Turkey Burgers with Feta and Basil
These Turkey Burgers are full of flavor and quick to make. You can make them on the stove or on the grill!
If you think turkey burgers are bland and boring, I urge you to try this recipe.
Do you know what a turkey burger has that a beef burger doesn’t?
A special friendliness with other flavors.
A turkey burger is more suited to having different flavor combinations added to it.
Put feta and basil in a beef patty, and that might be kind of weird.
Put feta and basil in a turkey patty, and you get something magnificent.
If you were to put this turkey burger and a beef burger in front of me, I might pick the turkey burger based on flavor alone.
I always love the grill for the best flavor possible, but these are fantastic even when they’re quickly cooked in a cast iron skillet on the stove indoors.
Just make sure to get the heat high so you get that wonderful brown crust on the edges.
How to Make Turkey Burgers:
In a bowl, combine dark ground turkey, feta cheese crumbles, fresh basil, worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper:
Mix this all together gently to distribute the ingredients evenly, then shape into four equal patties:
To cook the burgers, I’ve had great success for years simply cooking them in a cast iron skillet on the stove, but since my father-in-law bought me this indoor grill (affiliate) for Christmas, I’ve started using that instead.
And of course, it’s great for outdoor grilling too.
Here’s a look at the fully cooked turkey burger patty, without any toppings:
Because there’s so much going on with the actual turkey patty, you can go pretty minimal with the fixings.
I usually do sliced tomato, lettuce, red onion, and some pickles on the side:
I served my burger here with some Baked Garlic Fries, though Red Potato Salad or Greek Zucchini Salad are also perfect for pairing. Enjoy!
More Ground Turkey Recipes:
The full recipe is below, plus a quick 3 minute video below that shows how to make it. Enjoy!
Turkey Burgers with Feta and Basil
Ingredients
For the Turkey Burgers:
- 1 lb dark ground turkey
- 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles
- 2 tbsp packed chopped fresh basil
- 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 tsp salt*
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 4 hamburger buns
- desired toppings like red onion, lettuce, tomatoes, condiments, etc
Side Dish Ideas for Pairing:
Instructions
- Gently mix together the ground turkey, feta crumbles, chopped basil, worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper with your fingertips. Make sure not to overwork the meat, but rather to think of distributing the ingredients evenly.
- Form the meat mixture into 4 patties, keeping in mind that the burger will shrink up during cooking. For this reason, I usually make them flatter than I ultimately want, and a little bit wider than the bun. Don’t make the patties too thick or they’ll take too long to cook.
- To cook on the stove, heat up a cast iron skillet over medium high heat for a couple minutes. Once the pan is hot, add the turkey patties and cook for about 3 minutes on each side. Time will vary depending on how hot your pan is and how thick your patties are, but you want the center of the turkey burger to read at 165 degrees F. If you find that the burgers are browning too much before the interior is cooking through, you can put a lid on the pan, or pop the burgers into a hot oven for a few minutes to finish cooking.
- You may also grill the burgers either on an indoor or outdoor grill. About 3 minutes on each side as well, depending on how intense the heat is. Check for doneness using a thermometer, aiming for 165F.
- Serve the turkey burgers with any accompaniments you want, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
Post updated in May 2019. Originally published May 2013.
80 Comments on “Turkey Burgers with Feta and Basil”
Your burgers look absolutely delicious, I can’t wait to try this recipe!
That burger is gorgeous!!!!
I just adore your blog! Such beautiful recipes and pictures… and your sense of humor and style is fantastic!
I love turkey burgers, what a great way to change them up! Great video!
I loooove turkey burgers! This sounds like a match made in heaven! Ill definitely try these out!
I made your Feta Basil Turkey Burgers for dinner last night. They were delicious and I will make them again and again. I had fresh basil from my garden and also chopped up kalamata olives. I paired them with Bobby Flay’s Greek Quinoa Salad which was also a great combination of ingredients. Thanks for such wonderful recipes and all the hard work you put into it.
OMG!!!! These are amazing. Made them tonight and my picky 17-month-old son devoured nearly an ENTIRE burger. Mmmmm, the adults were equally as happy!
Wonderful! I’m so glad to hear you all loved the burgers.
I tried your Feta Basil Turkey Burgers (added a little extra Worcestershire, cause I love it) and they were delicious! For my toppings I added spinach instead of lettuce and sautéed cherry tomatoes with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar, so, so, yummy.
Hi Amy, YAY!!! I’m so glad you enjoyed the burgers so much. I love these too, so good and they cook up so quickly!
Joanne,
Is there some type of spice or other flavoring I can use to substitute the salt? I don’t really want to add 1/4 tsp (about 600mg; 24-25%) to the burgers if possible. It seems kind of high, I might add 1/8 of a tsp. Also, is it crucial that the basil be fresh? I don’t think it’s that much of a hassle to go and buy it, but if I can use grounded basil with a minimal difference in taste, it would be preferred. Thanks in advance,
Josh
Actually, realized it a minute or so later, the 1/4 of a tsp of salt isn’t so bad since it makes two burgers. It would only be about 12% of daily requirements which is pretty decent. Any ideas anyway?
Hi Josh, if you’re watching your salt intake, feel free to put in what you need. There is some saltiness in the feta too. For the basil, it’s really important to use the fresh stuff. Dried basil just doesn’t taste the same, and the fresh is crucial to give good flavor. Enjoy!
I tried the recipe with fresh basil. Unfortunately, it was something I would definitely eat if presented, but probably wouldn’t seek to make. My mom took one bite and stopped (she’s difficult). I wish I enjoyed it as much as the others above me did. Regardless, I really appreciate the recipe. Always looking for healthy/ier renditions of food. Just glad I tried it!
Hi Josh, glad you tried it too. Inevitably there will be some recipes that suit your tastes and others that don’t. I love these burgers but the flavors are definitely eclectic.
Made these for supper tonight- turned out great! Recipe doubled perfectly 🙂 Had to sub the worcestershire for a gluten free soy sauce. Thanks for sharing- can’t wait for summer so I can do these on the BBQ!
Awesome! Happy to hear it, Eleanor.
I made these last night and they were amazing!! Definitely adding to my go to recipes. Thanks!
YAY! Glad to hear that, Lauren.
Very good Turkey burger! Refreshing, lean, and light.
I also put grilled onions for extra topping!
Thx
Was browsing recipes and saw this one. Was wondering – what would be some examples of condiments that would be good on a turkey burger like this? Ketchup/mustard just isn’t always good with the mix. Anything else you can suggest?
For this I like to do a tzatziki type sauce. You will find a wide array of recipes online, but usually mine is greek yogurt, fresh dill, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Enjoy!!
I’ve had these before, and actually have made them with dried basil, and they still turned out great! So, if you don’t have any on hand, it’s still worth the try. My question is, can you freeze your cooked burgers? I am cooking for one at the moment, and would like to make them all in one go, and have some for later on nights when I need a quick meal to reheat. Thoughts?
Hi Tawna, I haven’t frozen these before, but generally speaking, meat freezes pretty well. It loses a little moisture though FYI.
I’m not having carbs at the moment, but these burgers were awesome and went well with a salad. I tripled the ingredients and added garlic and onion granules which really enhanced the flavours.