to school — because my knife skills are nowhere near that good. Thanks for your tips on seasoning the turkey burger — because you’re right, if they’re not well seasoned, it’s tough to make them taste good. One thing I’ve done with lean turkey (not the dark meat) is to add a brandade (breadcrumbs and milk soaked together). It brings up the moisture quotient enough to pass on a leaner burger… course, I’m happy to eat the dark meat too! Call me next time this is on the menu.
These burgers look delicious! I’ve always been afraid to make turkey burgers because most of the ones I’ve had are dry and flavorless, but I love how you give tons of tips to avoid having these problems. And I totally agree with you: a meat thermometer is one of the best investments you can make. especially if you want to make a perfect burger.
We love using turkey and like you said you have to up the seasonings. I just love how you’ve crafted this one I’d have to agree that you’ve created the perfect burger! I’m drooling just thinking of a big ole bite!
This is such a great change of pace from beef burgers. Love the flavours, and these would be great for a BBQ party. I sure hope grilling season is just around the corner. I need to give this recipe a try.
This looks delicious, I will have to try!!! Pinning! Thank you for also sharing the ground turkey stuffed peppers:-)
We love turkey burgers and yours look so juicy! Love those mile high toppings too!