Moroccan-Spiced Turkey Burgers with Creamy Feta Sauce

by Posted on

What’s summer without juicy burgers piled high with your favorite toppings? Today we’re grilling up a super unique burger flavor that I created a couple of years ago and absolutely fell in LOVE with. These Moroccan-spiced turkey burgers are filled with warming spices like cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper and cinnamon that give them the most wonderful flavor.

I topped these babies with my go-to burger toppings like fresh lettuce and red onion, plus my *famous* creamy feta sauce for the perfect mix of spicy, salty, creamy, and oh-so-delicious.

We love grilling up these burgers for the perfect summer weeknight meal, but you can easily make them on the stovetop, too! Get all of my tips for cooking and customizing them in the post and enjoy.

FREE Ultimate Guide to Grilling

Get our FREE, printable e-book with all of the tips, tricks and tutorials you’ll need to gain confidence behind the grill this summer (and all year round!)

moroccan-inspired turkey burger topped with feta sauce

Moroccan-inspired spices

The reason these turkey burgers are called “Moroccan-spiced” is from the incredible, warming spices mixed right into them. We’re using a blend of ground cumin, turmeric, cinnamon and cayenne pepper to give the burgers an incredibly delicious flavor that’s unlike your regular old hamburger.

The blend of spices, along with other flavorful ones like ground ginger, saffron, allspice, paprika, cardamom and coriander, are often found in traditional Moroccan dishes like warming bowls of tagine.

What you’ll need to make these Moroccan-spiced turkey burgers

Along with ground turkey (or chicken), you’ll just need your blend of spices to make the burgers, plus my incredible feta sauce and any toppings your heart desires. Here’s everything to stock up on:

  • Ground turkey: I like to use a 93% lean ground turkey or chicken so that it still has a bit of fat content to stay nice and juicy.
  • Veggies: you’ll also mix some finely diced red onion and cilantro into the burgers for extra flavor.
  • Honey: a little sweetness pairs beautifully with all of the savory flavors in the turkey burgers.
  • Spices: you’ll need ground cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.
  • Sauce: trust me when I say the creamy feta sauce drizzled on top of one of these burgers is UNREAL.
  • Toppings: I like serving these turkey burgers on a multigrain bun with butterhead lettuce and some sliced red onion, but up to you!

mixture for moroccan-spiced turkey burgers in a bowl

Easy ways to customize your turkey burger

The best part about burgers? You can totally customize them to your taste preferences and what you have on hand.

  • Choose the meat. As I mentioned, feel free to use ground chicken instead of ground turkey, too! I would still recommend no leaner than 93% fat. This recipe will also work with regular beef!
  • Swap your sauce. If you want to keep this recipe dairy free and/or paleo-friendly, feel free to swap the feta sauce for my delicious tahini sauce.
  • Use your fav toppings. Burger toppings are truly what makes the burger, right? Pick your favorite buns or use lettuce wraps, add some fresh produce like tomato, lettuce, red onion, avocado or even cilantro, or keep them simple with the sauce.
  • Pick the spice level. If you love spice like I do feel free to add a little extra cayenne pepper or even dice up a jalapeño in the burger mixture. Not a fan of spice? You can also omit the cayenne pepper completely.

moroccan turkey burgers on a baking sheet before grilling

Juicy turkey burgers in four simple steps

  1. Make the feta sauce. Start by making that creamy feta sauce so that it’s ready when your burgers are. You can even make it a day ahead of time if you’d like!
  2. Prep your grill. Preheat your grill to medium high heat and brush the grates with olive oil to prevent sticking.
  3. Make the burgers. Next, you’ll mix together all of the ingredients for the turkey burgers: ground turkey, red onion, cilantro, honey, and those amazing spices.
  4. Grill & serve. Finally, grill the burgers for 6-8 minutes per side and top them with the feta sauce, veggies, buns and your fav sides!

Make them on the stovetop

Don’t feel like firing up your grill? You can 100% use the stove! To make these turkey burgers on the stovetop simply add 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil to a nonstick skillet and place it over medium heat. Once hot, cook your burgers for 4-5 minutes per side until they’re no longer pink.

moroccan turkey burger topped with feta sauce, lettuce and red onion

When are turkey burgers fully cooked?

