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.
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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!
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.
Juicy turkey burgers in four simple steps
- 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!
- Prep your grill. Preheat your grill to medium high heat and brush the grates with olive oil to prevent sticking.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
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.
The perfect sides for your turkey burgers
What are burgers without some delicious side dishes? Here are some of our favs:
- Sesame Garlic Grilled Sweet Potato Fries with Yogurt Curry Dip
- Best Healthy Coleslaw Ever (no mayo!)
- Tony’s Melt-In-Your-Mouth Grilled Brussels Sprouts
- The Best Guacamole You’ll Ever Eat
- Avocado & Tomato Chickpea Pasta Salad with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette
Get all of our delicious summer recipes here!
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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
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
Nutrition
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.
64 comments
It look so delicious, I’m gonna make it tomorrow. Thanks for sharing
Excited for you to try these, Robyn!
These were absolutely delicious. The ground turkey that I used was very ground and sticky so I ended up adding some oats in whole form and as ground meal – helped to bind the burgers. The flavor profile of these are yum I am still thinking about them hours after eating them. The feta yogurt sauce/dressing will be a staple as well. Thanks for all the yummy recipes.
That’s such a great idea to add oats! So happy that you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Wow! that’s fascinating. Tomorrow I will go to the market and prepare the ingredients for this amazing dish in this wonderful tutorial.
I can’t wait to hear what you think of these!
Made these burgers last night for dinner. Fantastic!! The feta sauce was the perfect compliment to the spicy burgers! A+ recipe & will definitely make these again.
Oh YAY I’m so happy that you enjoyed them!!
Great recipe!
Great recipe!
So happy you’re loving it, Mary! 🙂
These were so flavorful and SO easy to put together for dinner after a 12hour shift. The feta sauce is everything.
So happy that you loved them, Elle! Yay!
The flavor profile here is amazing! The burgers are well-spiced but also super fresh tasting. My mom is visiting me this weekend and I’ve talked about these burgers so much that I had to save her one! 🙂 Thanks Monique!
Aw yay, I’m so thrilled to hear you’re loving these!
So easy ! And very delicious – so correct on that sauce !!!
This is definitely a keeper in on the rotation for summer barbecue season!!
I’m so glad you loved these! Don’t you just want to spoon that sauce over everything?! 🙂
Another winner of a recipe from Ambitious Kitchen for turkey mince! I think I have made EVERYTHING from this website using turkey mince as its hard to find really tasty reicipes for turkey mince. This one gives a slightly different flavour profile with the moroccan spices but it was definitely one of my favourites and I’ll be making it again. Easy to make and cook, healthy and tasty.
I would also consider making this into bite-sized meatballs to serves as canapes with the feta dip as an option for entertaining.
I’m so happy you loved these, Tara!! And turning these into meatballs is a GREAT idea 🙂
I made this turkey burgers yesterday and used my BBQ. They are so good and tasty. As a Weight Watcher member, I am always looking for new recipes with lots of taste and these burgers were the answer…Thank you….
I’m SO happy to hear you enjoyed these, Diane!
Monique, you make the best burger recipes! The spices in these are awesome. We used 99% lean turkey and had no problem with them being dry. Ate them on salad greens with the feta dressing. Yum!
Oh YAY! I’m so glad you loved these and that they stayed juicy. And isn’t that feta dressing addictive?! 🙂
Ahh Monique these are amazing! I was a little concerned about adding honey and cinnamon to the meat mixture, but I’ve learned well enough not to doubt you. And it was SO good! The spices are perfect and the feta sauce pairs so well! Thank you for the recipe!
Woohoo!! So happy that you loved them, Rebecca!
I oddly prefer to meal prep meatballs over burgers, so I made this recipe into meatballs and it’s so yummy! Same ingredients, but formed into 1 inch balls and baked for 15-16 min at 375. The flavors are great as always!
Oh, that’s SUCH a great idea!! Glad that worked out well 🙂
Made these last night add the the yoghurt feta sauce and a slice of cheese. My family loved them and works in perfectly for us trying to eat better. The only thing I did differently was omit the onion and use it as slices in the made up burger.
So glad you guys loved these, Juliet! 🙂
Made these for a change from our usual burgers – omg the flavours are amazing! This was super quick to throw together and doesn’t even require many ingredients. Even my toddler loved them.
