Sharlana Chenelle

Mediterranean Turkey Burgers w/ Tzatziki Mayo

These Super lean and juicy turkey burgers are the perfect main course for a light, yet hearty meal. Great for any night of the week. You will be glad you made this flavorful dish.

When I was a teenager, I loved to collect the free little recipe cards that were given away with the food samples at the little carts that graced the grocery store aisles. I remember one day, one of the ladies at the sample stands was sampling the Lawry’s Mediterranean Seasoning salt and had little recipe cards with Mediterranean Turkey burgers on them. When I got home, I made these burgers, and they were soooo GOOD! Unfortunately, the Lawry’s Mediterranean season became increasingly hard to come by, and I lost the recipe card. So, over the years I have re-developed this recipe and put my own spin on it. I am SO glad I can still enjoy these delicious burgers and get to share them with you! Let me know how they turned out for you down below!

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Tools Needed

Ingredients for Mediteranean

  • 1 lbs. 93% Lean Ground Turkey: 85% lean will also work.
  • Crumbled Feta Cheese: You can substitute the higher fat cheese for a low fat feta if you want an even lower fat patty.
  • Fresh Spinach: Fresh chopped spinach is highly recommended over frozen as you will have to thoroughly defrost and dry the frozen spinach to prevent discoloring of your burger. I also find the texture and taste to be slightly different.
  • Egg whites: I usually just pull out the carton for this since I don’t like to waste the yolk (the convenience is nice too, ha-ha). But if you don’t mind discarding the yolk, or have plans for them (lemon custard anyone?) You can certainly use the whites from 2 large eggs.
  • Granulated Garlic Powder: Make sure you are using granulated garlic powder. If you want to make your own using a dehydrator, that is fine, but if you do this, I recommend using a mortar and pestle.
  • Granulated Onion Powder: *See not above.
  • Lawry’s Seasoned Salt: Original Lawry’s is what I use, as I am not sure if the Mediterranean version even still exists. I have not been able to find it anywhere.

Ingredients For Tzatziki Mayo

  • Mayonnaise: Of course, when it comes to this creamy white condiment, the higher the fat, the tastier. But, if you’re worried about calories, you can choose to grab low fat. I cannot vouch for fat-free but if this is your thing, you can use that instead.
  • Plain non-fat Greek Yogurt: Any plain, non-fat, GREEK yogurt will do. Just be sure it is Greek yogurt which is a lot thicker and not regular as this is much runnier, unless this is your preference. You can also omit the yogurt altogether, but I highly recommend it.
  • Garlic: I always choose fresh garlic when cooking but my mother interchanges this with the minced garlic you find in the jar. I feel the flavor is a bit different but if that’s your thing, go for it!
  • Dill: Fresh is ALWAYS better in my opinion, but You can use dried as well. Just use half the amount.
  • Cucumber: Regular cucumbers, like the ones normally sold individually are GREAT for tzatziki sauce, but the English cucumbers work as well.
  • Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice is best for this recipe.
  • Salt: I like to use sea salt.
  • Pepper: I love a good coarse or freshly ground black pepper for tzatziki sauce.

 

Ingredients for Mediteranean Spice Mix

  • Dried Basil
  • Dried Oregano
  • Granulated Onion Powder
  • Granulated Garlic Powder
  • Sweet Paprika
  • Dried Parsley (optional)
  • Dried Thyme (optional)
  • Salt

How To Make Mediterranean Turkey Burgers

 1) Combine: Combine all your ingredients for the Mediterranean
spice mix; Granulated garlic, granulated onion, basil, oregano, parsley, cumin,
and salt.

 2) Place: Place your ground turkey into a large
clean bowl, and add chopped spinach, egg whites, and seasonings. Mix very well
and then add your feta, mix in gently.

3) Make: Make round patties by taking about ¼- ½ cup
of your meat, depending on the size you like, and form a ball. Flatten and
shape into patties about one-quarter to a half inch thick.

4)Heat: Heat your grill or frying pan on medium
high heat and coat the pan with a non-stick cooking spray.

5) Sautee: Sautee your patties until golden brown on each side and cooked thoroughly or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Serving Suggestions

  • Serve traditionally on a nice sized burger bun (brioche is delicious!) with fresh spinach and sliced red onion and a side of fries.

  • Make a yummy Greek salad to compliment the meal!

