Grilled Za’atar Chicken Burgers with Cucumber Mint Tzatziki

Get a load of these Burgers made from ground chicken, seasoned with za’atar and topped with cucumber mint tzatziki, lettuce and tomato! Now, go and get those grills fired up my friends! They’re a middle-eastern flavored burger mash-up you won’t want to miss.

Why We Love This Recipe For Grilled Chicken Burger

Unlike my Blueberry Lemon Quick Bread, these Za’atar Chicken Burgers were pretty much perfect from the very first time I made them. My only complaint was that there was too much tzatziki sauce.

And then I was like, is it actually bad to have to much sauce?…Like ever? Is too much sauce even a thing? No, no it isn’t.

Burgers are probably one of my favorite things to cook during the summertime. Mostly because they’re just delicious, but also because they’re incredibly versatile and customizable. There’s always something for everyone, even the picky eaters.

Another great thing about burgers is that there are endless topping options. You could top a burger with avocado, sauteed portabello mushrooms, caramelized onions, pickled onions, tzatziki (like in this recipe), and really anything else you’d like. You can eat them with a bun, or you could eat them wrapped in lettuce.

These burgers also require very little total hands-on time, with them coming together in only 35 minutes. All you have to do is shape the patties, mix the sauce, and grill. They’re perfect for summer BBQ parties, family dinners, or even for busy weeknights. If you want more burger inspo, check out my post on Healthy Burger Recipes!

Key Ingredients For This Recipe

Ground chicken

For this recipe I used one pound of ground chicken. One pound of meat should serve 4 people–which is a smaller portion than you may think. My advice is to make sure to pat the meat wide and thin so they fill out the buns better.

Ground Chicken is pretty tacky and will stick to your hands. The trick is to keep your hands somewhat damp while forming the patties.
If you can’t find ground chicken, lean ground turkey is a great substitute.

Hamburger buns

Opt for hamburger buns that are whole-grain, if possible. If you’re gluten-free, you can buy gluten-free buns OR make my Roasted Portobellos and use those as “buns” instead. It never hurts to get some extra veggies in!

Za’atar seasoning

I used Teeny Tiny Spice Organic Za’atar Seasoning but you can use any brand you happen to find or have. Foodie alert: I recently learned that Za’atar is actually an herb similar to oregano or possibly hyssop–and that the thing I had commonly known as za’atar is a spice blend. Here in the states it’s not very common to find it with the the herb known as za’atar (or hyssop.) You can buy some here. Either way, za’atar spice blend will include sumac, sesame seeds and often thyme and/or oregano and even sometimes mint.

Mint

Mint adds a nice freshness and a zing to the tzatziki. If you can’t find any mint at your local grocery store, you can substitute with either parsley or cilantro.

Greek yogurt

I love turning Greek yogurt into sauces. It’s so much healthier and protein-packed than mayo, and is super refreshing and delicious. I used whole-milk Greek yogurt but you can use reduced fat/low fat if that’s what you prefer.

Additional Ingredients

• 1 ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt, divided
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 small clove garlic, grated with a rasp-style grater
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• ½ cucumber
• 4 small leaves lettuce
• 4 thin slices ripe tomato
• 4 rings red onion, or to taste

Step by Step Instructions To Make These Za’atar Chicken Burgers

Step 1: Prep & grill burgers

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Form the ground chicken into four patties, about 3-inches wide by ¾ inch thick. Sprinkle each patty with ¾ teaspoon salt and pepper. Sprinkle with za’atar seasoning. Oil the grill rack and add the chicken burgers. Grill until cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Grill the buns, if desired.

Step 2: Make tzatziki

While the burgers cook, whisk together the yogurt, garlic, vinegar and the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt. Grate the cucumber on the large holes of a box grater and place in a fine-mesh sieve. Press down on the cucumber to drain excess liquid. Mix the cucumber and mint into the yogurt mixture.

Step 3: Assemble & serve

Serve the chicken burgers on the toasted buns with lettuce, tomato, onion and the tzatziki sauce.

FAQs and Expert Tips