TL/DR – Tabbouleh Turkey Burgers with Tzatziki. Bulgur wheat, parsley, mint, lemon zest and shallot make plain ground turkey into a wonderfully flavored burger patty. Served with homemade tzatziki, this meal is a great way to liven up burger night. –
Tabbouleh is one of my favorite Mediterranean side salads and it’s a good way to use up fresh parsley. Putting it into a turkey burger may seem a little crazy, but for real, there is nothing wrong here.
Combine ground turkey with bulgur wheat that has been rehydrated, shallot, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, mint and a bit of salt and pepper. Form patties and spray them on both sides with nonstick cooking spray.
Also spray the grill with nonstick spray to prevent any sticking. Place the patties on a screaming hot grill, turn down the heat to medium, and in about ten minutes you have a really tasty and healthy turkey burger.
Homemade Tzatziki is far superior to store bought and it’s also super easy. Some folks like a chunkier sauce, but I prefer to cut the peeled cucumber into super thin strips and then slice those strips very thinly to get little cucumber slivers. Use fresh mint, dill, parsley, lemon juice, garlic and plain Greek yogurt to yield a thick and tangy sauce.
Serve these burgers with Roasted Potatoes and Lemony Garlicky Broccoli.
Tabbouleh Turkey Burgers with Tzatziki
Ingredients
- For the burgers:
- 1/4 c bulgur wheat
- 1/2 c boiling water
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1/4 cup parsley leaves, minced finely
- 1/4 c shallot, minced
- 2 T mint leaves, minced
- zest of one lemon
- 1/2 t kosher salt
- 1/8 t ground black pepper
- For the tzatziki:
- 1 c plain Greek yogurt, full fat preferred but low fat is fine
- 3/4 c cucumber, peeled and finely diced
- 1/4 cup parsley leaves, minced finely
- 1 T minced fresh mint
- 2 T minced fresh dill
- 1 T lemon juice
- 1/4 t grated fresh garlic
- 1/2 t kosher salt
- 1/8 t ground pepper
Directions
- Step 1 Pour the boiling water over the bulgur wheat and allow to sit for 20-30 minutes. Drain any excess water.
- Step 2 As bulgur soaks, place all other ingredients into two bowls, one for the tzatziki and one for the burgers.
- Step 3 Preheat the grill to 350 degrees F.
- Step 4 Mix the tzatziki ingredients together and place into the refrigerator until serving time.
- Step 5 Mix the burger ingredients with the soaked and drained bulgur wheat together well and form four patties.
- Step 6 Spray each patty with nonstick spray and place spray-side-down onto the hot grill. Carefully spray the other side of each patty and close the grill.
- Step 7 Grill for 5 – 6 minutes on each side, lowering the heat if necessary to keep the temperature at about 350, until they reach an internal temperature of 165.
- Step 8 Serve as lettuce wraps or alone with the tzatziki sauce.
