grilled za’atar chicken burgers with cucumber mint tzatziki

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

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.

How to make Za’atar Chicken Burgers

• 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.
• Chicken is pretty tacky- not tacky like pink leopard and rhinestones- but tacky like it will stick to your hands. You can get your hands moist with a little water, and the chicken will stick a little less.
• Wash your hands, the plate and spatula after handling raw chicken!
• I used Teeny Tiny Spice Organic Za’atar seasoning but you can use any brand you happen to find or have. They will be awesome!
• 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.
• After your dust your burgers with salt and the spice mix, then you’ll want to oil the grill rack. I should mention that the grill should be hot and brushed clean at this point. To do that, soak a paper towel in oil, then hold it with tongs and run the paper towel over the racks (pull it toward you- to avoid getting burnt by a flare-up.)
• Grill the burgers until they’re cooked through, and then give them a 5 minute rest. That will help the meat relax so the juices don’t run out when you take your first bite.
• The Tzatziki sauce comes together really quickly. All you have to do is grate a cucumber and then set the strands into a fine mesh sieve to drain while you’re dealing with your burgers. Mix in Greek yogurt, mint and a splash of red wine vinegar for acidity.
• Then I load up the veggies onto the burger (this is nice since the burgers are 4 ounces. See above.) Fresh summer tomato, red onion and lettuce seal the deal!

grilled za’atar chicken burgers with cucumber mint tzatziki

• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x
• Category: entree
• Cuisine: American

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Description

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

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Ingredients

• 1 pound ground chicken
• 4 hamburger buns, whole-grain or gluten-free if desired
• 1 ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt, divided
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons za’atar seasoning
• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt, preferably whole milk
• 1 small clove garlic, grated with a rasp-style grater
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• ½ cucumber
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint plus a few extra leaves for serving
• 4 small leaves lettuce
• 4 thin slices ripe tomato
• 4 rings red onion, or to taste

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Instructions

1. Preheat grill to medium high heat.
2. Form chicken into four patties, about 3-inches wide by ¾ inch thick. Sprinkle with ¾ teaspoon salt and pepper. Sprinkle with za’atar seasoning.
3. Oil grill rack and add the chicken burgers. Grill until cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Grill bun if desired.
4. Meanwhile, whisk together yogurt, garlic and vinegar and the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt. Grate cucumber with a box grater and set in a fine mesh sieve. Press on cucumber to extra excess liquid. Mix the cucumber and mint into the yogurt mixture.
5. Serve the chicken burgers on the buns with lettuce, tomato, onion and the tzatziki sauce.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 burger
• Calories: 310 cals
• Fat: 11g
• Saturated Fat: 3g
• Carbohydrates: 22g
• Fiber: 3g
• Protein: 28g