Greek Turkey Burgers with Tzadiki Sauce

These Greek Turkey Burgers are bursting with Mediterranean flavor and topped with fresh veggies, creamy homemade tzatziki, and tangy feta. A quick, healthy weeknight meal the whole family will love—on the table in about 30 minutes!

Jump to:

• Ingredients for Greek Turkey Burgers
• How to Make Greek Turkey Burgers
• Burger Tips, Swaps & Variations
• What to Serve with Greek Turkey Burgers
• Greek Turkey Burgers with Tzadiki Sauce

Savory, juicy, and loaded with Mediterranean flair, these Greek Turkey Burgers are one of our favorite fast, flavorful dinners. With fresh herbs, tangy feta, and a generous dollop of cool, garlicky tzatziki sauce, they offer a lighter, healthier take on classic burgers—without sacrificing an ounce of flavor. Best of all? You can have them ready in under 30 minutes, and both the patties and tzatziki can be prepped ahead to make dinnertime even easier.

Ingredients for Greek Turkey Burgers

For the Burgers

• Ground turkey: This recipe calls for 85% lean ground turkey, which means the turkey contains 15% fat. You can use a lighter ground turkey (i.e., 93% lean/7% fat), but your burgers won’t be as flavorful, and they won’t hold together as well.
  • After making these burgers with a variety of ground meats, we highly suggest using store-ground over the kind that comes in the round prepackaged chubs-o-meat. The store-ground has more air in it, which will result in a lighter, airier burger. Moreover, we have found that meat packed in chubs is generally of lesser quality and contains more water, which also directly affects the flavor and texture of the burgers.
• Greek yogurt: We suggest using full fat greek yogurt. Lower fat yogurts will make for runny tzadiki.
• Spinach: You can use fresh or frozen. If you use frozen, defrost it first, and squeeze out the moisture. 
• Cavenders All-purpose Greek Seasoning: This is one of our favorite everyday seasonings! 
• Feta: Use plain of seasoned feta, crumbled.
• Grated red onion: Red onion has the right combo of sweet-hot flavor. You can also use a sweet onion.
  • No amount of chopping will give you the same result as grating the onion. Squeeze the grated onion in the palm of your hand to drain off some of the onion juice before using.
• Spinach: Use fresh spinach.
• Egg: Use a large or extra large egg.
• Garlic: Go ahead a double the garlic if you love it.
• Oregano: Dried or fresh.
• Bread crumbs: Use fresh breadcrumbs or Panko crumbs. Do not use seasoned bread crumbs. Bread crumbs are added to balance the moisture in the meat mixture.

• Buns: Use Store-bought buns, or make your own. (We love these burgers with homemade buns seasoned with roasted garlic and Cavenders All-purpose Greek Seasoning.

For the Tzadiki Sauce

Tzatziki is a cool, creamy Greek yogurt sauce made with cucumber, garlic, lemon, and mint or dill. It’s the perfect topping for these Mediterranean-inspired burgers.

• Greek yogurt: Use a whole-milk yogurt. The extra moisture in non-fat yogurt will make the burgers mushy.
• Cucumber: Use a regular or English cucumber. Use a spoon to remove the seeds.
• Garlic: Double if you love it.
• Cavenders Greek Seasoning
• Mint: Use fresh mint!
• Lemon juice: Use fresh, frozen or bottled lemon juice.
• Olive oil

How to Make Greek Turkey Burgers

Make the Tzatziki Sauce First

Give your sauce time to chill and the flavors time to meld.

Start by peeling, seeding, and grating the cucumber. Then squeeze out excess water (by hand or using paper towels) before mixing it with yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and herbs.

Stir gently to combine, cover, and refrigerate until serving.

Mix & Form the Turkey Patties

TIP: It is important to keep burger ingredients cold until you are ready to cook them. This especially applies to the ground turkey. If the meat starts at room temperature, the heat of your hands will melt the fat as you are working with it, which may result in a dense, dry burger. 

Combine the ground turkey with spinach, grated onion, garlic, feta, egg, and seasonings. Mix gently—just until combined—to avoid overworking the meat.

If the mixture is too loose, add ¼–⅓ cup breadcrumbs and let it sit for 5 minutes to firm up. Keep everything cold for the juiciest burgers.

Use a burger press if you have one, or form patties by hand about ½-inch thick. This recipe makes 8 standard burgers (5 oz each) or 16 sliders (2½ oz each).

How to Avoid Burger Shrinkage: Turkey burger patties tend to shrink by about 20-25% when cooked. Make them slightly bigger than the buns you want to use so that burger-and-bun will fit together nicely when they are cooked. 

Best Way to Cook Turkey Burgers: Broil!

After much experimenting, we found that broiling is the best way to cook these burgers, with grilling coming in a distant second. 

1. Preheat broiler for 5 minutes.
2. Place patties on a broiler pan and season with Cavender’s or salt & pepper.
3. Broil 5–6 minutes, flip, and season again.
4. Broil another 5–7 minutes until browned and cooked through.

Greek Turkey Burgers can also be skillet-fried on the stovetop, grilled on the barbecue.

Alternate Cooking Methods

Grill Method: Grill over medium heat for 5–6 minutes per side. Generously oil the grill before putting the burgers on: turkey is lean and sticks easily.

Stovetop Method: Cook over medium heat in a well-oiled skillet for 5–6 minutes per side. *If the center needs more cooking time, finish the burgers in a 400°F (205°C) oven for 3–4 minutes.

In all cases, use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. Burgers are done when they reach an internal temperature of 165° (74 °C).

Assemble Your Greek Turkey Burgers

Toast the buns to keep them from getting soggy. Layer on:

• sliced red onion
• sliced tomatoes
• fresh spinach
• fresh feta crumbles
• a generous dollop of tzadiki sauce

Burger Tips, Swaps & Variations

Ingredient Substitutions

• Ground Meat: Swap in ground chicken or beef. If using extra-lean meat, add a tablespoon of olive oil, more breadcrumbs, and an extra egg.
• Herbs: If you don't have any Cavenders on hand, you can substitute in ½ teaspoon each: kosher salt, basil, oregano, and freshly ground pepper.
• Mint: If you don't have fresh mint, you can use a teaspoon or two of dried mint, or use fresh or dried basil.

Slider Version

Slider-size Greek turkey burgers are perfect for parties & game-day celebrations! Simply buy or make slider-sized buns and you're set to go!

Try a Different Sauce

Not in the mood for tzatziki? Try it with Feta-Dill Sauce or Buffalo Blue Cheese Dip for a delicious twist!

What to Serve with Greek Turkey Burgers

A few easy pairing ideas:

• Greek Salad – Use leftover veggies (cucumber, tomato, onion, feta) to whip up a quick salad with olive oil and balsamic.
• Stuffed Grape Leaves or Spanakopita – For a heartier Mediterranean platter.
• Greek Fries or Pita Chips – Seasoned with oregano and lemon zest.
• Fresh Fruit or Grapes – For a refreshing finish.

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