Mediterranean Burgers with Olives and Feta

This Mediterranean Burger is easy to whip up and it's loaded with fresh flavors. Perfect for indoor or outdoor grilling, this burger is delicious on a bun, in a lettuce wrap, over rice, or solo.

I love a summer outdoor party with delicious burgers to throw on the grill.

And by delicious, I mean these Mediterranean Burgers! With a Greek combination of deep flavors, every bite is to be savored.

You can also grill these indoors on a stove-top grill. And they can be made in a cast iron skillet. And to help you out when you're entertaining, you can even totally prep the burgers the day before.

Key Mediterranean Ingredients (and what Holds them Together)

These are big, juicy burgers, packed with wonderful, big flavors!

• ground beef - I like to use ground beef with about a 15% fat content to keep the burgers juicy. You can substitute the beef with ground turkey, chicken or lamb.
• crumbled Feta cheese. Made form sheeps milk, Feta is a brined chese, with a tangy flavor. milk.A good substitution is goat cheese, though since it's softer, you'll need to combine the burger mixture a bit more carefully so it stays somewhat intact.
• artichoke hearts marinated in olive oil - These will be drained and offer an excellent rich and flavorful texture contrast to the other ingredients.
• Kalamata olives - Kalamata olives add a bold briny, almost wine-like flavor to the burgers. You'll save time if you purchase them already pitted. A good substitute is Niçoise olives, or you can use about half the amount of capers. For a more mild flavor, use black olives.
• almond meal - Almond meal not only helps bind the burgers, but it also adds a nutty flavor. You can substitute it with regular or gluten-free bread crumbs.
• fresh garlic - Look for firm heads of garlic without any soft spots or green shoots, which are an indication it's old and likely bitter. (Pro tip: if there are green shoots in your garlic cloves, slice them in half, lengthwise, and remove the green root with the tip of a knife. The rest of the clove should still be good.)
• fresh oregano and fresh rosemary - Always look for perky bunches of deep green fresh herbs. Basil is a good alternative, or you can use any combination of the three.
• extra virgin olive oil
• Sun-Dried Tomato-Lemon Mayonnaise - This is made with mayonnaise, sun-dried tomatoes and lemon juice, and it brings the burgers over the top.

How to Make Them

(More detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.)

- In a large bowl, use your hands to evenly combine all of the ingredients.

- Shape the mixture into 6 evenly-sized burgers.


- Lightly coat an outdoor or stove-top grill with olive oil, and preheat. When the grill is very hot, add the burgers. You should hear a sizzling sound -- if you don't, wait! You won't get a nice caramelization and "crust" on the burger if it's not hot enough. Grill for about 4 minutes, then flip the burgers over and reduce the heat to medium-low. Grill for another 4 minutes or until the desired doneness (rare, medium, etc.).


- For the Sun-Dried Tomato Mayonnaise: In a small bowl, mix the mayo with sun-dried tomatoes and lemon juice.

- Serve the burgers with the Sun-Dried Tomato-Lemon Mayonnaise along with buns, lettuce, tomato, avocado, etc.

Recipe Tips

• While the Mediterranean burgers work really well on a stove-top or outdoor grill, you can also make them in a skillet. You can achieve a similar char from a cast iron skillet.
• When using marinated artichoke hearts, even though they're "ready for use," many of their leaf ends need to be trimmed a bit, to remove sharp points or extra tough parts.
• Save any oil marinade you've drained form the artichokes. It 's great for sautéing.

Serving Suggestions

The burgers can be served with buns, lettuce wraps or solo. Butter lettuce is excellent for the wraps.

I love my burgers with avocado, tomato, onions and lettuce -- use what you like.

Salad and/or potato sides are always fantastic to serve with almost any burger. Below are a few of my favorites.

Cool French Fries to Serve with Burgers

• Chipotle Parmesan French Fries
• Halloumi Fries with Greek Yogurt Dip
• Purple Sweet Potato Fries
• Spiced Avocado Fries

Scrumptious Salads to Serve with Burgers

• Fried Meyer Lemon Caesar Salad
• Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad
• Watermelon Basil Salad
• Tomato Basil Salad

Can you make them ahead?

Yes! You can make and shape them the night before you plan to serve them. Wrap them tightly in plastic and keep them refrigerated until you're ready for them to hit the grill (or the pan).

More Unique Burger Recipes

• Salmon-Dill Burgers
• Red Quinoa Burgers
• Spicy Sriracha Burgers
• Yellow Split Pea Burgers
• Sesame-Crusted Ahi Tuna Burger
• Jalapeño Pepper Jack Turkey Burgers
• Shrimp Burgers with Chipotle Lime Guacamole

I hope you enjoy every last bite of these delicious Mediterranean Burgers!

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