Turkey burger patties with shredded zucchini, herbs, cumin and cayenne pepper, served with a lemony sour cream sauce.
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July is coming and our fridge is starting to overflow with zucchini from the garden. It really is paradise in these summer months!
When my friend Katie told me about her Turkey Zucchini Burger recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi’s stunning Jerusalem cookbook, I couldn’t wait to try it!
All I can say is WOW. This is honestly one of the best burger recipes I’ve ever come across.
You know how turkey burgers can be on the dry side sometimes?
The shredded zucchini added to the mix makes these turkey burgers incredibly juicy.
Both turkey and zucchini can be a little bland when it comes to flavor, but when you boost them with herbs and spices like mint, coriander, garlic, cumin, and cayenne pepper, they’re anything but bland.
The original recipe calls for including an egg in the mixture. The turkey and zucchini mixture is already quite wet and is holding together well; I find I get better results without the added egg.
The original finishes the burgers in the oven, I cook them completely on the stove.
The recipe’s sour cream sauce is spectacular on these burgers, but the original recipe makes at least double what’s needed for one batch of patties. Also, the original sauce contains sumac, a lemony spice that many here don’t have easy access to. So I halved the amount of sour cream sauce and used a little more lemon juice in place of the sumac.
Spicy turkey and zucchini burger
Recipe adapted from the Jerusalem cookbook
ingredients
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1 pound ground turkey
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About 2 cups, lightly packed, coarsely grated zucchini (about 2 to 3 small zucchini or 1 medium zucchini)
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3 spring onions, thinly sliced, including the greens
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2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint (spearmint)
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2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander (including tender stems)
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1 garlic clove, crushed and chopped
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1 teaspoon ground cumin
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1 teaspoon kosher salt
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1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
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3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Sour Cream Sauce:
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1/4 cup sour cream
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1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
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1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
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1 tablespoon lemon juice
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1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
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2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
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1/4 teaspoon salt
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Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
method
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Make the sour cream sauce
by placing all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and stirring until combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.
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Mix in the turkey and zucchini mixture
In a large bowl, add the shredded zucchini, chopped spring onions, chopped mint, coriander and garlic, ground cumin, salt, pepper and cayenne. Stir to combine.
Using your hands, mix in the ground turkey until the zucchini mixture is well distributed throughout the ground turkey.
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Form patties
Form 3-4 inch wide patties with your hands and place on a baking sheet. Note that the patties are quite wet, so they can be a little tricky to manage.
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Fry gently
Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium.
Place the patties in batches in the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes, then flip the patties and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes.
You want them to brown and gently cook all the way. If the temperature is too high, they will turn brown on the outside but will still be raw on the inside. So cook them gently.
If the outsides are browned and the insides are still not done, reduce the heat and cook longer.
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Place on a plate lined with kitchen paper
Once the first batch of patties is ready, place them on a paper towel-lined plate while you prepare the second batch. Or you can keep the patties warm in an oven at 200°F.
Makes 8 large patties or up to 18 small ones. Serve with the sour cream sauce.
