Spanakopita is a tasty Greek phyllo spinach and feta pie and I was thinking that the flavours would also be amazing in burger form; just perfect for summer grilling! I kept the patties nice and simple and yet packed them with flavour starting out using chicken for the base, though turkey would also be good, and I mixed in plenty of spinach and feta, along with some dill and green onions. Now these spinach and feta patties are super tasty just like this and I could easily eat them alone, or in burgers with lettuce, tomato and red onion as I had planned but I could not resist kicking things up a bit.
First off, I feel that every good burger should have bacon but it did not really fit the theme of these burgers so I went for the next best thing, grilled halloumi, which is almost as good as bacon and also an ingredient commonly seen in Mediterranean cuisine. Up next was a no brainer, roasted red peppers; and with that I thought that I was done but something kept nagging me… where was the cheese sauce? <spookyvoice>This burger needs a cheese sauce…</spookyvoice> Alright so I added a cheese sauce, a spanakoptia themed cheese sauce, starting with a bechamel base adding plenty of melted feta along with spinach and dill. With that final component my spanakoptia themed burgers, aka my spinach and feta chicken burgers with grilled halloumi, roasted red peppers and a spinach and feta sauce, were complete!
Just look at all of that tasty, ooey and gooey spinach and feta cheese sauce!
Now that’s a mouthful! (Both the burger and it’s name!)
Spinach and Feta Chicken Burgers (aka Spanakopita Burgers) with Grilled Halloumi, Roasted Red Peppers and a Spinach and Feta Sauce
Spinach and feta chicken burgers themed after spanakopita (Greek spinach phyllo pie) with grilled halloumi, roasted red peppers and a spinach and feta sauce!
ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup feta, crumbled
- 2 cups fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons dill, chopped
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pound ground chicken (or turkey)
- 2 cups fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup feta, crumbled
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons dill, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 buns, optionally toasted or grilled
- 1 cup spinach
- 8 ounces halloumi, sliced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 roasted red peppers, cut into 4 pieces
For the sauce:
For the burgers:
directions
- Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat until frothy, mix in the flour and cook until a light golden brown, mix in the milk and simmer until it thickens, add the feta and cook until it melts, mix in the spinach, dill and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and remove from heat when the spinach wilts.
- Mix the chicken, spinach, feta, garlic, green onions, dill, salt and pepper, form into 4 patties, oil the grill, heat to medium high and cook the patties, about 4-5 minutes per side.
- Grill the halloumi slices, about 2 minutes per side, and hit them with the lemon juice.
- Assemble the burgers and enjoy!
For the sauce:
For the burgers:
Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)
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Moussaka Burgers
Spinach and Feta Quesadillas
Korean BBQ Chicken Burgers with Grilled Pineapple and Gochujang BBQ Sauce
Sundried Tomato Caprese Turkey Burgers with Balsamic Caramelized Onions
Green Goddess Zucchini Turkey Burgers
Bacon Wrapped Guacamole Stuffed Burgers
Spinach Pesto, Feta and Shrimp Tortellini
Mushroom and Eggplant Veggie Burgers
Avocado Chicken Burgers
Chicken Bacon Ranch Sloppy Joes
Spinach and Feta Baked Chicken
Chipotle Salmon Burgers with Guacamole
Spinach and Feta Cheese Tortellini
Korean BBQ Burgers
This looks like the PERFECT burger!!
Kevin, oh my word!!! This burger is perfection!! Especially love the sauce and the halloumi!! WOW!
This looks AMAZING!
Kevin, this is one glorious burger! I've been craving spanakopita so this is calling my name. The addition of grilled halloumi makes me a tad weak in the knees 🙂
Amy Lee Scott: I know, grilled halloumi is just so good!
This looks intense! Cheese sauce > cheese
Grilled Halloumi. That sounds amazing. Where can I get some Halloumi to grill and to put on my burger?
Kate @ Babaganosh: You can get halloumi at most cheese shops and a lot of larger grocery stores are also carrying it these days.
TOTALLY freaking amazing Kevin What a combo!
That burger looks amazing! Wow!
Kevin you never stop to impress me. I really have to buy halloumi and grill it. This burger is such a nice creation and looks delicious.
All that sauce…LOVE these burgers Kevin!
Helene Peloquin: You so have to try grilled or fried (in a touch of butter) halloumi! Hit it with a splash of lemon and enjoy it while still warm!
Absolutely great looking burger!! These would certainly be wonderful to sit down too. Blessings, Catherine
Big fan of spanakopita…this burger looks quite tasty.
I love spanakopita and everything about this burger. Yummm!
This is the most mouthwatering burger i have ever seen! I've never come across Halloumi cheese but will hunt it down immediately!
Very nice recipe!
Over the top amazing! Wish I had this for dinner!
OMG these look amazing! Need these in my life!
Looks so tasty and mouthwatering!
Office cleaners Sutton
I'm confused. Under burger ingredients, you list spinach twice. Can you clarify for me, please? Also, what is halloumi? Love your recipes, by the way. They are so interesting and unique.
I just reread the recipe. Is the second listing of spinach (the 1 cup) under the burger ingredients actually used in the assembly of the burger?
This recipe makes my mouth water! http://theladyolive.com
i love a good spanakopita but never tried a burger version.. great idea! definitely recreating this in my kitchen!
I need to add this to the menu asap!
I'm pretty sure I never saw that at an Greek diner, 'cause if I had I would've ordered it immediately!
I love making turkey burgers and I am always looking for ways to change it up! Love this idea!
Holy cow! This burger is seriously amazing! My kind of chow down!
These flavors do look amazing in burger form! Yum!
I love burger and this burger sound delectable. I am drooling over my keyboard.
This looks deslishes! Will try it soon.
xoxo
http://www.cookwithdesy.com
Kevin I have never before seen a burger so flavorful. That spinach feta sauce looks so good!
This is a burger we would enjoy here, I love these flavours together Kevin.
janalee: The first spinach goes in the patty and the second spinach goes into the assembly of the burger. Halloumi in a Mediterranean cheese that you can fry without it melting and once fried it squeaks when you chew it.
Made these tonight and they were very good. I didn't have time to buy halloumi, so I just left it out. The sauce was delicious, my son and I dipped pita chips into it, so good.
If it wasn't 12.35 a.m I would make this burger now. So gotta wait til morning:) That picture looks so delicious.
Made these last night; everyone said they were the best burgers EVER! So glad I found this recipe.
I have to ask: In the nutrition section, does it include the bun? I want to make these! Great reviews and that motivates me.
Thanks!
This was truly delicious. I raised my eyebrows at the addition of so much raw spinach to the meat, fearing it would be too wet and sure enough, my patties would not hold together. I added an egg, which made it even sloppier, so I formed the loose patties up against the side of my bowl and put it in the freezer for about 45 minutes. Perfect! I didn’t dare put them on the grill, but they cooked up beautifully in an iron skillet. Served them on toasted ciabatta rolls. I need to double the sauce next time, because I wanted a big scoop on every bite!