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Healthy Mediterranean Turkey Burgers with Zucchini Tzatziki

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3.92 from 12 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chilling Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Yield 4 burgers + 1 ½ cups sauce
Category Main Dish
Cuisine Mediterranean
Author Lauren Grant

Description

These are some of the best turkey burger you can make at home! Healthy yet flavorful and moist, these burgers are a true dinner superstar. Cooked on the stovetop in a cast-iron skillet, these come together quickly and easily. Serve on a toasted bun with the zucchini tzatziki or over a bed of orzo pasta salad. 

Ingredients

  • 2 small zucchini
  • 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey
  • 1 ½ cups plain 2% or whole milk greek yogurt, divided
  • ½ cup (2 ounces) whole-wheat bread crumbs
  • ¼ cup minced parsley
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano, or 1 ½ teaspoons dried
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons grated garlic, divided
  • kosher salt and black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or cracked black pepper
  • Grapeseed oil or vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh dill, or 1 tablespoon dried
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Instructions

  • Using a large hole box grater, shred zucchini; transfer to a clean kitchen towel.
    shredded zucchini on a kitchen towel
  • Gather corners of towel and squeeze tightly to release excess liquid. (When you think you’re done, squeeze a bit more.) Shredded zucchini should measure about 2 cups (8 ounces in weight).
    a set of hands squeezing a kitchen towel full of shredded zucchini
  • Combine 1 cup shredded and squeezed zucchini, turkey, ½ cup yogurt, bread crumbs, parsley, oil, oregano, Worcestershire, 1 ½ teaspoons garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes. 
    breadcrumbs, shredded zucchini, herbs, yogurt and ground turkey in a white mixing bowl
  • Divide meat into 4 equal portions.
    ground meat mixture divided into quarters in a white mixing bowl
  • Gently form each into a ball, then lightly flatten into 1-inch-thick burger patties. Press finger through center of patties (this helps keep the patties flat during cooking) and transfer to a plate; chill patties at least 15 minutes or up to 4 hours.
    turkey meatballs on a large white plate
  • For the sauce, combine remaining 1 cup shredded and squeezed zucchini, remaining 1 cup yogurt, remaining ½ teaspoon garlic, dill, vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper; season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
    yogurt, herbs and zucchini in a glass mixing bowl
  • Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium for 5 minutes. Brush with a teaspoon or so of grapeseed oil to coat.
  • Transfer burger patties to pan and cook, without moving, until bottom sides are dark brown and crusted, 3–4 minutes. Flip burgers and cook until charred and crusted, 4–5 minutes more and an instant-read thermometer register 160ºF. (Total cook time will be 9–10 minutes.)
  • Transfer burgers to a plate and let rest 5–10 minutes.  
  • Serve burgers with tzatziki and orzo salad or on a bun with tzatziki, lettuce, tomato and crumbled feta.

Notes

For the best burgers, use 93% lean turkey. Avoid using 99% lean ground turkey. If you do, I recommend adding 1 or 2 more tablespoons of olive oil to the 
The zucchini tzatziki is great for meal prep or making ahead (as opposed to traditional tzatziki made with cucumber) because it doesn’t water out as much. The tzatziki can be made up to 2 days ahead.
The largest cast-iron skillet I have is a 9-inch so I have to cook these burgers in two batches. It’s best to avoid overcrowding so the burger cook evenly and they’re easy to flip. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 burger + ⅓ cup sauceCalories: 292kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 31gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 433mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5g
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