Spinach Feta Turkey Burgers

These Spinach Feta Turkey Burgers cook up perfectly moist and delicious. These super tender turkey burgers are made with ground turkey, spinach, salty briny crumbled feta, and tasty seasonings and herbs. They are a great non beef option for burger night that I know you will love. The spinach and onions add moisture. The garlic, oregano and feta add a ton of flavor. With a lemony greek yogurt spread - aka tzatztiki (homemade or store-bought) this burger will win over everyone. Great for lunch, an easy dinner, and backyard gatherings, all summer and straight into fall. Directions for grilling and stovetop included. If you’re craving something more traditional, check out our favorite cheese burgers. And don’t miss some of our other grill recipes like Grilled Flank Steak and Grilled Chicken Breast.

Spinach Feta Turkey Burgers

Why You Will Love Them

  • Loads of Flavor - These burgers are so incredibly tasty! The turkey mixture and the suggested toppings are a fresh and delcious combo
  • Moist and Juicy - Ground turkey can be kind of dry, but these burgers are anything but! The ingredients included here ensure the moisture gets locked in.
  • Healthy - Ground turkey is typically leaner and lower in saturated fat than beef. We love them both, but it’s nice to have a healthier option that doesn’t compromise flavor.
  • Cook It Your Way - . These can be made on the grill, on the stovetop, or in the oven. A great year-round burger.

Spinach Feta Turkey Burgers

Spinach Feta Turkey Burgers

Spinach Feat Turkey Burger Ingredients

  • Ground Turkey: I like to use lean ground turkey. You can switch out the protein and use any ground meat in this recipe if you prefer it to ground turkey - like ground chicken to make chicken spinach feta burgers.
  • Fresh Spinach: I like to use fresh baby spinach. Chop the spinach very finely to avoid big chunks of spinach.
  • Garlic: you can either use fresh minced garlic cloves or garlic powder
  • Shallot or Onion: Grated onion will add flavor without over powering or making it chunky.
  • Dried Oregano: A classic spice in Greek food.
  • Pepper: These burgers don’t need added salt due to the feta, but don’t skip the pepper, which is important for seasoning and flavor.
  • Feta Crumbles: Make sure your feta is crumbled finely so it mixes well with the Turkey. The feta cheese keeps the burgers moist and juicy and also adds salt to the mixture, eliminating the need for extra salt seasoning. You don’t want to add too much salt /sodium
  • Worcestershire sauce: This adds depth of flavor and helps imitate that rich flavor we love from a traditional beef burger. some like to sub this out for liquid smoke but that is up to you
  • Dried breadcrumbs: Breadcrumbs act as a binding agent to ensure your burgers don’t crumble or fall apart. They also absorb and retain the juices so the burgers are moist. Use regular bread crumbs or seasoned crumbs for more flavor. Use gluten free if you prefer a GF option
  • Egg: the egg serves as a binder to hold the meat and other ingredients together.
  • Chili Flakes/ Red Pepper Flakes: they add a hit of heat and smokiness - totally optional
  • Lemon Zest: signature greek flavours with that hint of lemon - optional
  • Fresh Herbs: I like to use a combo of fresh chopped dill and fresh parsley but feel free to use one or the other or any fresh herb you like with the flavors in this burger
  • A NOTE: technically you do not need to use the egg and bread crumbs to make these burgers - so if you want to leave them out you can. If you choose to its important that you chill the burgers before grilling so that they keep their shape and don’t fall apart when grilled. This could also affect the texture of the burgers - they may not be as tender but will still be delicious.

Spinach Feta Turkey Burgers

How to Make Spinach Feta Burgers?

How to make spinach feta turkey burgers? These turkey burgers are easy to prepare and to cook. They take three simple steps and there are three different ways to cook them so you can make these all year round - even when you have packed away the grill.

  • Combine: Mix the spinach, fresh herbs, chili falkes, garlic, onion, oregano, salt and pepper, feta and turkey together in a medium sized bowl.
  • Shape: Form the mixture into four patties. About the shape and size of a hockey puck, about 1 inch thick.
  • Cook: there are three ways you can cook these turkey or chicken burgers. Stove top, On the grill and In the oven. Heres is how:
    • STOVE TOP - In a heavy skillet or cast iron skillet cook the patties on medium high for 4-5 minutes per side.
    • ON THE GRILL - Preheat a grill to medium-high heat. Oil the grates really well and grill burgers until no pink remains and are completely cooked through, flipping halfway through cooking time. an internal temperature of 165°F is reached on an instant read thermometer. How long to cook burgers on the grill? For these turkey burgers its approx 4-5 min each side/per side.
    • IN THE OVEN - Turkey Burgers in Oven: Place burgers on a lightly oiled or sprayed baking sheet. Bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes (or until an internal temperature of 165 ° is reached with an instant read thermometer.) Then sear on a hot skillet for 2 minutes per side for extra colour (optional)