  • Serve on lettuce, such as butter or bib, to make a lettuce burger and to reduce carbs and avoid overly processed food such as flour and cheese.

  • Serve with a yummy baked potato and salad.

Tips

  • Make sure your pan is hot before adding the patties to ensure a nice caramalization on both sides of the patty.
  • Use non-stick spray instead of oil to reduce grease.
  • If you want a fat-free dressing, just make traditional tzatziki sauce and substitute the mayo for more yogurt (higher protein!).
  • Serve with Swiss style or WHITE American cheese instead of the traditional yellow.
Print

Mediterranean Turkey Burgers

Theses lean and delicious turkey burgers are super juicy and bursting with flavor!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Large Mixing Bowl
  • Measuring Cups
  • Kitchen Knife
  • Frying Pan or Indoor Electric Grill
  • Spatula

Ingredients

For Mediterranean Spice Mix

  • 1 tsp Dried Basil
  • 1 tsp Dried Oregano
  • 1 tsp Granulated Onion Powder
  • 1 tsp Granulated Garlic Powder
  • 1/4 tsp dried dill
  • 1/4 tsp Sweet Paprika
  • 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Dried Parsley (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme (optional)

For Mediterranean Turkey Burgers

  • 1 lbs. 93% Lean Ground Turkey
  • 1 Cup Fresh Spinach chopped.
  • ½ C Crumbled Feta
  • ¼ C Liquid Egg Whites
  • ½ T Granulated Garlic Powder
  • ½ T Granulated Onion Powder
  • ½ T Lawry’s Seasoned salt
  • ½ T Mediterranean Spice Mix
  • Dash of adobo optional

For Tzatziki Mayo

  • ½ C Mayonnaise
  • ½ C Plain Non-fat Greek Yogurt
  • ½ C freshly grated cucumber squeeze very well.
  • 1 ½ large Garlic cloves grated.
  • 2 tsp of Fresh lemon Juice
  • 1 – 1 1/2 tsp dried dill
  • 1/2 tsp Lemon Zest optional
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Combine all your ingredients for the Mediterranean spice mix; Granulated garlic, granulated onion, basil, oregano, parsley, cumin, and salt.
  • Place your ground turkey into a large clean bowl, and add chopped spinach, egg whites, and seasonings. Mix very well and then add your feta, mix in gently.
  • Make round patties by taking about ¼- ½ cup of your meat, depending on the size you like, and form a ball. Flatten and shape into patties about one-quarter to a half inch thick.
  • Heat your grill or frying pan on medium high heat and coat the pan with a non-stick cooking spray.
  • Sautee your patties until golden brown on each side and cooked thoroughly or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Assemble your burger, add desired topping and enjoy!

Notes

  • If you are not a fan, you can completely skip the tzatziki mayo as the burgers are perfectly delicious without it. This is actually something new I started doing.
  • Use fresh Chopped spinach.
  • Wait until your pan is how before placing your patties on. You can tell if you wet your pan before adding the cooking spray and all the liquid sizzles away.
  • Use white American cheese instead of yellow if using cheese at all.

Enjoy your delicious Burger!

Step by step with pictures

Step 1 &2

Grate your cucumber and drain as much liquid out of it as you can.

Step 3&4

Place your grated and drained cucumber in a bowl along with your mayo, plain non-fat Greek, and the rest of the ingredients for the tzatziki sauce. Mix into well combined, cover, and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Step 5&6

Gather all of your spices for your Mediterranean spice mix and stir until thoroughly combined. set aside.

Step 7&8

Place your ground turkey, onion powder, garlic powder, Lawry’s seasoning, the Mediterranean spice mix, egg whites and spinach into a clean bowl and mix until well combined.

Step 9

Add the crumbled feta to the bowl and gently mix in until fully incorporated.

Step 10

Form your patties and place into a pre-heated pan with non-stick cooking spray until cooked through and caramelized on both sides.

Step 11

Spread your tzatziki mayo onto a toasted (if your prefer) bun and garnish if desired. *** Check serving suggestions for other ideas.

Step 12

Enjoy!

Disclosure:  There may be some affiliate links above and I may receive a small commission for purchases made through links in this post at no extra cost to you, I will only suggest products I highly recommend. I will never put anything on this page that I haven’t verified and/or personally used.

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