Grilled Middle Eastern Turkey Burgers
If you’ve never been a fan of grilled turkey burgers, try these Grilled Middle Eastern Turkey Burgers that are loaded with fresh herbs. I eat them in low-carb pita bread for a delicious carb-conscious meal or you can make lettuce wraps if you want even fewer carbs!
PIN the grilled turkey burgers recipe to try it later!
If anyone just turned their nose up a bit at the mention of grilled turkey burgers, stay with me here for a minute. While it’s true ground turkey can sometimes be a little ho-hum, these Grilled Middle Eastern Turkey Burgers have finely chopped mint and parsley added to the turkey, and they’re seasoned with an interesting mix of paprika, cumin, coriander, and pepper flakes for a delicious turkey burger recipe that’s moist and flavorful.
I actually had the leftovers for breakfast and again for lunch the day after I first made them, which is a pretty high recommendation in a house like mine where the fridge is always packed with interesting things to eat. And if you try this recipe for grilled turkey burgers, it might become one of your favorites, I promise!
What Ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- ground turkey
- Minced Garlic (affiliate link)
- salt
- fresh mint
- fresh parsley
- Olive Oil (affiliate link)
- sweet paprika (I like Szeged Sweet Paprika (affiliate link)
- ground Cumin (affiliate link)
- ground coriander (affiliate link)
- Aleppo Pepper (affiliate link)
- Joseph’s Low-Carb Pita Bread (affiliate link) for serving
What makes these Grilled Turkey Burgers so unique?
Using lots of fresh chopped mint and parsley plus a variety spices of in the turkey mixture makes these grilled turkey burgers a tasty meal with middle eastern flavors. And they are delicious served with Tzatziki Sauce!
How did I serve the Grilled Turkey Burgers?
I loved the turkey burgers served inside Joseph’s Low-Carb Pita Bread (affiliate link), which is my favorite low-carb pita bread, but you could eat them in lettuce wraps for a version that’s lower in carbs. I served them with a dollop of Tzatziki Sauce enhanced with some freshly chopped mint and parsley. I thought that was the perfect sauce for this, but if you don’t want to go to the trouble of making Tzatziki, I have a few quicker sauce recommendations below.
How low in carbs are Grilled Middle Eastern Turkey Burgers?
The turkey mixture in this recipe only has one carb after it’s grilled. If you serve them inside Joseph’s Low-Carb Pita Bread (affiliate link) like I did, each piece of pita has about 7 net carbs.
Can you make Grilled Turkey Burgers without an outdoor grill?
If you don’t have an outdoor grill (or it’s not grilling weather) these tasty turkey burgers can be cooked on a stove-top grill pan with ridges or George Foreman Grill as well. (affiliate links) Use Grilling Recipes to find more ideas for grilling.
How to make Grilled Middle Eastern Turkey Burgers:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Put turkey into a bowl and let it come to room temperature while you chop the fresh mint and parsley.
- Add chopped mint, chopped parsley, olive oil, and spices to the bowl.
- Mix with your hands, just enough to combine.
- Put cling-wrap on the baking sheet. Then divide the turkey mixture into six even portions, roll the turkey into a ball, and flatten to make a patty.
- Put more cling wrap over the top and put baking sheet into the fridge and chill the turkey at least 30 minutes.
- When you’re ready to cook, oil or spray the surface of the grill and heat to medium heat.
- Brush the top of each patty with a little more olive oil. Put burgers on the grill with oiled side facing down.
- For criss-cross grill marks, rotate the patties after about 4 minutes. (Lift an edge and see if the marks are showing to tell when it’s time to rotate.)
- Grill the turkey burgers about 5-6 minutes per side, or until an Instant Read Meat Thermometer (affiliate link) reaches 165F/75C.
- Serve hot, inside low-carb pita bread, in lettuce wraps, on a hamburger bun, or just plain with the sauce.
