If you haven’t already broken out the grill for burgers, I’d say it’s about time.
Ground beef might still rule the piping hot grill grates, but other types of meat (or legumes or grains) can make mighty fine burgers, too. In this recipe from "Betty Crocker Fast From-Scratch Meals" ($19.99, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), ground chicken breast meat, spinach and olives are held together with cornstarch and herbs.
Instead of breadcrumbs, the cornstarch keeps the meat mix from being too watery and falling apart. You could serve these with ketchup on a bun, but the pita bread and homemade tzatziki sauce are a nice change of pace.
Greek Chicken Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce
For the tzatziki sauce:
1 medium cucumber
1/2 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp. chopped onion
2 tsp. chopped fresh mint leaves
For the burgers:
1 lb. ground chicken breast
1 cup chopped fresh spinach leaves
1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano leaves
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 whole-wheat pita rounds, cut in half to form pockets
1/2 cup chopped tomato, for serving
Feta crumbles, for serving
Cut 12 slices from cucumber; set aside. Chop enough remaining cucumber to equal 1/2 cup; place in small bowl. Stir in yogurt, onion and mint. Refrigerate until serving time.
In large bowl, mix chicken, spinach, olives, cornstarch, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper. Shape mixture into four oval patties, 1/2-inch thick. Heat a grill to medium high heat and grill on each side for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until thermometer inserted in center of patties reads 165 degrees. You can also broil the patties in an oven for 10 to 12 minutes, turning the patties halfway through.
Place one burger in each pita half. Add tomato and three reserved cucumber slices to each pita half. Serve with tzatziki sauce. Sprinkle crumbled feta on top and serve. Makes 4 burgers.
— From "Betty Crocker Fast From-Scratch Meals" ($19.99, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
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