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Mediterranean Turkey Burgers

Flavorful turkey burgers made with Mediterranean spices – tender and juicy, the opposite of bland. Kosher, Meat.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 243 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground turkey (you may substitute ground chicken if you prefer - dark meat is best)
  • 1/4 cup finely minced fresh basil (you may substitute fresh cilantro or parsley)
  • 2 tablespoons very finely minced onion
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (or 1/4 tsp fresh garlic, very finely minced)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons applesauce
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Place ground turkey in a medium mixing bowl along with the basil, onion, egg, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper and applesauce. Stir ingredients with a fork and/or clean hands until the spices and herbs are well blended with the meat.
  2. Divide the meat into 4 patties (or 6-7 patties if you are making slider-sized burgers). The patties may initially seem overly soft, but will firm up as they cook.
  3. If cooking on stovetop in a nonstick skillet or grill pan, grease the pan with 2 tbsp olive oil, reserving 1 tbsp olive oil for basting. Heat the oil over medium until hot. Place the patties gently in the pan.
  4. Cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, flipping every 3 or 4 minutes and basting with olive oil periodically.
  5. You may need to adjust the heat a little lower once the burgers are browned to your liking, to avoid overcooking the outside of the patties. Use a meat thermometer to test for doneness (165 degrees F in the center of the thickest part of the patty).  As soon as they reach 165 or higher, remove from heat to avoid overcooking - you don't want your burgers to turn out dry.If grilling, grease the preheated grill well before you start cooking. Grill over medium flame using the same instructions as above. Whether cooking on the stovetop or the grill, I like to baste the burgers with olive oil periodically to keep them nice and moist.
  6. Serve these Mediterranean Turkey Burgers with or without buns. We usually enjoy these without bread, and serve them with side salads and mezze instead.

Notes

  • You will also need: medium mixing bowl, grill or grill pan or nonstick skillet, meat thermometer
  • Nutrition calculated for 4 servings, 1 burger per serving.
  • Note: Some ground turkey brands offer 1 1/4 lb. size packages here in the U.S. If you have this size on hand, the recipe will work just fine as written with a little extra meat. You'll be able to make five medium patties, or 7-8 sliders, with a package this size. 
  • Note

Nutrition Information

Serving 0.3125lb Calories 243kcal (12%) Carbohydrates 2g (1%) Protein 28g (56%) Fat 14g (22%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Cholesterol 103mg (34%) Sodium 365mg (15%) Potassium 350mg (10%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin A 352IU (7%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 12mg (1%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 243

% Daily Value*

Serving 0.3125lb
Calories 243kcal 12%
Carbohydrates 2g 1%
Protein 28g 56%
Fat 14g 22%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 103mg 34%
Sodium 365mg 15%
Potassium 350mg 7%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 1g 2%
Vitamin A 352IU 7%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 12mg 1%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.