Sun-Dried Tomato and Feta Turkey Burgers with Jalapeño Tzatziki

This healthy twist on a gyro, seasoned with the classic Greek spinach/feta/ oregano trio, is the juiciest turkey burger you’ve ever had thanks to the surprising addition of sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil. They’re great served as a lettuce wrap if you want to go lighter or let it rock your world in a grilled pita or hamburger bun. If you don’t have (or don’t like) sun-dried toma- toes, replace them with green olives and a tablespoon of olive oil and cut the salt down to 1⁄4 teaspoon. Also, don’t toss the cucumber water left over from grating the cuke for your tzatziki: Add it to water and enjoy a refreshing spa drink or head in the other direction and stir it into a margarita! Your feel-good food list just got longer! – Carissa Stanton

SERVES 4 / TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES

Ingredients

Jalapeño Tzatziki

• 1⁄2 cucumber
• 3⁄4 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon diced jalapeño (seeded if you want less heat)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
• Juice of 1⁄2 lemon
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt

Turkey Burger

• 1 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped
• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• 1⁄3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
• 1⁄3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1⁄4 red onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 large Bibb or leaf lettuce leaves

Directions

Make the jalapeño tzatziki:

Over a sieve set in a bowl, grate the cucumber on the large holes of a box grater. Using a kitchen towel, fine-mesh sieve, or your hands, wring or press out any excess liquid from the cucumber.

In a medium bowl, combine the grated cucumber, yogurt, oil, jalapeño, dill, mint, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you make the burgers. You can even make the tzatziki the night before (it tastes even better the next day!).

Make the turkey burgers:

In a medium skillet, combine the spinach and 2 tablespoons of water and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until wilted, about 1 minute. Remove and allow to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, combine the wilted spinach, turkey, sun-dried tomatoes,

feta, onion, garlic, oregano, parsley, salt, and pepper and gently mix to evenly distribute all the ingredients. Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and form them into patties about 1-inch thick, slightly indenting the middle of each patty with your thumb. (The indentation helps the patty stay nice and flat instead of puffing up like a football.)

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes per side (or when an instant meat thermometer inserted horizontally reads 165°F).

Top the patty with a generous dollop of tzatziki and wrap each burger in 2 lettuce leaves per burger.

Excerpted from SERIOUSLY, SO GOOD: Simple Recipes for a Balanced Life.Copyright @ 2024 by Carissa Stanton. Photography Copyright © 2024 by Alanna Hale. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, and imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.