Feta Late Than Never: The Ultimate Turkey Burger!

Grilled Spinach Feta Turkey Burger Recipe

Meal Type: Lunch

Difficulty level: Easy

Dad Rating: 👍👍

Kid Rating: 👍👎

Total Servings: 5 Patties at 6 oz per Patty

Calories per Serving: 882

Cost per Serving: $3.92

Prep Time: 38 minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes

Gadgets Needed

( Links provided below are Amazon Associate links personally recommended by me, thank you for your support.)

• Refrigerator/Freezer
• Grill
• Large Mixing Bowl
• Measuring Spoons
• Heavy Skillet
• Hamburger Press
• Meat Thermometer
• Grill Thermometer 
• Hardwood Lump Charcoal if using charcoal based heat source
• Apple, Hickory, or Pecan wood chips/chunks if using a charcoal based heat source
• Tongs
• Chopping Knife
• Cutting Board
• Basting Brush
• Paper Towels
• Grill Spatula
• Grill Tongs
• Grill Scraper
• Cookie Sheet
• Garlic Press

No fowl play when it comes to these burgers. Turkey burgers always seem so calm when they are grilled. They don't have a beef with anyone. When it comes to turkey burgers, you might think they're just a boring cousin of beef burgers, but let me tell you, these will be the most juicy, flavorful, and surprisingly leanest burgers you've ever had. You will forget all about their moo-ing competition. Once you have one you'll be gobbling them up faster than you can say "Why did the turkey join a band? Because it had drumsticks!"

Cooking turkey burgers is an art, and getting them just right is no yolk! The recipe below employs three key steps to accomplish perfection. The first key is to layer the flavor in every step. The subtle rosemary and garlic additions to the oil when wilting the spinach, the smokey infusion of pecan wood when grilling, and the presentation on a toasted pretzel bun create a cornucopia of flavor to be thankful for. The second key is to keep the outside as cold as possible so the meat sears once it hits the hot grates of the grill. The last key is to not overcook the burgers or you'll end up with a patty that's drier than a dad joke at Thanksgiving dinner. And we all know that's stuffing nobody wants. 

You now have the secrets needed to craft, conquer, and comment. Go forth and enjoy. Share your adventures with this dish in the comments below. 

Ingredients:

• 1 six oz bag baby spinach ($2.99)
• 4 cloves roasted garlic ($0.99)
• 1 sprig of rosemary ($0.10)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided for three purposes ($0.68)
• 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey ($6.49)
• 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese ($2.33)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt ($0.01)
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper ($0.01)
• 5 Pretzel Rolls ($5.99)

Instructions:

1. For Charcoal grillers, start preheating the grill to 375º before prepping the patties. Propane Grillers can wait until the patties have chilled in the freezer at a later step. (10 minutes)
2. Pour the teaspoon of olive oil into the heavy skillet. (1 minute)
3. Remove the leaves from the rosemary sprig and add to oil in the skillet. (1 minute)
4. Peel the skin from the garlic cloves. (1 minute)
5. Cover the skillet with a tight fitting lid over high heat and monitor oil mixture for a shimmery appearance. (2 minutes)
6. When the oil mixture is shimmery and hot, use the garlic press to mince the cloves into the pan and stir for about 10 seconds or until it's fragrant. 
7. Add the spinach all at once and flip it a couple of times with tongs until it begins to wilt. (3 minutes)
8. Turn the heat off, add the lid and let sit. (2 minutes) 
9. Remove the lid, flip a couple more times then add the lid and leave for 1 more minute. (2 minutes)
10. Use the tongs to gently transfer the spinach and garlic to a colander on a plate. Let it rest until room-temperature. (15 minutes)
11. Roughly chop the wilted spinach, garlic rosemary mixture with the chopping knife so you can more easily mix it through the ground turkey in the next steps. (2 minutes)
12. Add the chopped mixture to the large mixing bowl with the turkey, feta, salt, and pepper. (1 minute)
13. Gently but thoroughly mix everything together until all of the ingredients are consistently blended. (1 minute)
14. Use the hamburger press to form into 5 burger patties of approximately 6 oz each. Place the formed patties onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and let it rest in the freezer until ready to add to the grill.  (5 minutes)
15. Clean the Grill using the grill scraping tool then a wet paper towel in tongs. (1 minute)
16. Charcoal grillers can add the wood chips/chunks at this point for an additional layer of smokey goodness.
17. Prepare the Grill grates by soaking a wadded paper towel generously with olive oil and use tongs to rub it over the clean grill grates, heavily oiling them. (1 minute)
18. Once the grill has reached a temperature of 375º, ease the burger patties onto the grill and do not move them for 6 minutes. (6 minutes)
19. After 6 minutes, flip the burgers just once and let them continue to cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the burgers release from the grill and the interior temperature of the thickest part of the burgers can be held at a temperature of 153°F for 1.3 minutes to kill off bacteria and a juicier patty or 165º for a drier patty with instant bacterial death.  (10 minutes)
20. Transfer the burgers to a clean plate.
21. Using the basting brush, brush each of the insides of the Pretzel Rolls with olive oil and toast them directly on the grill just until they have grill marks. Use tongs or a spatula to transfer the buns to a clean plate or baking sheet for serving. (2 minutes)
22. Serve each burger on the toasted pretzel roll.