Grill up some Mediterranean inspired burgers stuffed with feta cheese
These Greek beef burger patties are filled with Mediterranean flavors like lemon, roasted red peppers, garlic, and more! The burgers are then topped with a smear of tzatziki, as well as thinly sliced cucumbers, red onion, and lettuce. These burgers are the perfect weeknight meal because they cook in under 10 minutes on the grill.
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I'm a big fan of having burgers for weeknight meals. Greek burger patties are easy to prepare ahead of time, and they cook on the grill in under 10 minutes. Perfect for the busy weeknight when you need dinner on the table quickly!
These burgers are unique because they are filled with flavors of the Mediterranean like roasted red peppers, oregano, lemon, and garlic. Then, the middle of the burger is stuffed with crumbled feta cheese.
Next time you're looking for a delicious, juicy burger, you have to try these Greek burgers! Serve with a side of French fries, potato chips, or a big green salad for a meal the whole family will love.
What You'll Learn In This Recipe
You are going to learn some life-changing tips to improve your grilling skills by making this recipe including:
- How to prevent burgers from puffing up on the grill.
- The best way to check that your burgers are perfectly cooked.
- An important tip to know if you want to make your burger patties ahead of time.
If you enjoy learning tricks like these to step up your game in the kitchen, be sure to sign up for my free 5-day email series all about becoming a better home chef.
Ingredient Notes
Here are the burger ingredients you'll need:
- Ground beef: I prefer using 80% lean beef. However, you could also use ground turkey, chicken, or lamb.
- Red onion: Be sure to finely dice the red onion so there aren't any large chunks in the burger. A good chef's knife is super important for knife cuts like this!
- Roasted red bell peppers: I love the colorful flecks the red peppers provide throughout the burger. In a pinch, you could use a raw red bell pepper instead of roasted peppers.
- Garlic: Freshly minced cloves or jarred garlic will work.
- Lemon juice and freshly grated peel: The juice and lemon zest add the perfect acidic bite to this recipe!
- Dried oregano: A very popular spice in Mediterranean cooking.
- Red pepper flakes: This will add some heat to the dish. Feel free to adjust the level of red pepper flakes according to personal taste.
- Salt and black pepper: You will never have the best burgers without salt and pepper to season the beef patties. Don't skip this ingredient if you want great flavor!
- Feta cheese: Tangy feta cheese is imperative to these burgers! Purchase a feta block stored in the brine for the best quality cheese.
- Hamburger buns: Brioche buns are a fan favorite at our house but use what is available to you. It's important to toast the burger buns (you can do this on the grill) before serving.
- Burger toppings: We're adding in additional flavor to the feta burger through the toppings. I like to add thinly sliced cucumbers, red onion, lettuce, tomato, and tzatziki.
Tools & Equipment
You'll need a few kitchen tools to make these feta burgers including:
- Grill: While I prefer to cook with a gas grill for the convenience, a charcoal grill will also work! Just be sure it reaches a high temperature of around 450°F - 500°F.
- Mixing Bowls: A large bowl is necessary for mixing the ground beef with the various flavor seasonings.
- Digital Scale: I like to weigh the burger patties to ensure they are all the same size.
- Grilling Spatula: You'll need a metal spatula that can be used with the high heat of the grill.
- Digital Thermometer: This is one of my most used kitchen tools! Not only is it great for checking the temperature of your burgers, but it can also be used with all cuts of meat and fish, as well as various baking projects.
- Baking Sheet: This isn't a required tool, but it's very helpful for transporting the burgers to and from the grill.
Tips For Grilling The Perfect Burger
There are some industry secrets that you should know to make perfectly delicious and juicy burgers. Not only will it taste good, but the burger will also be picture perfect!
- Salt your burgers right before they go on the grill. Experts suggest that salt will dissolve the muscle proteins in the beef. This, in turn, will prevent your burgers from being moist and tender. Salting right before the patties cook will ensure this doesn't happen!
- Liberally salt your burgers. Salt is an important ingredient in almost every recipe, including these beef burgers. Salt and freshly ground pepper really aid in the final flavor, so don't skimp on these seasonings!
- Always use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of the burgers. This will ensure you get properly cooked burgers every single time! I prefer my burgers to be cooked between 145°F - 150°F.
- Make sure your grill is heated to a high temperature (450°F - 500°F). Remember, the outside temperature will effect the cooking time on your burgers. Ideally, the best temperature for grilling is around 65°F - 70°F.
- To prevent burgers from puffing up while cooking, make a depression in the center of the patties using your thumb. This will help the burgers stay the proper shape to fit nicely on your bun.
- Weigh the patties to ensure they are all the same size. This recipe calls for 5-ounce patties. I use a digital scale with a piece of parchment paper on top (to keeps things sanitary) to weigh each patty.
Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can absolutely substitute the ground beef for turkey or chicken. You could even use ground lamb.
I always test my burgers with a meat thermometer to ensure they are properly cooked through. Depending on how you like your burgers, you can cook them to the following temperatures:
Medium-Rare: 135°F (57°C)
Medium: 145°F (63°C)
Medium-Well: 150°F (66°C)
Well-Done: 160°F (71°C)
Yes, the burger patties can be made 1 day ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until you're ready to grill. Avoid seasoning the outside of the burgers with salt and pepper ahead of time. Instead, season right before grilling.
An easy solution is to make a depression in the center of the patties using your thumb. This prevents the patties from puffing up during the cooking process.
Other Recipes You May Enjoy
If you enjoyed this Mediterranean burger, try these other burger recipes:
- Turkey Burgers stuffed with goat cheese and topped with tomato jam.
- An Italian style Pesto Mozzarella Turkey Burgers with sun-dried tomatoes and a pesto mayonnaise.
- Try this vegetarian Southwest Black Bean and Mushroom Burger for a healthy twist.
Greek Stuffed Feta Burgers With Tzatziki
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef 80% lean
- ½ medium red onion finely diced (about ¾ cups)
- ⅓ cup roasted red bell peppers finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel
- Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 6 ounces feta cheese crumbled
- salt and pepper
- 6 hamburger buns for serving
- tzatziki sauce for serving
- butter lettuce for serving
- thinly sliced cucumbers for serving
- thinly sliced red onion for serving
- thinly sliced tomato for serving
Instructions
- Preheat a gas grill to high heat (450°F - 500°F).
- Add ground beef, onion, roasted red bell pepper, garlic, lemon peel, lemon juice, oregano, and red pepper flakes to a large bowl. Mix everything with your hands until combined.
- Divide the ground beef mixture into six 5-ounce patties. Add 1 ounce of feta cheese to the middle of each patty. Fold the patty around the cheese, then flatten patties to ¾ inch thick. Make a depression in the center of the patties using your thumb to prevent the burgers from puffing up on the grill during the cooking process. Season each side of the patties with salt and pepper, as desired. Place burgers in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm up or until ready to cook on the grill.
- Cook burgers covered over direct heat for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until they reach an internal temperature of 150°F (medium-well).
- To serve, toast hamburger buns. Spread a generous amount of tzatziki sauce on the top and bottom buns. Layer lettuce, a burger patty, sliced cucumbers, onions, and tomato on the bottom bun. Top with the remaining half of the bun and serve immediately.
Angela
Really enjoyed these burgers! We made them for a Greek themed dinner party and they were a hit! Super juicy, delicious, and easy to make.