Updated Published Jun 12, 2017 By Julia 40 CommentsThis post may contain affiliate links.
Summary:
These flavor-packed Greek burgers are made using ground beef mixed with fresh spinach, feta cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes. After grilling or pan-searing the burgers, they're drizzled with tzatziki sauce and served with fresh toppings on a toasted bun.
Greek Burgers
4.9 from 12 votesPRINT PIN
Prep: 10 minutes mins
Cook: 30 minutes mins
Chill: 1 hour hr
Yield: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
Burger Patties:
- 1 pound ground beef (Note 1)
- 5 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves, chopped
- 2 ounces crumbled feta cheese
- 1/3 cup
chopped sun-dried tomatoes (Note 2) - 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
Buns & Toppings (Note 3):
- sandwich buns (Note 4)
- fresh baby spinach leaves
- sliced tomato
- sliced shallot
- tzatziki sauce (Note 5)
INSTRUCTIONS
Make Burger Patties: Combine and mix together all burger patty ingredients in large bowl. Form into 4 patties, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to harden.
Toast Buns: Heat pan over medium heat, or use grill. Working in batches, drizzle inside faces of buns with cooking oil and place face down on pan. Cook until toasted, a few minutes. Transfer to serving plate.
Cook Burger Patties: Increase to medium-high heat (or keep at medium heat to lessen amount of smoke; it will just take longer to cook). Drizzle cooking oil over pan. Working in batches, cook patties until charred on both sides and internal temperature reaches 160 F, flipping occasionally. Add more oil if pan gets dry.
Serve: Assemble burgers by distributing patties and toppings among buns. Serve hot.
NUTRITION
| Makes 4 Servings |
| Amount Per Serving (1 burger patty; Note 3): |
| Calories 350 (54% from fat) | |
| Total Fat 21g | 32% |
| Saturated Fat 9g | 43% |
| Cholesterol 159mg | 53% |
| Sodium 570mg | 24% |
| Net Carb 3g | |
| Total Carb 4.5g | 1% |
| Dietary Fiber 1.5g | 5% |
| Sugars 2.5g | |
| Protein 35g |
Vitamin A 70% · Vitamin C 20% · Calcium 14% · Iron 26%
PHOTOS
NOTES & TIPS
(1) Ground Beef. If you don’t have beef, ground turkey is a good substitute.
(2) Sun-Dried Tomatoes. I use dry-packaged sun-dried tomatoes, typically found in the produce area of U.S. supermarkets, in plastic packaging. Oil-packaged ones are fine as long as you blot off any excess oil.
(3) Nutrition. The nutrition estimate assumes 85% lean ground beef and only includes the burger patties. Buns, toppings, and cooking oil are not included.
(4) Sandwich Buns. Use sandwich buns or pita pockets. For a low carb alternative, use lettuce wraps or low carb buns (e.g., Natural Ovens Bakery buns sold at Costco).
(5) Tzatziki Sauce. This is a creamy yogurt sauce with garlic and grated cucumbers, available in most U.S. grocery stores. You can also make a homemade version. If you don’t like tzatziki sauce, substitute with some kind of spread (like hummus or mashed avocado) so that the burgers don’t taste too dry.
About Julia
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Julia is a recipe developer and the founder of Savory Tooth, and lives in Boston, Massachusetts. Since 2015, she has been sharing simple recipes for tasty dishes in a user-friendly format. She typically prefers savory foods over sweet, hence the name of the site. Contact her at julia@savorytooth.null.com.
Previous Post: « Lightened-up Chicken Alfredo
Next Post: Pizza Sauce »
newest oldest most voted
Amanda
O. M. G. This is amazing! I used a “Mediterranean” Feta and I withheld the shallots (not a fan of raw shallots)… and it tasted AMAZING! I think maybe adding onions into the burger patty would be good! I will try that next time. Next time may be tomorrow.. haha! Thank you for posting this recipe!
Vote Up3Vote Down Reply
5 years ago
Jaricia
I make this and use chopped red onion. And 1 tsp. Of Greek seasoning from Penzeys and 1 clove of garlic pressed. I serve it with cucumber salad and greek salad dressing I get from a restaurant called Tazikis.
Vote Up2Vote Down Reply
4 years ago
Wanda
This is my absolute favorite burger. My grand-daughter ask me to make it but to use ground turkey, not my first choice because of the dryness of the meat. I added some of the oil from the sun dried tomatoes to help with the dryness and they were wonderful. Will make again and try the ground beef. Thank you.
Vote Up2Vote Down Reply
6 years ago
Tracie Montez
Oh my goodness!! These were so good, I’ve done hundreds of Pinterest recipes but I’ve never left a review, I could not pass up letting everybody know how amazing these are! I grilled them and put a piece of provolone cheese on them!
Vote Up1Vote Down Reply
1 year ago
Sam
We have made this recipe several times. We have turned family members on to it as well! It’s such a staple for us, especially on the grill in the summer! Perfect and fresh flavors.
Vote Up1Vote Down Reply
2 years ago
Greg Divine
This was one delicious burger ! I love the entire Greek/Mediterranean flavor but was surprised there was no garlic in it . Spinach, sun dried tomatoes and feta is a whole lot of wonderful flavor . The whole family loved it and we’ll be making these burgers quite often . Loved the recipe and thank you so much for sharing it with us .
