These Greek Smashed Turkey Burger Pitas are the meal of the summer. Filled with fresh Greek salad, feta and herbs, it's a wholesome dinner full of flavour and nutrition.
What if we combined two of the world's most delicious meals, loaded pitas and smashed burgers? Once we throw in some Greek-inspired flavours, you've got one of my family's favourite dinners: Greek smashed turkey burger pitas.
Maybe that recipe name is a mouthful, but you'll want your mouth full after trying it!
We start with a delicious turkey burger base, then cook it with some soft pita. For the filling of these loaded pita wraps, I made a chopped salad with cucumber, tomato and fresh herbs. It's similar to my chopped Mediterranean salad, which is also a great side to pair with these Greek pitas. Add some hummus, feta, tzatziki or my tahini yogurt sauce, and you'll have the summer dinner of your dreams.
Why This Recipe Is Dietitian Approved
- Ready in 30 minutes. Smashed turkey burgers are super easy to make. Once you have those going, it's really only the topping prep that takes a bit of time.
- Balanced and fresh. These Greek smashed turkey burger pitas have lean protein, healthy fats and tons of colourful veggies. We're not skimping on the flavour either- what more could you want from a healthy meal?
- Family favourite. I can almost guarantee that this meal will be one your family asks for repeatedly. We love making this during the summer and enjoying it on our backyard patio.
Ingredients
Oil. I recommend using olive oil for a classic Greek flavour. My recommendation is using a high quality olive oil that is stored in a dark or opaque glass jar for optimal freshness.
Ground turkey. For a lean source of protein! You may use any ground meat of choice if you desire such as chicken, beef or even veal.
Garlic. use freshly pressed garlic for the best flavour. If you are in a pinch, jarred minced garlic will also work.
Spices. All you need is salt, black pepper, oregano, ground cumin.
Fresh parsley. I highly recommend not skipping this! It provides a freshness that really brings out the flavours in the Greek turkey smashed pitas.
Feta cheese. For an authentic Greek flavour, I recommend looking for feta cheese stored in brine.
Pita. I use 8 inch whole wheat tortillas for additional fiber. My personally favourite are these.
Toppings. To fill these pitas, I went with cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, fresh parsley. You could also use my Mediterranean chopped salad! Sauce-wise, we load ours up with hummus, tzatziki or tahini yogurt sauce.
The complete ingredient list with measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, combine olive oil, ground turkey, salt, garlic, oregano, black pepper, cumin, parsley and feta. Mix well.
Divide the meat into 4 equal sized balls. Place each ball in the center of a pita and set aside.
Heat a large pan over medium high heat. Lightly oil the pan. Once hot, place the pita- meat side down on the pan, smashing the pita evenly using a spatula or burger press until it’s as flat as possible. Cover the pan and allow to cook for about 3-5 minutes, until the meat is browned and fully cooked. Flip the pita, cooking on the other side for about 1 minute until golden.
Top with a layer of sauce of choice, diced vegetables and feta cheese.
Substitutions and Variations
To make gluten-free: Use a gluten-free pita of choice.
To make dairy-free: Use a dairy-free feta and sauce.
To make nut-free: This recipe is naturally nut-free.
Ground turkey can be swapped for another meat like ground chicken, beef or even veal. You can also make this recipe your own by changing up the toppings! We also enjoy black olives, microgreens and Greek dressing.
Equipment
Storage
These Greek smashed turkey burger pitas are best eaten fresh. If you have leftovers, you can store the cooked smashed pitas and toppings separately in the fridge for up to 3 days in airtight containers.
To reheat, microwave the pitas for about 1 minute and finish them off with your toppings.
Top Tips for Success
For even cooking, please ensure you are smashing the meat to reach an even thickness on the pita. You can lift the edges with a spatula to double check if you are worried.
Frequently Asked Questions
They definitely are! The whole wheat tortillas are a great source of fiber, the turkey meat is a great source of lean protein and then you can load them up with all the vegetables of your choice. For even more veggies, you can serve with a side salad.
A classic smash burger is a burger made by smashing the meat of choice onto a grill with a spatula. This sears the meat on the outside, locking in the juices and flavour. I love this pita variation- it's a must-try!
More Mediterranean Inspired Recipes
I love cooking Mediterranean inspired meals in my kitchen!
- Greek Marinated Chickpeas
- Greek Inspired Baked Chicken with Feta
- Healthy Greek Turkey Feta Meatballs
- Mediterranean Grain Bowls
See you in the kitchen!
PS. I love seeing my recipes in action! If you decide to make these Greek smashed turkey burger pitas, don't forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram- @nourishedbynic or leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it!
📖 Recipe
Greek Smashed Turkey Burger Pitas
Ingredients
For the Greek smashed turkey burger pitas:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb ground turkey
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cloves garlic pressed
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley finely chopped
- ¼ cup feta cheese crumbled
- 4 whole wheat pitas I used 8 inch
Toppings:
- 1 cup Cucumber diced
- 1 cup Tomatoes diced
- ½ cup Red bell peppers diced
- ½ cup Red onion diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt + black pepper
- 4 tablespoon Tzatziki hummus or tahini sauce
- ¼ cup Feta cheese crumbled
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine olive oil, ground turkey, salt, garlic, oregano, black pepper, cumin, parsley and feta. Mix well.
- Divide the meat into 4 equal sized balls. Place each ball in the center of a pita and set aside.
- Heat a large pan over medium high heat. Lightly oil the pan. Once hot, place the pita- meat side down on the pan, smashing the pita evenly using a spatula or burger press until it’s as flat as possible. Cover the pan and allow to cook for about 3-5 minutes, until the meat is browned and fully cooked. Flip the pita, cooking on the other side for about 1 minute until golden.
- To make the cucumber + tomato salad: in a bowl combine, cucumber, tomato, bell pepper, red onion. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and black pepper
- Top with a layer of sauce of choice, salad and feta cheese.
Gabrielle says
I was so pleasantly surprised with this recipe! I hate ground turkey but tried this anyway and it was delicious!!! And easy! Even my beef loving husband loved it.
Skylar says
These turned out really tasty! I liked the flavor of the Turkey Pattie’s especially. Adding feta in was a great touch. I couldn’t seem to get my pita bread to be crispy though, they just got kind of soggy from the oil. Not sure if I used the wrong pan or not high enough heat?
McKenzie says
Really like the flavor here! Felt a little tough to smash the burger meat evenly over the pita and cook it evenly, but still enjoyed the meal!
Caroline says
These were AMAZING!!! Just make sure you use a nonstick pan and a good spray of oil between cooking each burger.