Rain drop. Drop top. Tik Tok...stock pot...? I don't know, leave me alone.
I feel like turkey deserves its time in the sun. I mean, like, besides when they're slapped onto our Thanksgiving tables, or when they're drawn and quartered for their legs to be smoked whole, served out of a mouse head shaped-truck in a Disney theme park, only for a 12 year old (or adult me) to "return it to whence it came" on Space Mountain. Point being, I don't consider turkey an alternative to red meat. I think it deserves fair and equal treatment and preparation to enhance its flavors much like any other type of food, rather than try to make it taste like something it's not (e.g., beef).
This is especially true when it comes to ground meat preparations, like burgers.
This turkey burger recipe is a favorite and has a spot in my usual weekly rotation. Quick and easy to prepare with incredible juiciness and big flavor, this burger is sure to satisfy, and leave you feeling perhaps a little less guilty (if you're into that sort of thing) than if you opted for the McHeart Attack.
Do give this recipe a try and let me know what you think!
Turkey Burgers
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
1 lb ground turkey
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced fine
1 jalapeño, diced fine
1 shallot, diced fine
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh sage, julienned
1 egg
1 cup panko breadcrumb
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp Sherry cooking wine
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup buffalo sauce (or hot sauce of choice)
1/4 cup blue cheese dressing (or ranch, I guess)
1 tsp adobo seasoning
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp chili flake
Black pepper to taste
Salt + butter + olive oil + neutral oil spray
Burger buns (brioche)
Sliced cheese (pepper jack)
Sprouts/lettuce/other greens for topping
Place a skillet over medium heat and melt 2 tbsp of butter in 1 tbsp of olive oil until foaming and gently bubbling; add onion, shallot, jalapeño, bell pepper, and garlic, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and sauté stirring occasionally until softened and onions turn translucent, about 5 minutes; add sage and stir, and allow to cook for 1 minute until fragrant; increase heat to high and add Sherry cooking wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any bits from the bottom; allow the wine to cook out, about 2 additional minutes, and remove mixture from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
Remove ground turkey from package and soak up excess moisture from the meat with a paper towel; place into large mixing bowl and combine with adobo, paprika, dried rosemary, dried thyme, dried oregano, dried parsley, cumin, chili flake, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, panko breadcrumbs, egg, and a pinch of salt; mix gently until well combined; fold in cooled vegetable mixture and mix until well combined.
Divide the meat into 4 equal portions, forming each portion into a round ball (1/4 lb per burger), by gently passing the meat back and forth between your cupped hands until fairly round; once shaped, gently flatten into a round burger patty about 1/2 inch think; place onto wax paper.
Heat a grill pan over medium heat (or preheat a panini press/tabletop grill set up to 400 degrees F); spray with neutral oil (canola, vegetable, grapeseed) and cook burgers for about 4 minutes and flipping once the bottom side forms a brown crust; once flipped, add desired cheese and allow to cook for the remaining 4 minutes.
In the meantime, combine mayo, blue cheese dressing, buffalo sauce and black pepper in small bowl and mix until well combined; toast burger buns to desired doneness and spread an even layer of sauce on both halves.
Assemble burger and top with sprouts/greens of choice and gobble it up (pun certainly intended).
Let me know how this recipe turned out for you in the comments below! And, as always, if you have any questions, comments, insults, or praise do let me know!
-MT
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