Oh yay, so happy you guys loved these!! Glad they’re toddler-approved, too 🙂
Wow! These Moroccan turkey burgers are amazing! So flavorful and comes together quickly. Already cannot wait to make them again! Thanks for sharing!
SO happy you’re loving them, Liz! Yay! 🙂
These were moist, flavorful, and delicious, especially with the feta sauce. Served with grilled zucchini and grilled sweet potato fries. Yum!
Yay!! So happy you loved them, Brittany! I’m obsessed with that feta sauce…
Monique,
Absolutely delicious. Only change was to mix half lean ground turkey with half turkey sausage. Next meal on my list, from your list of recipes, is the Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf.
Thank you.
Donnie
Ooh I bet turkey sausage would be so flavorful in here–great idea! I’m so happy you loved these 🙂 Enjoy the meatloaf too!!
These burgers are so good and my young children like them too. They have always come out moist and are so flavourful!
Oh and the feta sauce is delicious!
Yayyy! So glad you’re all loving them! And yes that feta sauce is lifeeee
These are FABULOUS! The flavour is unreal! Doesn’t even need the bun! Could easily make these into delicious meatballs or meatloaf too!
These turkey burgers are SO easy to make and so flavorful especially with the honey and cayenne. They come together in less than 10 minutes and the feta sauce is PHENOMENAL – definitely make that too!! I love having it with roasted veggies on the side and sweet potato fries. YUMMM.
These were delicious!!!! The feta sauce was perfect. I think the meat would go great inside a stuffed bell pepper too!
LOVED these. My husband isn’t a huge fan of turkey burgers but he loved them too and said we should add them to our permanent rotation. The spice blend is delicious, and the feta sauce really makes the whole thing. It reminds me of crazy feta from CAVA and it’s really easy to throw together.
Oh yay!! I’m so happy you guys loved them so much. Isn’t that feta sauce divine?!
How long in the oven and temp?
Do you mean baking the burgers? I haven’t tried that so not sure!
I was nervous putting honey and cinnamon in a turkey burger but it totally works!! So good.
Haha I know it’s strange but it works! So happy you enjoyed these 🙂
ooh would these work for meatballs do you think?
Do you mean the seasonings? Yes absolutely!
These came together so quickly and were a big hit! The flavour of the warming spices with a touch of sweetness went so well with the turkey and feta sauce. I will definitely be making these again! Thanks AK!
These were SO easy to make and SO packed with flavor. I used all the ingredients (with the feta sauce). Paired perfectly with some sweet tater tots (and dipped the tots in the feta sauce). I cant wait to make this a regular staple in the burger rotation. My super picky BF also loved it. 🙂
Made these tonight and loved them! I swapped chicken for turkey and used 1/8 tsp. of cayenne, so they wouldn’t be too spicy for my kids; they were perfect! Served them bunless over salad, and added a drizzle of honey to the feta sauce. Will definitely be making them again 🙂
Another hit from Ambitious Kitchen! Saw these featured in your menu and had to make them for dinner. Amazing flavour and easy to make. The feta sauce was a perfect addition – can’t wait to try it as a dip with carrots & celery. My BF loved the burgers – these will be added to the rotation. We’re also big fans of your meatball recipes!
Woohooo! I’m so happy you both loved them. Isn’t the sauce amazing?! I think you’d enjoy the meatball recipe I just published today, too 🙂
Holy smokes- do not sleep on these burgers! So packed with flavor! An absolute taste bomb! Can’t wait to make all summer long!
Yaaaay! I’m so happy you tried and loved them, Sarah! Thanks so much 🙂
Easy and delicious!
these burgers were so juicy and flavorful – perfect blend of spices. And the feta sauce was the perfect added touch.
BEST turkey burgers EVER!! Followed the recipe exactly. Used a cast iron skillet instead of grilling. 8 minutes on each side.
Absolute perfection.
Nice!! SO happy you loved them 🙂
this is our all time favorite! never have made normal burgers since finding this amazing recipe. thank you!! also, we eat these with toasted brioche buns, the amazing feta sauce and pickled onions!
So happy to hear that! Great idea to add pickled onions – YUM.