At first, I was a little iffy with the idea of adding feta to a burger.  However, the bold creaminess of the feta complemented the spinach and ground beef very well.  To the burgers, I added a thick slice of organic tomato, a couple baby spinach leaves, extra feta crumbles and a garlic aioli and put it all on freshly baked homemade egg bread buns.  Yum!

If you aren’t familiar with aiolis, just think of a mayonnaise-like sauce.  The addition of the zesty garlic aioli gives a nice kick to these burgers.  Overall, the burgers have a Greek or Mediterranean feel to them and are a great way to change up an ordinary burger.

If you’re not interested in going to the trouble of making the aioli, you can just add 1 clove minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice and some freshly ground black pepper to 2 tablespoons mayonnaise.

Spinach and Feta Burgers with Garlic Aioli

makes 6 burgers

For the patties:

1 lb. ground 90/10 sirloin
1 egg, beaten
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz. crumbled feta (I used garlic and herb)
2 cups chopped fresh baby spinach
1 tsp. kosher salt
Optional toppings: sliced tomato, crumbled feta, baby spinach leaves

Directions

Either pre-heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat or set an outdoor grill to medium heat.  Mix together the ground sirloin, egg, garlic, feta, spinach and seasonings in a large bowl until well combined.  Form mixture into 6 patties.   Cook on grill (or skillet) until no longer pink in the center, 10-15 minutes.

For the aioli:

1 1/2 tbsp garlic, minced
1 egg, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups olive oil
1-1 1/2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice, to taste
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a blender or a food processor, puree garlic with egg.  With the food processor or blender running, add the olive oil at a very slow, steady and thin stream.  You should see the mixture start to emulsify.  Add lemon juice to loosen mixture.  Once the mixture has emulsified, add kosher salt and pepper and combine for another 10 seconds.  Taste for seasoning.  Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate.

Again, if you’d like an easier method, just add 1 clove minced garlic, 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice and some freshly ground black pepper to 2 tablespoons mayonnaise.

Enjoy!

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As always, I want to thank you for reading. I welcome your comments, questions, recipe suggestions and food stories. Here’s to doing what you love!

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