Spinach Feta Turkey Burgers

Make ahead, Storage & Freezing

  • MAKE AHEAD: Properly stored, uncooked ground turkey will last for 3 days in the refrigerator. So feel free to make the turkey burger mixture and place in an airtight container in the fridge until you are ready to form your burgers or form them and place on a lined Sheetpan and cover tightly with plastic wrap until you are ready to cook them - within 2-3 days. I usually don’t recommend going past the expiry date on the package so be mindful of that when planning to make them ahead - its best to freeze them for longer periods of time or if its too close to the expiry date.
  • FREEZING: Form the patties and freeze ahead of time if you’d like. Place patties in a single layer onto several plastic wrap-lined baking pan or trays; cover loosely with plastic wrap and freeze just until meat is firm (1 to 2 hours). Wrap patties tightly in heavy foil or place them into freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight to cook or cook from frozen.
  • STORAGE: These turkey burgers store really well, which make them great for meal prep! After allowing the burgers to cool, store in an airtight container for up to 3-5 in the refrigerator. For longer storage, you can also freeze them!

Variations

  • Meatballs: Instead of burgers shape these into meatballs, cook them as if you would be cooking the patties stove top in a skillet or baked and serve with tztatiki as a dip.
  • Kebabs or Kofta: Serve with pasta or rice pilaf with roasted veggies and a Greek Tzatziki sauce.
  • Salad: Serve in lettuce cups or over a salad for a bright, fresh meal.

Spinach Feta Turkey Burgers

Tips for Making Great Turkey Burgers

  • Chill the raw patties: Chill the patties for 20 min to 1 hour in the refrigerator or 10 min the freezer before cooking. This really helps the burgers hold their shape and not crumble once they hit that hot grill.
  • Make sure your grill is hot: This gives the burgers those gorgeous charred grill marks.
  • Oil those grill grates well: If you don’t oil the grates, your burgers will stick to the grill and start to come apart.
  • Create a thumbprint-sized divot at the center of each raw patty. This will prevent the patty from shrinking into a dry puck on the grill. just a slight divot will help

Spinach Feta Turkey Burgers

More Grilling Recipes you will love:

Perfect Sides to Serve with Your Turkey Burgers:




Recipe

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Non Active Time: 10-60 min for chilling patties

Ingredients

For the Patties

  • 1 pound lean ground turkey or ground chicken or ground beef (16 ounces)
  • 1 cup packed fresh spinach, finely chopped (I use baby spinach)
  • ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder or 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ¼ teaspoon chili flakes
  • ½ teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 small onion or shallot grated or finely chopped
  • 1 egg beaten (optional - see note below)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chopped herbs (I used a combination of fresh parsley and fresh dill)
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ cup bread crumbs (optional - see note below)
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce optional
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

For Serving (optional)

  • 4 hamburger buns, toasted
  • Lettuce
  • Sliced tomatoes
  • Tzatziki
  • Sliced cucumbers
  • Sliced red onions
  • Lemon slices or wedges for a squeeze of lemon juice before topping Pattys

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, mix together all the patty ingredients: the ground turkey, chopped spinach, chopped herbs, feta cheese, onion, garlic, chili flakes, bread crumbs, Worcestershire, lemon zest, oregano, black pepper, and egg until combined. Do not over mix.
  2. Divide into 4 equal portions and form each into a patty that is approx 4-inches wide across with 1-inch sides and create a shallow depression in the middle. Transfer to a parchment-lined plate and cover and chill in the refrigerator for 20 min to 1 hour or the freezer for ten minutes or until ready to grill.
  3. Preheat a grill to medium-high heat and oil the grates really well. (see note below for 2 other ways to cook these patties)
  4. Grill burgers for about 4-5 minutes per side, or until no longer pink, juices run clear, and an internal temperature of 165 ° F is reached on an instant read thermometer.
  5. Remove patties from grill. Grill buns if desired then serve the patties over the buns and top with your choice of toppings.

Recipe Notes

  • A NOTE: technically you do not need to use the egg and bread crumbs to make these burgers - so if you want to leave them out you. If you choose to its important that you chill the burgers before grilling so that they keep their shape and don’t fall apart when grilled. This could also affect the texture of the burgers - they may not be as tender but will still be delicious.
  • Cook: there are three ways you can cook these turkey or chicken burgers. Stove top, On the grill and In the oven. Heres is how:
    • STOVE TOP - In a heavy skillet or cast iron skillet cook the patties on medium high for 4-5 minutes per side.
    • ON THE GRILL - Preheat a grill to medium-high heat. Oil the grates really well and grill burgers until no pink remains and are completely cooked through, flipping halfway through cooking time. an internal temperature of 165 ° F is reached on an instant read thermometer. How long to cook burgers on the grill? For these turkey burgers its approx 4-5 min each side/per side.
    • IN THE OVEN - Turkey Burgers in Oven: Place burgers on a lightly oiled or sprayed baking sheet. Bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes (or until an internal temperature of 165°F is reached with an instant read thermometer.) Then sear on a hot skillet for 2 minutes per side for extra colour (optional)

Spinach Feta Turkey Burgers