Turkey and Zucchini Burgers with Green Onion and Cumin are a delicious marriage of plant based ingredients and meat.
Turkey and zucchini burgers are a delicious way to lighten up meat
I can’t resist a burger that’s packed with greens, whether it’s green veggies, leafy greens, or fresh herbs, it doesn’t matter, greens mixed in with the meat make burgers extra tender, juicy and bursting with flavor.
These turkey burgers get their green personality from grated zucchini, green onions, mint and cilantro. They’re browned in a skillet and then finished off in the oven, which gives them great caramelization on the outside and helps insure that they aren’t tough inside. With their spring green color, almost meatball-like texture, and subtle Middle Eastern spicing, these patties are worlds away from any turkey burger you’ve had lately. But it gets even better — they’re topped off with a wonderfully tangy sumac yogurt sauce. Sumac is a deep red tart spice that’s well worth tracking down. It looks a little like chili powder, and it’s used in a lot of Middle Eastern dishes. It gives a citrusy tang to meats, rice, hummus and salads.
This recipe is from Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbook, Jerusalem
It came out a couple of years ago to great fanfare, and the fanfare hasn’t died down one bit, at least in my kitchen. It is hands down my favorite cookbook, and everything I’ve made from it has turned out perfect, and has introduced me to something new. Sami Tamimi have a flair for vivid flavors and compelling, but not at all fussy, presentation. I most often choose what I want to cook by eye, and the photos in this book are so enticing that I can hardly get past a page or two before I’ve made my choice. Every page is a killer. If you don’t have this book, I can’t recommend it enough. When I get in a rut and can’t think of anything to make, I turn to this book. It never lets me down.
You could eat these turkey zucchini burgers just like a classic hamburger, on a bun with all the fixings,
but you can also forgo the bun and eat these just as they are, drizzled with the sauce, or on top of a pile of fresh salad greens for a super low carb option (and the way we like them best.)
You could also put them in pockets of soft pita bread, topped with tabouleh or hummus.
Aaaaaand you could also make these into cocktail meatballs…they’re very versatile little fellows.
Promise me you’ll give these a try — they’ll change the way you look at turkey burgers, for sure, and I bet they’ll inspire you to get creative with all your spring and summer grilling.
More Yotam Ottolenghi recipes
- Red Pepper and Baked Egg Galettes
- The Best Yotam Ottolenghi Recipes You Don’t Want to Miss!
- Flourless Coconut Cake
- Cod Cakes in Tomato Sauce
- Mejadra
Turkey and Zucchini Burgers with Green Onion and Cumin
Ingredients
for the burgers
- 1 lb ground turkey, I used white meat, you can also use dark meat
- 1 large or 2 medium zucchini, grated (2 cups grated)
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- oil for browing
for the Sumac Sauce
- 2/3 cup yogurt
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- zest of 1 lemon
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp sumac
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Set oven to 425F
- Make the sumac sauce by combining all the ingredients in a bowl and mixing well. Refrigerate until needed. Thin with a little water if you like a thinner sauce.
- Put all the burger ingredients, except the oil, in a large bowl Mix well, using your hands, making sure to get all the ingredients well incorporated, but don’t over-work the meat…use a light touch!
- Form the meat mixture into patties. I used a 1/3 cup as a measure, and made about 9 burgers. (You can make your burgers as large or small as you like, but will need to adjust the cooking time.) Note that the mixture will be very wet. Don’t worry, they will firm up as they cook.
- Coat the bottom of a skillet lightly with oil and heat until it is nice and hot. You should hear a good sizzle when the patties hit the pan, If not, let the oil heat more. Working in batches, brown the patties on both sides, for about 2 minutes per side, and add more oil as needed.
- Set the burgers on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for about 7 to 10 minutes, just until done inside.
- Serve the burgers with the sauce.
Notes
Recipe from Jerusalem
Nutrition
I have made this recipe at least a dozen times. I always serve with pita bread either homemade or store bought and it is by far one of my husband and my favorites! I add some more fresh herbs that I have on hand sometimes, usually parsley and dill . I also use vegan sour cream and mayo for the sauce as my husband is dairy free. We add a simple salad to the pita and it is an amazing meal!
So glad you love this one, Julia. I always feel like fresh herbs make a recipe shine, I’m always adding extra handfuls too!
I made the recipe as written to rave reviews from my husband. Juicy, flavorful and filling without being heavy. The sauce with the sumac was delicious and I know I will be making this often. Thanks Sue!
Thanks so much Nancy, you’re reminding me to make these again, it’s been a while!
Question: Can you freeze these patties after the frying stage and before you put them in the oven?
Hmmm, I would probably suggest freezing them before any cooking. Since they’re so moist you’d have to freeze them in a single layer on a lined baking sheet, and then transfer them to some sort of container or freezer bag.
Do you think these could be cooked on the BBQ? It would make a great summer meal but the oven would warm up the kitchen.
Definitely, but they’re more delicate than regular burgers, so if you have some sort of grill pan, that would be best.
I have Yotam’s book at home and am starting to work through it. I agree, what I have made, I love
I hope he never stops putting out cookbooks!
Hi,
I made this last night following all the steps exactly as your recipe says. It tasted great but my patties did not stay together like yours did. I was wondering if you ,missed a step (did you squeeze the juice out of the zucchini?) or left out an ingredient ( panko or cornstarch?)because your patties look perfect.
Hey Ashima ~ no I didn’t add any crumbs or cornstarch. It’s possible your zucchini was very wet, in which case squeezing out the moisture might have helped. But as I note in the recipe the mixture is quite wet to begin with. You do need to form the patties nice and firmly before frying, that might have been the issue? If you do make them again you can feel free to add some breadcrumbs to bind it more tightly if you think you need it.
everything i want to make lately calls for sumac, so i guess i’m going to stock up on sumac 🙂 i love it in za’atar, so i’m sure i’ll really enjoy it in this recipe, too. i’m planning on several types of Mediterranean-type turkey burgers/fritters for my Thanksgiving meal, along with Tzatziki and a nice Greek salad with Kalamata olives and Feta. it will be a truly awesome feast, and these burgers will reign supreme!!
Sounds wonderful — you’re so well organized!
These are delicious! I just made them tonight and I can’t believe how simple, easy, and tasty they were! I made them with the 97% fat free ground turkey and they were still very moist. I did not have sumac so I used the fat free fage yogurt, light sour cream, and and squeeze of a lemon slice for the sauce! Perfect! Thank you
You’re welcome Chelsea — I love to eat this way! Try to track down the sumac some day, I think you’ll like it.