Unlike beef burgers, you’ll need to fully cook turkey and chicken burgers. I recommend using a meat thermometer and checking to make sure it reads 165 degrees F. Remember to sign up for the AK Guide to Grilling for more tips like this!

Get our best tips for grilling burgers

Looking for more tips & tricks for grilling all types of burgers? Head to this post and you’ll make the best, juicy burgers every time.

two moroccan spiced turkey burgers next to each other

Storing tips

Store any leftover turkey burgers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Feel free to reheat in the microwave or in a skillet.

Make ahead & freeze burgers for later

These Moroccan-inspired turkey burgers make the best meal prep dinner that you can freeze for later! Here are two ways to do it:

  • Freeze before cooking: shape your turkey burgers and place them in an airtight, freezer-friendly bag or container. If you’re stacking the burgers I’d recommend putting wax or parchment paper in between the layers so that they don’t stick together. Freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, you can either let them thaw in the fridge before cooking or cook them directly from frozen – you may just need to cook them a bit longer from frozen.
  • Freeze after cooking: let your turkey burger patties cool completely before placing them in airtight, freezer-friendly containers or bags. As I mentioned above, put wax or parchment paper in between the layers of burgers if you’re stacking them. Freeze them for up to 3 months. To reheat, let them thaw in the fridge before reheating in the microwave or on the stovetop for a couple minutes on each side. You can also reheat these directly from frozen – I recommend doing so on the stovetop.

moroccan turkey burger with feta sauce, lettuce and red onion

The perfect sides for your turkey burgers

What are burgers without some delicious side dishes? Here are some of our favs:

Get all of our delicious summer recipes here!

Our recommended tools

Head to the AK Shop to see more of our fav kitchen essentials.

I hope you love these Moroccan-spiced turkey burgers! If you make them be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked them. Enjoy, xo!

Moroccan-Spiced Turkey Burgers with Creamy Feta Sauce

5 from 31 votes

moroccan-inspired turkey burger topped with feta sauce, lettuce and red onion

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Serves4 servings

Incredible Moroccan-spiced turkey burgers with spices like cumin, turmeric and cinnamon. Drizzle them with a savory, creamy feta sauce and pile them high with your favorite burger toppings for the perfect summer dinner! Options to grill the burgers or make them on the stovetop.

Ingredients

  • For the burgers:
  • 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey or chicken
  • 1/4 cup very finely diced red onion
  • ¼ cup diced cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • For the feta sauce:
  • 1 batch feta sauce
  • For assembly:
  • 4 hamburger buns of choice, gluten-free and/or toasted if desired
  • Butterhead lettuce
  • Sliced red onion

Instructions

  • First make your feta sauce so it’s ready to go once your burgers are done cooking.

  • Preheat the grill to medium high heat (about 400 degrees F). Brush the grates with olive oil to prevent sticking.

  • Make the chicken burgers by adding the ground chicken/turkey, diced red onion, cilantro, honey, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, garlic powder, cayenne pepper and salt and pepper to a large bowl. Mix with your hands until evenly combined. Divide into 4 equal portions and shape into 1/3 inch patties.

  • Grill over medium-high heat (around 400 degrees F) for 6-8 minutes per side or until burgers are cooked through and a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F.

  • To serve burgers, top with feta sauce, and either place red onion and lettuce on top or bottom. Serve immediately. Great with sweet potato fries or fresh fruit!

Recipe Notes

To make them on the stovetop: add 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil to a nonstick skillet and place it over medium heat. Once hot, cook your burgers for 4-5 minutes per side until they’re no longer pink.
See the full post for tips, tricks, ways to customize these burgers, and more.

Nutrition

Serving: 1burger (with sauce, without bun)Calories: 218kcalCarbohydrates: 6.9gProtein: 26.4gFat: 9.4gSaturated Fat: 3.4gFiber: 0.7gSugar: 5.2g

Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats

This post was originally published on June 7th, 2021, and republished on June 27th, 2023.

Published by Staff Reporter