- We cut the patties in half and served them inside my favorite low-carb pita bread, which has 7 net carbs per whole pita.
- We loved the turkey burgers with Tzatziki Sauce with extra chopped mint and parsley sprinkled on.
What other sauces can you use for the Grilled Turkey Burgers?
If you don’t want to make Tzatziki Sauce, you could use Creamy Cucumber Sauce, Tartar Sauce, Homemade Ranch Dip, BYU Creamery Ranch Copycat Recipe, Easy Avocado Sauce, Green Goddess Salad Dressing or even Cafe Rio Salad Dressing. And if you don’t want to make a sauce or dressing, you can buy Tzatziki sauce, and I think purchased Ranch Dressing would taste pretty good on this too, especially if you added the extra chopped herbs.
Make it a Low-Carb Meal:
Grilled Middle Eastern Turkey Burgers would taste great with Tomato, Cucumber, and Radish Salad, Cucumber Salad with Balsamic Dressing, or Cucumber and Yogurt Salad with Feta and Dill.
More Tasty Ideas with Ground Turkey
- Asian Lettuce Cups with Spicy Ground Turkey Filling
- One-Pan Ground Turkey Curry
- Turkey Lettuce Wrap Tacos with Tomato-Avocado Salsa
Grilled Middle Eastern Turkey Burgers
These Grilled Middle Eastern Turkey Burgers are loaded with flavor and they're delicious served inside low-carb pita bread, in lettuce wraps, or just eaten plain with sauce! And if you like middle eastern flavors, this just might become your favorite turkey burger recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb. ground turkey
- 1 tsp. finely minced garlic
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt (I used fine sea salt)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley (I used curly parsley, but either type will work)
- 3 T olive oil
- 2 tsp. sweet paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin (recipe called for 1 tsp., but I love cumin so I used a bit more)
- 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp. Aleppo pepper (recipe called for cayenne, and any type of ground red pepper would work)
Instructions
- Take the ground turkey out of the package and break into pieces in a bowl, then let it come to room temperature on the counter while you chop up a generous amount of fresh mint and parsley.
- Add garlic, salt, chopped mint, chopped parsley, olive oil, Sweet Hungarian Paprika (affiliate link), ground cumin (affiliate link), ground coriander (affiliate link), and Aleppo Pepper (affiliate link) or other spicy red pepper flakes to the bowl with the meat.
- Then mix with your hands, just enough to combine.
- Put a piece of cling-wrap on a baking sheet. Then divide the turkey mixture into six even portions, roll the turkey into a ball, and flatten to make a patty.
- Put another piece of cling wrap over the top or the patties, put baking sheet into the fridge, and chill the turkey at least 30 minutes (or at bit longer longer if you have plenty of time.)
- When you're ready to cook, oil or spray the surface of the grill and heat to medium heat. (If you don't have grilling spray, put some oil on a paper towel and rub on the grill grates before you heat the grill.)
- Brush the top of each patty with a little more olive oil. Then put burgers on the grill, putting the side you brushed with oil facing down.
- If you're going for criss-cross grill marks, rotate the patties after about 4 minutes. (Lift the edge and see if the marks are showing to tell when it's time to rotate.)
- Grill the turkey burgers about 5-6 minutes per side, or until an Instant Read Meat Thermometer (affiliate link) reaches 165F/75C.
- Serve hot inside low-carb pita bread, in lettuce wraps, on a hamburger bun, or just plain with the sauce.
- We cut the patties in half and served them inside my favorite low-carb pita bread, which has 7 net carbs per whole pita.
- We loved the turkey burgers with Tzatziki Sauce with some extra chopped mint and parsley sprinkled on.
- You could also serve these with Creamy Cucumber Sauce, Tartar Sauce, Homemade Ranch Dip, Easy Avocado Sauce, Green Goddess Salad Dressing or even Cafe Rio Salad Dressing. And if you don't want to make a sauce, you can buy Tzatziki Sauce or I think purchased Ranch Dressing would taste pretty good on this too, especially if you added the extra chopped herbs.
