Get your family to eat the rainbow with these super-easy, super-quick Mediterranean chicken pita burgers. The whole meal's on the table in about 25 minutes (or less), and it's a great way to use up whatever veggies are already in your fridge.
How to Make Mediterranean Chicken Pita Burgers, Step by Step
First, read the recipe from beginning to end. Then, assemble your ingredients and follow these steps. The smarter you work, the faster dinner will be done!
1. Assemble your pita fillings and other sides
Thinly slice tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, bell pepper, lettuce, and/or any other raw veggies you like (or happen to have in the fridge). Those will be your pita fillings. Then, choose what you want to serve along with the Mediterranean chicken pita burgers. I rounded out the meal with some prepared hummus, baby carrots, pickled cauliflower, and kalamata olives.
2. Make the lemony yogurt sauce
Mix together yogurt, lemon zest and juice, chopped fresh oregano and mint, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until dinner is ready.
3. Form the chicken burger patties
In a medium or large bowl, combine ground chicken, eggs, breadcrumbs, dried herbs, lemon zest, scallions, salt, and pepper. Mix everything together with your hands. Then, divide the mixture into eight equal portions; flatten each one into a long oval shape that's about ¼ inch thick.
4. Grill or pan-fry the patties
Once the patties are formed, preheat an outdoor grill, large nonstick skillet, grill pan, or griddle over medium-high heat. Then, when the grill or skillet is smoking hot, grease it with oil or nonstick cooking spray and add the patties. Grill or pan-fry them for 2 to 5 minutes per side, until the chicken burgers are nicely charred on the outside and fully cooked on the inside.
5. Serve the Mediterranean chicken pita burgers, family style
Transfer the chicken burgers to a plate and put them on the table. Serve the burgers with halved pita breads, thinly sliced veggies, the yogurt sauce, and any other sides and dips you want. Adults might want two pita burgers each, yet one is probably enough for most children. Put a chicken burger in each pita pouch, add thinly sliced veggies, and drizzle with a spoonful or two of the yogurt sauce. Then, let everyone choose which raw veggies, dips, and other sides they like to round out their plates.
Have fun with it! Two of my favorite things about this meal (besides its tastiness, of course) are that each plate is fully customizable and it helps me use up random raw vegetables in my fridge. Plus, if you have picky eaters in the house, this is a great way to encourage them to try new foods. See who can make the most colorful pita burger sandwich at the table!
Looking for more super-quick weeknight meals? Check out the Every Night Meals recipe archives.
Mediterranean Chicken Pita Burgers with Lemony Yogurt Sauce and Raw Veggies
Equipment
- Cutting board and knife
- Large nonstick skillet, griddle, grill pan, or outdoor grill
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup plain whole-milk yogurt
- 1½ teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
- 1½ teaspoons chopped fresh mint or basil
- Zest of 1 large lemon (2½ to 3 teaspoons), divided
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus a few grinds for the sauce
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ⅓ cup plain breadcrumbs
- 6 scallions, white and light green parts only, finely chopped (about ½ cup)
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 2 teaspoons dried mint, dried basil, or dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- Olive oil or nonstick cooking spray, for cooking the chicken patties
For serving
- 4 (6-inch) pita breads, cut in half and opened to make pockets
- Thinly sliced cucumber, lettuce, red onion, tomato, radish, and/or bell pepper
- Baby carrots, pitted kalamata olives, pickled vegetables, and/or roasted red peppers
- Prepared hummus or olive tapenade, for dipping
Instructions
To make the lemony yogurt sauce
- In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, fresh oregano and mint, half of the lemon zest, the lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Set aside.
To make the Greek chicken patties
- Put the ground chicken, breadcrumbs, scallions, dried dill, mint, and oregano, 1½ teaspoons of kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, beaten eggs, and remaining lemon zest in a medium bowl. Mix well with your hands, then divide the mixture into 8 equal-size portions. (Wet your hands with a little water if the mixture is too sticky to work with.) Flatten each portion into a long, ¼-inch-thick oval shape.
- If you're using an outdoor grill, turn it on and set it to medium-high heat. If you're using your stove, place a large nonstick skillet, griddle, or grill pan over medium-high heat. Once the grill or pan is hot, brush the grill grates with a little olive oil, pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the skillet, or grease the grill pan or griddle with nonstick cooking spray.
- Arrange the chicken patties on the hot grill or pan. Grill or fry for 2 to 5 minutes per side, until the patties are evenly browned and cooked all the way through.
- Remove the chicken patties from the grill or pan and transfer them to a platter or plate. (Cover them with aluminum foil if you're not serving them right away.)
- Serve each chicken patty in a pita bread pocket with thinly sliced tomato, lettuce, radish, cucumber, and/or bell pepper and a spoonful or two of the lemony yogurt sauce. Adults will probably want two chicken pitas per serving; most kids will be fine with one. Round out the meal with a platter of olives and raw and pickled vegetables and a container of hummus or tapenade for dipping.
Loretta Bonaccorso says
Just needed to say that these made my mouth water and I'm not even a fan of ground chicken! Will be making these this week in the air fryer! Yummmm