Kale and Feta Turkey Burgers
Many people try to avoid ordering turkey burgers in the restaurant because they tend to be dry and/or crumbly. Not my burger!! Not to toot my horn, but I make amazing turkey burgers that are always juicy and tender. I have a few ingredients and techniques that learned and tested over the years to make sure of that. Now lets go try them.
Turkey burgers are not at all plain and flavorless, you know! You can add a lot of bold flavors and explore many flavor combinations. Since ground turkey is a mild tasting meat, it can be paired with many different spices and flavoring ingredients. This kale and feta flavor combination is my latest and favorite! These burgers have Mediterranean flavor notes, they are light, moist, and flavorful!
Important Ingredient Notes Before You Shop
Ground Turkey – DO NOT choose turkey meat that is too lean. There is extra lean ground turkey (that are sometimes labeled 99% lean) on the market, do not get those for burgers! You NEED fat in recipes for burgers (especially turkey burgers) and meatballs because that is what adds juiciness to the meat, so select ground turkey that is no leaner than 93%-7% meat to fat ratio.
Feta cheese – get classic or “traditional” crumbled feta, not one that is flavored. Depending on the flavor, it may throw of the overall taste of the turkey burgers.
Variations To Try
Cheeses – for a bolder cheese flavor, you can try gorgonzola or goat cheese. Just pay attention if goat cheese is softer, it may add a little more moisture to the burger mixture. If that happens, you can add another tablespoon or so of panko.
Greens – if you need another option for a leafy green, you can use spinach, other variations of kale, or Swiss chard. Treat Swiss chard the same as kale by taking leaves off the stem and cooking the same way. Note that spinach does shrimp quite a bit compared to kale and Swiss chard, so use 5 oz of spinach and you may need to squeeze and drain off excess liquid once it’s cooked.
Grill the turkey burgers – Spray the patties with oil on both sides, not the grill! Set the grill grate far from the charcoal or create two temperature zones. Since turkey burgers are much softer than beef hamburgers, use a vegetable grilling basket with finer grate to cook the turkey burgers on the grill. Cook the burgers for about 5-6 minutes per side until cooked through.
How to Tell If Turkey Burgers are Done
Meat thermometer – The most trusted way to tell if your meat is done, is to use a digital read meat thermometer. They are not expensive and having one in the kitchen is a must of you ever cook meat.
Using a meat thermometer – lift the burger off the pan and remember to always check your meats by inserting the thermometer probe through the side and at the very center. That is the most accurate way to make sure that it’s cooked through.
By touch – if have some experience at cooking meats and burgers, you may be able to test the burger doneness by touch. Press on the center of the burger patty to feel how firm it is. It it’s still squishy and soft in the center, they are not quite done. If they feel more firm to the touch, they are more likely to be done.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? PLEASE leave a 🌟 star rating! Let me know how you liked it by leaving the 📝 comment below or share and tag me on social media @willcookforsmiles. DON’T FORGET to subscribe to my newsletter!
Kale and Feta Turkey Burgers Recipe
Ingredients
Turkey Burgers:
- 2 lbs ground turkey 93%-7% lean
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs gluten free if needed
- 1/4 cup avocado oil divided
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 4-6 garlic cloves
- 5 oz kale leaves (it will be about 3 oz without stems)
- 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 2 tbsp fresh minced parsley
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Optional Feta Sauce:
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 2 tbsp fresh minced parsley
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp salt more or less to taste
Instructions
- Dice the onion, mince or press the garlic cloves, take the kale leaves off the stalk and chop it into small pieces.
- Preheat the cooking pan over medium to medium-low heat and add a couple of tablespoons of oil. Sauté onions until golden brown and add garlic. Sauté until garlic is fragrant and mix in the chopped kale.
- Cook for a few minutes, stirring from time to time, until kale is cooked down and softened. Take off heat.
- Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix everything together until evenly combined.
- I recommend using an ice cream scoop with release to get an even amount of the meat mixture every time.
- Cover a baking sheet or a large cutting board with parchment paper, shape the burger patties, and lay them out on the prepared board.
- Preheat a large cooking pan over medium heat and add a couple of tablespoons of oil. Fit the patties into the pan but make sure they are not touching each other. Let them sear for about a minute and lower the heat to medium low. Cook turkey burgers for 6-8 minutes on each side, depending on the size of the burgers.
- To check in they are done, lift one burger and insert a digital read meat thermometer through the side of the burger, towards the center. Turkey burgers should be cooked to 165℉ internal temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