Notes
Nutritional information is for turkey burgers only. The low-carb pita bread I used has 9 carbs but 2 grams of fiber for 7 net carbs per serving. Tzatziki sauce has only four carbs in one-fourth cup, and all the other sauces recommended are very low in carbs.
Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking Grilling Volume 2.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 360Total Fat 27gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 18gCholesterol 120mgSodium 683mgCarbohydrates 1gFiber 1gSugar 0gProtein 29g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Serving the grilled turkey burgers inside my favorite low-carb pita bread adds 7 net carbs, but this is still a pretty low-carb meal. If you want to make this for a Keto or gluten-free meal, just serve plain or inside lettuce wraps with any of the sauces listed above. These turkey burger patties plain would be good for any phase of the original South Beach Diet and this is also suitable for phase 2 or 3 of South Beach when served in the Pita Bread.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use the Turkey Recipes or Grilling to find more recipes like this one.Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This amazing grilled turkey burger recipe was first posted August 2009. The recipe was updated with better photos and slightly easier instructions June 2020 and it was last updated with more information in 2024.
45 Comments on “Grilled Middle Eastern Turkey Burgers”
another winner,
my son got dill instead of mint and they were just as good
Glad you enjoyed! I can imagine it working with dill.
Great tasting turkey burgers! I loved the spice/garlic combination. I made the tzatziki sauce to top my burger and it was the perfect addition. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed! Oh man, I need to make that recipe soon!
These are sooo good and a staple at our house. I often mix ground chicken and turkey. Perfect with tzatziki, sliced tomatoes and onion!
So glad you have enjoyed it!
I'm not always that quick, but sometimes I just happen to be on the computer! Let me know how it turns out!
Thanks for the quick response! Pics was thinking the same thing about the herbs. The crumble idea is good!
Carebear, I'm not entirely sure what will happen to all the fresh herbs in the meat if it's browned like that (the herbs might burn or get over-cooked.) Also turkey often releases water when it's cooked on the stovetop (which doesn't happen on a grill.) I do like the sound of it, but truthfully I am just not sure how it will work. You could brown the patties and then break them apart when they're partly cooked; that might work better.
Hi Kalyn! I was wondering if this meat recipe could be browned much like you would taco meat? You know, instead of making patties they could be more like Greek tacos and the meat is stuffed in a pita.
So glad to hear you have been enjoying the recipe so much!
I've loved this recipe, sometimes I've added some finely minced (almost pureed) onions, or switched the sweet paprika with smoked, but it's always great. I've even made these into meatballs and grilled them, they keep good in the freezer that way and then make a great quick protein addition to top a salad of spinach, tomatoes and feta that I can quickly throw together in the morning for a great work week lunch.
~M if you don't want dairy, I'd probably go with some type of salsa.
These look awesome and I have access to ground kosher turkey. Do you have a recipe or recommendation for a non-dairy dip to serve with these burgers?
Nalene, you're welcome, happy to hear you liked it!
I made this for dinner two nights ago, and it was so good! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Robyn, thanks! That makes my day. I'm not exaggerating at all, I love every recipe I try from Fine Cooking and always mention it as my #1 food magazine!
Thanks for loving us Kalyn. . .We love you too!
– Robyn from www.FineCooking.com.
Hard to say, but I'm guessing the leaner breast meat will cook a bit more quickly. Also maybe your patties were thinner? I wouldn't worry about it, I'd just eat then when they're cooked through.
hi, they were great- but I am wondering about the done-ness temperature? I used only turkey breast meat, and they were cooked well before my thermometer reached that temp…?
This has got to be an omen! I've been looking around on the web for something new and interesting to grill and your turkey burgers with yogart sauce is the 2nd such recipe I've run across. The other recipe called for the finished meat to be wrapped in lettuce leaves. Will most certainly try both versions. Thanks for the post.
