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Grilled Turkey Burgers with Spinach and Feta
Photography by Carl Tremblay. Styling by Tara Busa.

Grilled Turkey Burgers with Spinach and Feta

Headshot of Lawman Johnson
By Lawman Johnson
4.5(108)
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Time

1 hour

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

Ingredient check list

Why This Recipe Works

We wanted superflavorful turkey burgers that take full advantage of this fact, but first we had to start by addressing the problems that plague ground turkey. Despite their popularity, turkey burgers are notorious for being bland and/or dry. This is because turkey has a mild flavor, and its leanness means it can easily dry out during cooking. We wanted to reinstate the turkey burger’s good reputation with an easy way to crank up the flavor and add some much needed moisture. We boosted the flavor of our patties by stirring some melted butter and feta cheese into the ground meat; these simple additions provided plenty of richness and flavor while also preventing the burgers from drying out. For textural interest, we added fresh baby spinach to the meat mixture. Chopped dill lent a hit of freshness, and minced garlic rounded out the flavors.

Before You Begin

Be sure to use 93 percent lean ground turkey, not 99 percent fat-free ground turkey breast, or the burgers will be tough.

Instructions

  1. Break ground turkey into small pieces in large bowl. Add spinach, feta, melted butter, dill, garlic, and pepper and gently knead with hands until well combined. Divide turkey mixture into 4 equal portions, then gently shape each portion into ¾‑inch-thick patty. Using your fingertips, press center of each patty down until about ½ inch thick, creating slight divot.
  2. FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners to medium.
  3. Clean and oil cooking grate. Season patties with salt. Place patties on grill, divot side up, and cook (covered if using gas) until well browned on first side and meat easily releases from grill, 4 to 6 minutes. Flip ­patties and continue to cook ­until browned on second side and meat registers 160 degrees, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer burgers to platter and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve burgers on buns.

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