How to Make the Best Juicy Grilled Turkey Burgers
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These grilled turkey burgers studded with feta cheese and red onion and dressed with tzatziki sauce are extremely flavorful and juicy! Not only are Greek turkey burgers delicious, this recipe is so easy to prep and cook it deserves a regular spot in your weekly meal plans!
Mixing lean ground turkey with crumbled feta cheese, finely diced red onion, dried oregano, and lemon zest infuses these burgers with distinct Greek flavor. To round it all out, serve the burgers on a grilled bun slathered with a homemade cucumber yogurt sauce and the condiments of your choice.
Why you’ll love this easy Turkey Burger recipe!
Ingredient notes
- Lean ground turkey — Be sure the package indicates “lean” ground turkey, otherwise it may include darker thigh and leg meat that adds calories and fat to the meat
- Crumbled feta cheese — You may need to break up some of the bigger pieces with your fingers as you work it into the meat
- Red onion — Red onion can be overpowering sometimes, but not so much when they are finely diced and cooked in the burgers. If you’re not a fan, substitute chopped kalamata olives instead.
- Lemon — Fresh lemon zest really boosts up the flavor of the burgers
- Plain Greek yogurt — For the healthiest option, go for the fat-free version
- English cucumber — You may also use a regular cucumber, but I think the English cucumber has better flavor for this recipe.
- Fresh mint — Leave it out of the tzatziki sauce in a crunch, but you’ll miss the freshness it adds.
How to make Greek turkey burgers with tzatziki sauce
Once grilling season arrives, we cook outdoors at least two to three times a week — and not just on the weekends. These healthy turkey burgers can be ready in less than 30 minutes, so it’s a perfect weeknight grilling option for us.
STEP 1 | Season the meat
In a large bowl, mix together the ground turkey, feta cheese, red onion, a teaspoon dried oregano, lemon zest, and salt. Add a grind or two of freshly ground black pepper, if you like.
Divide the mixture into 4 equal sized balls and shape into 1/2-inch think patties.
STEP 2 | Grill the burgers & buns
Preheat the grill to medium high heat and lightly oil the grill grates.
Place the burgers on the grate over direct heat and cook for 5 minutes on each side, or until done.
Lightly brush olive oil on the split side of the buns, then place them on the grill cut side down and toast for 1 to 2 minutes.
STEP 3 | Prepare tzatziki sauce
Grate the cucumber with a box grater (I love using my OXO grate and slice set for this task).
Wrap the grated cucumber in cheesecloth, then gently squeeze to remove excess moisture from the grated cucumber.
In a small bowl, stir the cucumber together with Greek yogurt, freshly chopped mint, and salt.
Step 4 | Assemble the burgers
Spread tzatziki sauce on the top and bottom bun.
Add a turkey burger and top it with lettuce, thin slices of cucumber, and red onion, if desired.
Do you love to grill? You may enjoy these other go-to weeknight recipes like my Easy Grilled Pork Chop Marinade or my most popular Grilled Salmon in Foil with a slightly sweet and smoky flavor that comes out perfect every time!
tips
- Don’t skip squeezing out the moisture from the grated cucumber or the sauce will get watery.
- If you don’t have cheesecloth, layer a couple of paper towels together and use that instead.
Variations and substitutions
- Make Chicken Burgers. Substitute ground chicken for the turkey for a delicious twist.
- Not a fan of tzatziki? Try this delicious spread Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Tapenade instead.
- Try other condiments. Dress your turkey burgers with other condiments like sliced tomato, pickled banana peppers, or fresh spinach leaves.
Storage and reheating tips
- Store leftover turkey burgers refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat, wrap in aluminum foil and heat in a 350-degree oven until warm.
- Uncooked turkey burgers may be frozen for up to 3 months.
Frequently asked questions
If you don’t want to fire up the grill, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add a tablespoon canola oil and cook the burgers for 5 minutes on each side, until done.
To be completely sure your turkey burger is done, use a quick read digital thermometer to confirm the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees.
Leave the grill lid open when cooking burgers so the grill’s heat doesn’t build up and intensify too much.
Looking for more gourmet burger recipes?
Next time, fire up the grill and try these Blueberry Blue Cheese Bacon Burgers or these Italian Garlic Butter Burgers — YUM!
First Published: October 3, 2016. Last Updated: April 8, 2021.
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Greek Turkey Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce
Ingredients
Turkey Burgers
- 1 lb. lean ground turkey
- 1 4-oz. pkg. crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cup finely chopped red onion
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 hamburger buns split and toasted
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Tzatziki Sauce
- ½ cup grated English cucumber
- 1 6 ounce fat-free Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Turkey Burgers
- Preheat the grill to medium high heat, about 400 degrees.
- In a large bowl, mix together the ground turkey, feta cheese, red onion, oregano, lemon zest, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Divide into 4 equal balls and shape into 1/2-inch think patties.
- Lightly oil the grill grates and cook burgers over direct heat for 5 minutes on each side, or until done.
- Brush the split side of the buns with olive oil. Grill cut side down for 1 to 2 minutes, until toasted.
- Serve the turkey burgers on grilled buns with tzatziki sauce and desired toppings.
Tzatiziki Sauce
- Grate the cucumber (do not peel). Wrap the grated cucumber in cheesecloth and squeeze gently to remove the moisture.
- Add the cucumber to a small bowl with the yogurt, mint, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine, then refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Don’t skip squeezing out the moisture from the grated cucumber or the sauce will get watery. If you don’t have cheesecloth, layer a couple of paper towels together and use that instead.
Nutrition
Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
About Sheila Thigpen
Recipe Developer, Food Photographer, Food Writer
Sheila Thigpen is the publisher of Life, Love, and Good Food — a Southern food blog — and the author of Easy Chicken Cookbook and The 5-Ingredient Fresh and Easy Cookbook. After 20+ years in the publishing industry, she retired in 2018 to focus on her own creative endeavors full time. She and her husband live near the beautiful Smoky Mountains and have a precious little granddaughter who has stolen their hearts. As an influencer, Sheila has collaborated with brands like Creamette, Kroger, HERSHEY’S, Hamilton Beach, Garafalo Pasta, OXO, Smithfield, Valley Fig Growers, and more.
This turkey burger is AMAZING and bursting with flavors! My kids, who normally want cheeseburgers, were enthralled with these flavors, too.
These burgers were amazing! Made them for dinner last night and they were a hit! LOVE the tzatziki sauce!
The hubs and I LOVE Greek food and these burgers were such a treat! Thanks for another great recipe!
These are so delicious Sheila, made them last night for supper and they are so flavorful, love too how thick the tzatziki sauce is!
Now THIS looks like a real turkey burger! Thick, juicy and full of bold greek flavors. I need to make these soon!