Vote Up1Vote Down Reply
2 years ago
Michelle
Can you use ground chicken
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
1 year ago
Vicki Madziarek
Hi! My husband and I tried these last night, and they were amazing! Sadly, we had to eat them as more of a burrito than a burger.. they crumbled apart when cooking in a cast iron skillet on our grill… My husband said next time I should add bread crumbs? I have never had to use bread crumbs with any other burger recipe so I’m not sure what I did wrong..
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
1 year ago
Sarah
Hi! Can you make these using frozen spinach?
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
4 years ago
Julia
Hi Sarah! Yes, I think using frozen spinach is fine. It would be best if you can thaw it out and squeeze dry before using in these burgers.
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
4 years ago
Chanda
What type of cheese is melted over your burgers?
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
4 years ago
Julia
There’s feta cheese used to make burger patties, but there isn’t any cheese melted over them. You’re probably referring to the white sauce over the burgers — that’s tzatziki sauce, not melted cheese.
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
4 years ago
Leaniya
When you said you decided to make this after your husband ordered a spinach and feta burger topped crispy fried onions on a brioche bun, I realized, that is possible the only thing that could make this recipe even better than it already is. My husband has made these multiple times and the WHOLE family loves them, even my most picky 3 year old. We do hold off on the shallots, but I think fried onions would be the perfect topping to add next time we make them. Although I am not sure how much better than can get. Thanks for the amazing recipe!
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
4 years ago
Kent
How crucial is the egg to the burger mix?
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
4 years ago
Julia
The egg acts as a binder, which helps the burgers keep their shape before and after cooking. If you can’t use egg, you can try using egg substitutes like “flax egg” (1 tbsp ground flaxseed with 3 tbsp hot water).
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
4 years ago
Andrea
I’m planning on making these soon but with ground turkey. Question: do I need to add anything to it to make it stick together since I’m using ground turkey? Like maybe bread crumbs?
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
5 years ago
Julia
I don’t think so. Should be fine substituting with ground turkey.
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
5 years ago
Car
Can they be cooked on the bbq?
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
5 years ago
Julia
Yes, you can definitely grill it! The same way you would do for any burger on your grill.
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
5 years ago
jane
Do you think this would work as a “meatloaf” (really lamb loaf) instead of burgers?
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
5 years ago
Julia
That might work. For meatloaf, I usually use meat that’s more fatty, otherwise I end up with dry tasting meatloaf. If you’re using lamb that’s pretty lean, dryness may be an issue.
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
5 years ago
Megan O.
I just made these tonight for dinner. We left out the sun-dried tomatoes because my husband doesn’t like them. Instead of buns we used small pita pockets. I spread the tzatziki inside with chopped tomatoes. They were a huge hit and will definitely be on our menu again.
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
6 years ago
Julia
Yum!! That sounds incredibly delicious. 🙂
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
6 years ago
Tamara
Can I freeze these prior to cooking?
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
6 years ago
Julia
Hi Tamara! I don’t see why not, but I haven’t tried freezing them myself so I can’t say for sure.
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
6 years ago
Alison
How do you make the tzatziki sauce?
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
6 years ago
Eileen
Have you ever made this recipe in meatballs? Thank you!
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
6 years ago
Jeanne
Just made these, delicious!! The only thing is, I forgot to get sun dried tomatoes so made them without. We will definitely make this recipe often throughout summer! Thank you for posting!
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
6 years ago
Lillian
Hi hoping to make these tonight can they b grilled?
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
6 years ago
Julia
Absolutely. Hope you enjoy them!
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
6 years ago
Will
Hi, making these for dinner and wondered could I cook them in the oven
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
6 years ago
Julia
That should work, maybe 20 minutes at 350 F and turning halfway. Make sure it’s at least 160 F in the center.
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
6 years ago
Bonnie
These were fabulous! I used ground turkey instead of ground beef.
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
6 years ago
Jenna
Can’t wait to make these! Do you use dried sundried tomatoes or the ones in oil from a jar?
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
6 years ago
Julia
Hi Jenna! Thanks for asking — I use the dried kind, not the ones in oil. Hope that helps 🙂
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
6 years ago
ky
Hi!
We made these tonight BUT we used lightly grilled sweet onions, the spinach, and fresh mozzarella for the toppings. They were amazing! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
6 years ago
Alexis
Hello!
I am making these burgers tonight and I was wondering what other toppings might work well with it. My boyfriend is not a huge fan of tzatkiki and I wasn’t sure what other flavors might work. Thanks!
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
6 years ago
Julia
Hi Alexis! My husband is actually not a big fan of tzatziki sauce either, but he loved these burgers with them. You could try replacing it with an avocado spread, hummus, or Greek yogurt. Basically, use some kind of spread so that the burgers don’t taste too dry without tzatziki sauce. Hope that helps and let me know if you have any other questions!
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
6 years ago
Lisa
I have ground bison… Anyone tried that? They are in the fridge now!!
Vote Up1Vote Down Reply
2 years ago
