Ground Chicken Burgers with Spicy Tzatziki
Ground Chicken Burgers with Spicy Tzatziki is a tasty and healthful way to spice up your summer burger routine! Zucchini and feta cheese take these burgers over the top with Greek-inspired flavor! Serve with my Mediterranean Chopped Salad or eggplant fries on the side!
Why This Recipe is a Keeper!
We don’t use ground chicken for meals very often, but when we do, I’m always so glad because ground chicken is low in fat, which means it’s healthier. It’s a great alternative to higher-fat ground meats like beef, pork or lamb, especially for burgers.
These ground chicken burgers have Greek flair with feta cheese, oregano and just the right amount of kick from the cayenne. Zucchini adds moisture to ground chicken which, although healthier, does tend to be on the dry side. Tzatziki, the classic Greek yogurt sauce, is taken up a notch with jalapeno for a super tasty twist on your summer grilling routine!
This ground chicken burger recipe is:
- Simply delicious!
- Easy to make!
- Make ahead. The chicken burgers can be formed and then refrigerated for up to 12 hours if the ground chicken is super fresh.
- A great meal prep option. The grilled burgers can be frozen for a quick meal that’s ready and waiting!
Let’s make ’em!
How to Make Ground Chicken Burgers and Spicy Tzatziki
Recipe Ingredients:
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this ground chicken burger recipe, along with how to prep the ingredients. See the recipe card below for the exact quantities.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
- Ground Chicken: I highly recommend getting freshly ground chicken rather than ground chicken in sealed packages. The taste and texture of the chicken burgers will be enhanced by using freshly ground meat. Always use freshly ground meat or poultry within a day or so, or freeze it soon after you bring it home.
- Feta Cheese: To save time, purchase crumbled feta cheese.
- Oregano: Fresh is always best, especially in the summer with fresh herbs from your herb garden. If not, substitute a teaspoon of dried oregano.
- Greek Yogurt: Greek yogurt has culinary roots in the Middle East, but numerous cultures have a version of strained yogurt. The thickness comes from straining out the excess whey, but the result retains the same bright tanginess. I’m a fan of Fage, one of the original companies to make Greek yogurt available to the masses. For this tzatziki recipe, I use 5% milk-fat yogurt because it has a better flavor, but you can use lower-fat yogurt.
- Jalapeno: Most of the heat in a jalapeno is in the seeds and the white fleshy membrane. Remove those or leave the jalapeno out if you don’t care for anything too spicy.
- Mint: Mint tends to be pretty prolific in the garden, especially in the spring and early summer, so if you have a fresh mint plant, here’s your chance to use some! You can also substitute fresh dill.
Step-By-Step Instructions:
- Gather and prep all the ingredients.
- Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, reduce heat to medium and cook for 7 to 8 minutes or until softened.
- Add the zucchini and garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until the zucchini is softened.
- Stir in oregano and cayenne pepper.
- Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Transfer to a bowl. Add feta cheese, salt, black pepper and chicken.
- Form into six even burgers.
- MAKE AHEAD: You can make the chicken burgers ahead to this point by forming them later or forming then refrigerating them so they’re ready to go.
- Before grilling the burgers, make the tzatziki. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
- Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.
- Oil or spray the grates of your outdoor grill or drizzle a small amount on your grill pan.
- Place burgers on the grill. Grill 4-5 minutes on each side or until a thermometer inserted in the center registers 165 degrees.
- Gather up all the other toppings…
- …And start building your tasty and healthy ground chicken burgers!
- Enjoy! A healthy chicken burger recipe that will become a summer favorite!
Chef Tips and Tricks:
- As with all ground meats, it’s always best not to handle the ground chicken too much. Overmixing or overhandling any ground meat can make the meat tough.
- Oil or use non-stick cooking spray on the grates on your grill before starting it so the burgers don’t stick.
- If you don’t like all that peel on the cucumbers and for a prettier presentation, peel off several strips from the cucumber, leaving other strips intact as shown below.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes! If you purchased the ground chicken the same day you’re making the burgers, they can be stored safely in the refrigerator for 24 hours. If the ground chicken was purchased the previous day, form the burgers, then refrigerate until you’re ready to cook them. Be sure not to keep the ground chicken unfrozen for a third day because ground meats can become unsafe quickly.
Ground chicken burgers can be frozen cooked or uncooked. If freezing uncooked, assemble, then place on wax or parchment paper and freeze in an airtight container for up to three months. Alternatively, you could freeze them on a baking sheet until they’re firm, then place them in a zipper-top bag. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then grill or place directly on the grill from the freezer, allowing extra time to cook thoroughly heated through to 165 degrees in the center. If the burgers are cooked, follow the same procedure. Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees until completely thoroughly heated to 165 degrees in the center.
Absolutely! Heat a small amount of oil in a nonstick skillet or griddle and cook over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until cooked to 165 degrees in the center.
Storage:
- Store any leftover burgers in the refrigerator or freezer. Reheat in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes or until heated through. Enjoy within five days for the best results.
Serve with:
- Rosemary Garlic Smashed Potatoes
- Perfect Roasted Potato Wedges
- Oven Fries with Spicy Pesto Aioli
- Green Bean and Radish Salad Recipe with Mustard-Caper Vinaigrette
- Lemony Broccoli Barley and White Bean Salad
- Cauliflower Artichoke Tabbouleh
More great burger recipes you’ll love!
- Grilled Burgers with Bacon Tomato Jam and Smoked Gouda
- Shrimp Burgers with Jalapeno Remoulade
- Lentil Walnut Veggie Burgers with Avocado Tzatziki Sauce
Get all my sandwich and burger recipes at: Sandwich and Burger Recipes – From A Chef’s Kitchen
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Ground Chicken Burgers with Spicy Tzatziki
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Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken Burgers
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion - finely chopped
- 1 medium zucchini - shredded
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano - or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese - heaping
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound ground chicken
Tzatziki Sauce
- 1 large cucumber - thin strips removed, seeded and diced
- 1 small jalapeno pepper - seeded if desired, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 1/2 large lemon - juiced
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint - about a handful
- salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste
- 2 cups Greek yogurt
To Finish
- 6 brioche buns
- Lettuce
- Sliced tomatoes
- Thinly sliced red onion
- Jalapeno slices
Instructions
Chicken Burgers
- Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion, reduce heat to medium and cook for 7 to 8 minutes or until softened. Add the zucchini and garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until the zucchini is softened. Stir in oregano and cayenne pepper.
- Remove from the heat and let cool 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Add feta cheese, salt, black pepper and chicken.
- Form into 6 even burgers. Oil or spray the grill grates or drizzle a little oil on your grill pan.
- Preheat a grill to medium-high heat. Place burgers on the grill. Grill 4-5 minutes on each side or until a thermometer inserted in the center registers 165 degrees.
Tzatziki Sauce
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
To Finish
- Serve burgers on brioche buns. Toast or grill if desired. Add lettuce, tomatoes, red onion and tzatziki as desired. Devour.
Notes
Nutrition
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
Love these tasty chicken burgers! So easy to throw together and simple to cook. Mediterranean night just got even more delicious. Thanks for sharing!
Hi, Traci, Thanks so very much and so happy you enjoyed! Love that you have a “Mediterranean night.” What a fantastic idea! Thanks again!
Made these on the weekend and they were a hit! Really easy to make and that tzatziki is amazing! Will definitely make again!
Thanks so much, Betty! Glad you enjoyed and yes, the tzatziki rocks! Thanks again!