The Hungry Apple

I love all types of food (shocking!) and Greek/Mediterranean are among my favorites.

It tends to be light and refreshing and oh so flavorful.

These Chicken Burger Lettuce Cups with Homemade Salsa and Tzatziki really fit the bill for a fast and refreshing dinner. They aren’t heavy because of the crisp lettuce cups and they are full of flavor from seasonings, salsa and quick homemade tzatziki.

I have to admit that they would be good on a bun too, I think.

I should also mention I am a fan of both authentic and not-so-authentic Greek food and I think these are probably somewhere in between.

Diced cucumbers are what makes the tzatziki taste so fresh to me. Tangy greek yogurt makes it different from other toppings.

Combine all the ingredients for the tzatziki and set aside so they can get comfortable with each other while you prepare the rest of the meal.

Get together the ingredients for the burgers.

Find a reputable burger “pattier”. Yes, that is a word.

Patty mixture into 8 small burgers. (No real way to make this picture look good) You can already see the flavor in these guys!

Gather salsa ingredients.

Stir to combine.

Break apart the head of lettuce.

Grill burgers and place them on the lettuce, like you would a bun.  Top with salsa and tzatziki sauce!

These wraps have layers of flavor with every bite!

The leftovers (if there are any) make an excellent salad the next day!

Chicken Burgers and Salsa

Ingredients: 

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for grill

1/2 small red onion (1/2 thinly sliced, half grated)

1 pound ground chicken (lamb is great too!)

1 garlic clove, minced

3/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

salt and pepper

1 cup grape tomatoes, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 heat butter lettuce such as boston or bibb, leaves separated

Tzatziki

1-5 ounce container plain Greek yogurt

3 tablespoons mayo

1/3 cup diced cucumber

2 tablespoons parsley

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

10 twists pepper

Instructions and directions: 

In a small bowl combine tzatziki ingredients. Set bowl aside.

Soak sliced onion in a small bowl of warm water for 10 minutes. Using your hands, combine chicken, grated onion, garlic, 1/2 cup chopped parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 10 grinds fresh pepper and feta cheese. Divide and shape into 8 small patties. Brush with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Grill until cooked through (about 12 minutes) turning once after 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, drain sliced onion. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, tomato slices and red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve burgers in lettuce leaves. Top with salsa and tzatziki.

Adapted from Everyday Food