Spinach feta turkey burgers kind of remind me of that awesome dish called spanakopita, except instead of spinach and feta in between layers of flaky phyllo, you have them concentrated in a very satisfying burger form. I promise you, this is going to be your new favorite burger. Feta in burgers is a revelation!
This meal prep combines so many delicious Mediterranean flavors in a way that’s familiar and cozy! Burgers are such an easy way to incorporate new flavors and they’re simple to make at home. Like eggs and pasta, they’re kind of a blank slate, you know? I can’t wait for you to try this!
How to make this meal prep
This recipe comes together by combining the ground turkey with feta cheese, frozen spinach that’s been thawed and squeezed of extra liquid, garlic, salt, and olive oil. We’re using a spinach feta flavor profile in the burgers and a lemon dill profile in the rice. You can cook the rice while the burgers are cooking (rice is so nicely hands-off in terms of cooking). The bell peppers cook pretty quickly right on the stove top but if you’re making this and it’s grilling season by all means, put these burgers on the grill and the peppers alongside! The lightly charred bell pepper adds some flavor and extra color to the meal and ties it all together nicely!
How to customize these spinach feta turkey burgers
- You can swap ground turkey for ground chicken or beef! A combination of pork and beef works well, too.
- Not into feta? Try gorgonzola, goat cheese or blue cheese. Keep in mind it’s going to change the flavors quite a bit, and that some of those cheeses are a little softer than feta, so it might melt faster.
- Don’t have spinach? Try Swiss chard or kale. Arugula would work, too, for a peppery kick instead of something a little sweeter and earthier like spinach. If you have greens from beets, those would work, too. Steam them a little bit beforehand. Or if you’re in a real pinch, use a big bunch of parsley instead of spinach..
- Dairy-free? Use chopped and pitted kalamata olives instead of feta cheese, about 1/2 cup. Or you can add 1/4 cup nutritional yeast for a cheesy taste.
- Not into bell peppers? Any vegetable will work in this meal. Really, any. My picks would be broccoli, cauliflower, broccolini, asparagus, green beans, or Brussels sprouts. Something colorful and quick!
- Don’t like rice? Use quinoa, farro or couscous instead. You can also swap white rice with brown if you’d rather. You could even serve this over orzo.
- Don’t like/don’t have dill? Swap it with parsley or cilantro in the rice.
- Out of lemon? Try lime instead, although orange would work, too.
And of course you can serve these on a bun, and so in that case, you might end up skipping the cooked starch altogether, or not! Use any kind you like, but we’re partial to brioche ones because they tend to hold up well, but I could see a multigrain roll being really delicious here, too.
See? There are so many ways you can tweak this recipe to make it your own without screwing it up at all.
How to store and reheat spinach feta turkey burgers
This meal can last in the fridge for up to four days. Just keep it covered. We don’t recommend freezing this meal prep, although you can absolutely freeze the burgers themselves, either frozen raw or frozen cooked.
To reheat from the fridge, pop it in the microwave or reheat gently on the stovetop. If you’re going to pull these burgers out of the freezer, whethter they’re cooked or uncooked, thaw them in the fridge first, and then cook them. Otherwise they may cook unevenly and a burger that’s charred on the outside but uncooked in the middle is not appetizing for anyone!
One final tip . . .
Feta has a salty, tangy taste. You might not need much salt in these burgers.
Happy prepping!
Find more burgers to love!
- Meal Prep Turkey Burgers with Crispy Fries
- Talia’s Favorite Homemade Shake Shack Burger
- Easy Freezer-Friendly White Bean Veggie Burgers
- Meal Prep Burger Bowl with Shake Shack Sauce
Spinach Feta Turkey Burgers With Lemon Dill Rice
Ingredients
For the burgers
- 16 oz ground turkey sub ground chicken
- 1/2 cup feta cheese sub blue cheese, gorgonzola, goat cheese
- 1 cup frozen spinach thawed, squeeze the water out
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 TBSP olive oil
For the rice
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1-1/2 cup water
- 3/4 cup rice sub farro or couscous
- 2 tsp dried dill sub 1 TBSP fresh dill if you have it
- 1 lemon wash it well (for zest)
For the bell peppers
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- 1 large red bell pepper chopped into strips
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start the rice: add the rice and olive oil to a pot over medium heat. Stir to combine and let the rice toast for 5 minutes. Then add the water and dill. Stir once, then bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer and let it cook for 10-15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the rice steam for an additional 10 minutes. Uncover it when it’s done and let it sit/cool a bit.
- In a bowl, add the ground turkey, feta, drained spinach, garlic and salt. Mix well to combine. Form 6 small or 3 large patties with your hands and place them on a plate. To make it easier, let the mixture chill for a few mins in the fridge (otherwise it’s pretty sticky) before forming the patties.
- Heat a nonstick skillet, cast iron skillet or grill pan over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add 1 TBSP olive oil (or a high heat oil if you have it, like coconut or avocado oil) and let it warm up for 2 minutes. Then add the patties to the pan. Cook on each side for 5-7 minutes over medium heat depending on the size. When they’re done, they should be pretty firm, but not hard, to the touch. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, add 1 TBSP over medium heat. Add the bell pepper strips with a little salt and pepper, then turn up the heat to medium-high. Stir/flip the peppers every few minutes until they’re done to your liking! I cooked mine for about 10 minutes.
- Finish the rice: to the rice, add 1 tsp of lemon zest (2 if you doubled the recipe) and juice from 1/2 a lemon. Mix with a fork, taste and adjust flavors if needed (I added more salt). Cut the remaining lemon into wedges for garnish.
- Assemble: Add a layer of rice to each container, followed by the burgers, bell peppers and lemon wedge for garnish. That’s it!