Lea Ann
Those turkey burgers look good! Using turkey is always a nice change for burgers.
Thanks everyone, do hope you will try it. I absolutely loved how this turned out. One of my neighbors has already tried it and liked it!
saw this on photograzing. looks yummy.
wow these look fantastic!
I LOVE turkey burgers and totally agree that if you cook them right they are incredible- just as yours sound! I cant wait to try! I love that your used a wrap to eat!
The beginning of your post made me laugh as I turned up my nose! LOL They do look wonderful and the patties include so many of my favorite ingredients 🙂 Love how they look in the flat breads too!
Thanks everyone for all the turkey burger ideas. Sounds like there might be a lot more ground turkey fans than I ever realized!
I'm with you on ground turkey, Kalyn. I always have some in my freezer. This is a great recipe. Thanks so much for the link!
I love turkey burgers. That's the only kind we make at home, bec my hubby doesn't eat read meat.
In addition to spices and herbs, I often add crumbled feta cheese in the mix, and/or sauteed onions/mirepoix, or pureed veggies (ex. drained gazpacho leftover)I have on hand. Maybe no-no on South Beach diet, but I add breadcrumbs/panko too. All of these make turkey burgers moist and flavorful as well.
Like Manisha, I also use egg to hold them togehter (bec. I'm always short on time!)
In Japan, where I grew up, we always stretch (expensive) meat by adding veggies/bread crumbs, resulting in more flavor, fluffier texture and variety of nutrition.
I adore anything with a middle eastern flare. Will definitely try these out.
You might like my kofte meatballs inspired by Lebanese cuisine.
Oh my! This is definitely going on my "must try" list this week! They look and sound delicious.
This looks wonderful, Kalyn – and a nice change from the ground turkey mixture I always make – many thanks!
I LOVE turkey burgers, especially flavored ones. My favorite that I make are infused with salsa verde, cumin and chili powder. I also love them stuffed with cheese. These look fantastic!
Thanks for the recipe; I am always looking for new ways to use ground turkey. Those flavors sound so intriguing together too.
I couldn't agree more – turkey burgers can be absolutely delicious if cooked the right way. I make some that are perfectly juicy and full of flavor.
This recipe sounds delicious! I recently made a similar turkey recipe for gyros. Just sliced the turkey patties and added cucumbers and tomatoes and yogurt sauce and ate them with flatbread. These turkey burgers are going in my "must make" file!
Very nice alternative burger! Lovely and one of my favorite profiles (gyro style).
Kalyn, I love this!! I've recently been crazy about a turkey burger that has diced green chilies mixed in. They are incredible. Same concept as yours, turkey burgers need flavor and something to keep them moist. I'm definitely going to give this Middle Eastern version a try.
Mmm… now that's what I call a turkey burger.
Lydia, thanks! I guess third time is the charm because my first two attempts to take photos were dismal. Good thing I had leftovers and didn't mind eating them each time I warmed some to take another photo! So tasty!
Cara, love the sound of those options.
Manisha, thanks so much for that tip. I actually had that thought (about adding an egg, but eggwhites would be even better.) I wondered how it would work on the grill; glad to know it is ok.
These sound wonderful! I can't wait to try them!
Kalyn, these sound like my kind of burgers! I use eggwhites to hold them together instead of chilling them in the refrigerator. I'm not sure if that is an option for you.
I love turkey burgers! Maybe some people have not-so-great experiences with turkey burgers because they try to make them just like beef burgers, but I love using the turkey as a base for different spices, cheeses, etc and mine always come out so moist and flavorful. Two of my favorite turkey burgers are a Greek-flavored burger with feta and mint and my Thai peanut turkey burgers!
Delicious — and beautiful photos of the finished burgers that make me want to lick my computer screen! I can see why you'd be glad to have leftovers for breakfast, too. This will be a great way to use some of the mint from my garden.