Greek Turkey Burgers

These Healthy Greek Turkey Burgers have so much amazing flavor and come out juicy and delicious every time. Serve them with some Grilled Zucchini, a Chickpea Greek Salad, or some Crispy Turnip Fries.

Show of hands: How many of you rolled your eyes when you read "turkey burger"? I realize I can't actually see your hands, but I'd guess a good 40-50 percent of you would have raised your hands virtually. I get it, too. For a long, long time I thought nothing could replace a traditional beef burger. That's what burgers are, right? They are made of beef and should never, ever be toyed with otherwise.

I also understand that for those of you that have gone out on a limb and tried turkey burgers (either at home or at a restaurant) have also probably found them to be dry and bland. I've found a fix for that! It's all in how moist you make it.

If you simply grill a bunch of ground turkey with no additional moisture, it's going to be dry. That's because many ground turkey blends that you get at the grocery are 93/7 or even 99/1, which means they are very low fat mixtures. So 93% or more of the meat is lean, meaning that without some extra help, you may end up with a dry burger. Once you throw that patty on the grill, all of the fat is going to cook off and all you'll be left with is the lean part, which definitely will not taste like a juicy burger.

The key then is to counteract that loss of moisture with some added fat. You can add in olive oil, veggies, or cheese, for example. In this one, I got the moisture factor by adding onion, olives, and feta. The result is that this turkey burger is seriously delicious. It turned out better than I ever expected.

It is moist, packed with flavor, and comes in at under 200 calories. I am certain the magic happens when you add the feta and black olives, which worked to keep the turkey from drying out like it traditionally does in a turkey burger.

If you are still skeptical, do yourself a favor and try again. Add your favorite ingredients to the turkey before grilling or cooking up and see if you aren't a convert. You can also serve it up with a simple yogurt feta sauce or another sauce of your choosing and let me tell you, it is going to make for one delicious and easy dinner.

Ideas for Customizing Greek Turkey Burgers

So, now that I've gone on and on about making your turkey burgers moist, this is a great chance to customize these to your liking. Because, after all, what good is a burger if you aren't going to eat it?

• These would be great with cheddar or other moist cheeses as well. Goat cheese, Monterey jack, buffalo mozzarella... go crazy here.
• If you don't want to add cheese, you could add in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and then the olives and maybe some roasted red peppers as well to keep with the Mediterranean theme.
• Add tiny, diced cucumber pieces to the yogurt sauce to make a feta tzatziki or leave it out all together.
• Hummus would be great atop this burger as well. Use it instead of or in addition to the Greek yogurt sauce.
• Add some herbs — if you don't like dill, try fresh basil, oregano, or thyme.
• If you have the very leanest of ground turkeys, try adding an egg as a binder to keep the meat together as it cooks.
• Add in sliced pepperoncini to give your burger a little (or a lot of) zip!
• Pre-cook the red onions with some diced mushrooms, let them cool and add both to the ground turkey burgers before cooking.

Ways to Serve Greek Turkey Burgers

• Layering it in a toasted bun is the obvious choice — but for a great reason! It's delicious.
• Try the burger in a lettuce wrap.
• Serve it right atop a big salad.
• I sometimes slice mine in two and then add it to a tortilla or other low-carb wrap.
• Make mini turkey burger meatballs and then serve these as sliders on tiny little buns.
• Make them thin like a smash burger and layer them up between your favorite burger toppings.
• Eat it between two pieces of toast or an English muffin.
• Use a bread thin or bagel thin if you are watching your carbs but still want the bun.
• Turn them into a healthy rice bowl swapping in the turkey burger for the chicken in this Greek Chicken Bowl recipe.

How Can You Tell When a Turkey Burger Is Done?

You do not want to eat turkey burgers like you might a beef burger. There is no "rare" or "medium-rare" option when it comes to poultry. Your turkey burger needs to be done all the way through. If you're not sure, use a meat thermometer. It should read 165 degrees F before it's done.