It’s burger night!! And not just any burger, we’re going full Greek-inspired tonight! Burgers just feel like summertime. It feels fitting for slower nights, and I’ve never had a grill of my own until this year, so I’m making the most of it—#girlswhogrill.
These days, my go-to hosting move is a meal where the protein is fully handled, there’s a great sauce involved, and everything else is flexible and customizable. I love it when I have this option as a guest, so I’m bringing it to my own dinner table this summer through meals like this.
Today’s greek-inspired chicken burgers with herby yogurt sauce are packed with roasted red peppers, kalamata olives, feta, and fresh basil—like a Greek salad situation, in burger form. Salty! Sweet! Savory! So delish. The herby yogurt sauce goes both inside the burgers and on top for serving, so we’re continuing our sauce efficiency trend. It takes all of two minutes (or less) to whisk together.
Make these on the grill, or in the kitchen using a large skillet or grill pan!
This recipe is meant to be quick, delicious, and easy enough for a weeknight meal as written. There are a few tips and ways to make it really stand out—with minimal extra effort—if you have extra time, or want to try something different.
Finding a truly good gluten-free burger bun has been no small feat—it’s a big reason I don’t make burgers more often. Earlier this year, I found these gluten-free brioche rolls and I’ve been obsessed ever since (code JENN30 for $30 off).
Use large sheet trays for prepping and transporting everything. It’s practical and makes dinner feel a little more elevated. Since the burger mixture runs a little bit soft, cut your parchment into small squares before you start forming the patties. This way you can pick each one up by the paper and flip it straight onto the grill or pan without it falling apart or losing shape. And for serving, I love small trays for a toppings bar!!
I developed this recipe without a grill first, so I can confirm that it works just as well in a grill pan or large skillet. That said, if you do have a grill, it’s great for larger batches and keeps the kitchen cool. Tip: use a halved lemon to clean your grill grates!
let’s get to today’s recipe!
greek-inspired chicken burgers with yogurt herb sauce
serves 6 | prep time: 20 minutes | cook time: 15 minutes
gluten-free, nut-free
INGREDIENTS
For the Yogurt Sauce
1 cup whole milk or low-fat Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Chicken Burgers
2 pounds ground chicken
8 ounces jarred roasted red peppers, drained, and finely chopped
3⁄4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1⁄4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and finely chopped
1⁄4 cup finely chopped basil leaves
2 tablespoons Yogurt Sauce (recipe above)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
3⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
neutral oil spray, for cooking
For serving
6 to 8 gluten-free burger buns, toasted if desired
lettuce leaves (optional)
thinly sliced tomatoes (optional)
thinly sliced red onion (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the yogurt sauce: Add the yogurt, chives, dill, lemon juice, garlic powder, and salt to a small bowl. Whisk until well combined and set aside.
Add the ground chicken, roasted red peppers, feta, olives, 2 tablespoons of Yogurt Sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Use a rubber spatula to mix evenly until it forms a uniform mixture.
Form the mixture into 6 to 8 evenly-sized, flat patties and place on a parchment-lined tray. Note: the mixture can be sticky, so you can cut the parchment paper into squares to make transferring to the grill easier.
Cook the burgers: Heat a grill or cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat. If using the grill pan, spray it with neutral oil spray. Once heated, add the burgers, working in batches if needed, and cook until browned on each side and at an internal temperature of 165°F, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Set aside on a plate.
Once all of the burgers are cooked, place each one on a bun and top with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the yogurt sauce. Add toppings of choice (lettuce, tomato, onion) and serve.
STORE IT: Refrigerate the burgers in a sealed container for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months. Uncooked burgers can be tightly wrapped and frozen for up to three months. Refrigerate the yogurt sauce in a sealed container or jar for up to 7 days.
REHEAT IT: From refrigerated, microwave until warm, about 2 minutes or heat in a saucepan over medium heat and cover with a lid until warm, about 10 minutes. From frozen, thaw in the fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight, then heat as instructed.
recipe notes
Freeze or refrigerate the shaped burger patties for 10 minutes to firm up before transferring to the grill. Especially helpful if it’s a hot day!
Cut your parchment paper into squares for a mess-free burger transition to the grill.
Make it a bowl: Skip the buns and make a burger bowl with your toppings.
Serve with chips, french fries, or see below for mediterranean-inspired sides!
swaps and subs
Ground chicken: Swap it with ground turkey or beef.
Toppings: Add any toppings you prefer like pickles, pepperoncini, or even additional olives and feta.
Yogurt sauce: Swap for pre-made tzatziki sauce or omit and opt for traditional ketchup and mustard. Dairy-free yogurt works perfectly here too.
Fresh herbs: Swap for 1 tablespoon of dried dill in the sauce and 1 tablespoon dried basil in the burgers.
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Hope you all are having a wonderful week so far. Let me know if you make this recipe, or share your dinner plans and pics in our chat! While you’re here, don’t forget to enter our summer challenge to access a paid membership. See you Friday!
This was so good! I had a 3lb thing of frozen ground chicken I wasn't sure what to do with. I went with the honey siracha meatball bowls for dinner last night then these chicken burgers tonight. There's a lady at my local farmers market that makes sourdough bread. I grabbed some of her focaccia bread this morning and a tomato. Y'all. Seriously this was a 10/10 dinner. One of my kids doesn't like meat. He ate his entire burger. That's a HUGE win. Will definitely be making this again.
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