Veggie burgers packed with all the Mediterranean flavors of falafel and smothered in a chunky feta tzatziki sauce. You can eat them on soft buns or tucked inside pita bread with a generous dollop of the luscious sauce.
Falafel are deep-fried balls or patties made with ground chickpeas and seasoned with spices like cumin, coriander and parsley. These burgers stay true to those flavors with one noticeable difference. Because they are lightly pan-fried in olive oil they don’t have the same crunchy outsides as their deep-fried counterparts.
This makes them easier to cook, lower in fat yet still every bit as good. All the flavors adored in falafel are present. Front and center.
The chunky tzatziki sauce has diced cucumber and salty feta cheese in a base of Greek yogurt with sweet dill and touches of lemon and garlic.
The cool sauce spooned over the hot burgers works in mysteriously delicious ways. The burgers without it just wouldn’t be the same. Don’t tempt fate.
I’m on one of my veggie burger kicks again. Major. Big-time. A parade of veggie burger recipes is yet to come. Hope you’re with me.
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a medium bowl combine all tzatziki ingredients and season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate.
- To make the burgers add 1/3 cup onion, parsley, lemon, cumin, coriander, salt, chickpeas and garlic to the bowl of a large food processor. Pulse until well combined and chickpeas are mostly smooth, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Add the beans to a bowl and stir in the remaining 1/3 cup red onion and 1/3 cup of the bread crumbs. Put the remaining 1/3 cup bread crumbs into a shallow dish. Make 6 equal-sized 1/2-inch thick patties and dredge both sides in the bread crumbs.
- Liberally cover the bottom of a large skillet with oil and heat over medium heat. Cook burgers in batches 3 at a time about 4 minutes each side until lightly golden brown. Serve tucked into pitas or on soft buns with feta tzatziki sauce, spinach leaves and tomatoes. Slice burgers in half before serving.
Notes
Adapted from Cooking Light
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The feta in the tzatziki sauce is something I haven’t seen before and I love it, especially in this application!
Ryan would love these. I would love these. Each time I’m here, I feel admiration…and my stomach rumbles. Thank you so much for sharing tonight. These burgers look delicious (as always!)
I love falafels and pan frying is a great idea for these burgers. Looking forward to the next veggie burger post.
Mimi
Reeni, that looks wonderful! I’d love to take a bite!
Oh my these look incredible!!!