I was inspired to make this recipe after reading through the Jerusalem cookbook. It is a must-see if you are in any way interested in Middle Eastern/ Israeli / Meditteranean cooking. The pictures are gorgeous, the recipes are incredible, and the book itself really is a work of art. You’ll notice for this recipe that the sliders have a lot of Middle Eastern spices, including the paprika, coriander, and cumin.
The zucchini plays a big role in these sliders for a number of reasons. It bulks up the vegetable content, and makes your turkey go a lot further in the recipe. It also plays a big role in keeping the turkey moist. I don’t know about you, but I have about a 50/50 chance of ordering a turkey burger and having it come out totally dry. Not with these. You’ll almost think they are undercooked, that is how tender they stay. The burgers are also filled with bold spices like garlic, paprika, cumin, and coriander. It creates warmth and a little bit of spice, which is cooled down by the dill-yogurt sauce. Bookmark this recipe for this weekend and many nights over the summer; it is a knockout.
Turkey Zucchini Slider
Makes: 6 servings
Prep Time: 25 minutes Cooking Time: 12 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
2 zucchini, ends and seeds removed, grated
1 egg, whisked
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp coriander
2 tsp paprika
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
salt and pepper to taste
8 slider buns, toasted
1 cup packed mixed greens for the sliders
½ red onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup Greek yogurt
¼ cup sour cream
1 tbs fresh dill
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp sumac
zest and juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Heat a small saute pan over medium heat. Add a few teaspoons of olive oil and saute the onions until they are caramelized, or for about 10 minutes. You can make the yogurt sauce and toast the buns while the onions are caramelizing.
- Make the sour cream and yogurt sauce by combining those ingredients with the dill, garlic, sumac, lemon zest and juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper, cover, and set aside in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve the sliders.
- Make the burgers by combining the first nine ingredients in a large bowl (ground turkey – salt and pepper). Mix with your hands until all of the ingredients are blended evenly throughout. Make the mixture into 8 sliders that are 3-4 oz each. Place them on a cookie sheet that is lined with saran wrap as you finish making them. Gently press into small patties.
- Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add a light drizzle of vegetable oil or spray the pan with cooking spray. Add the sliders to the pan and cook for 6 minutes per side, covering the pan as they cook. They sliders will be firm to the touch when they are cooked through.
- Assemble the sliders by laying all of the bottom buns on a serving tray. Add a few pieces of the mixed greens to the bottom, and place the sliders on top. Add a scant tablespoon of red onion to each burger. Slather the yogurt sauce onto the tops of each of the buns before assembling. Serve hot to room temperature.
Cooking In Red Socks 