Savory Sunday: Spanakopita Turkey Burgers

Jeff and I love, love these burgers, and speaking for myself, this just might be my favorite turkey burger. They are super juicy, and absolutely packed full of flavor. Feel free to experiment with toppings and condiments - we usually enjoy ours with some thinly sliced red onion, ketchup and mustard - but they are also delicious with tzatziki sauce.

Spanakopita Turkey Burgers

Yield: 5 large or 6 medium burgers

Ingredients

• 1/2 large red onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/4lbs ground turkey (we like 93/7)
• 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained (see note)
• 2 tablespoons kalamata olives, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped (can substitue 1 teaspoon dried oregano)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Montreal Steak Seasoning
• Optional toppings: thinly sliced red onion, tomato, arugula or lettuce
• 5-6 burger buns (we enjoyed our burgers with some homemade sourdough whole wheat buns)

Prepare Burgers

1. Heat a medium skillet, coated with olive oil, over medium heat. When hot, add red onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes, until tender. Add garlic; sautee for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool.
2. Place remaining ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. When cool, add onion mixture. Mix well with your hands, until ingredients are well dispersed.
3. Form into 5 or 6 patties.
4. Cook to perfection - grill, broil, or pan fry - 4-5 minutes per side is usually sufficient.

Assemble & Serve

1. While burgers are cooking, toast hamburger buns.
2. Place burger on bottom half of bun, and top with your favorite burger add-ons - red onion, tomato, arugula or lettuce, ketchup, mustard, etc.
3. Enjoy immediately!

Note

My favorite way to drain spinach, without staining a dishtowel green: place thawed spinach in a large strainer. Press firmly to extrude as much water as possible.

These burgers can be frozen once assembled through step #3 in "Prepare Burgers".  We usually cook 4 at a time (for dinner and lunch), tightly wrap the remaining uncooked burgers in plastic wrap (wrap each burger individually), and place in the freezer to enjoy at a later date. When you're ready to eat the burgers, defrost in the refrigerator overnight, and cook as directed above.

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