Turkey Burgers {BBQ}

I have no excuse for not sharing this recipe with you before now.  Our close friends and family know that Turkey Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries had always been a signature meal for us. 

However, somewhere around the time I got caught up in the What’s for Dinner craze (trying different recipes almost every night), our old faithful Turkey Burger got limited play time. 

It took sharing them at the office last week for me to realize how much I’ve missed them.  And considering they are still being raved about, it’s time to give up the secret recipe.

Let me share that we LOVE Turkey Burgers for one single reason…they are so happy when you throw punchy flavors their way.  I know most people tend to turn to Turkey Burgers because they’re ‘healthier’ than good old ground beef, but that’s just not our motivation.  So while we appreciate how hard Jennie-O has worked to remove the fat, we do a pretty good job adding it back in.  These are NOT your everyday dry turkey burgers.

We treat these burgers in a similar manor to the way we approach meatloaf.  We add in eggs, fresh bread crumbs, and Worcestershire sauce, then depending on the flavor we’re looking for we add in a tablespoon of oil, typically olive but if we’re taking these in an Asian direction sesame oil is nice.  For BBQ Turkey Burgers we add in a 1/2 cup of our favorite BBQ sauce.  For Asian Turkey Burgers we add in Red Curry Paste, a little soy sauce and fresh cilantro.  You can go Buffalo by adding Franks or Mediterranean by adding feta, spinach, and Greek yogurt.  The possibilities are quite exciting actually.

Once we’ve infused the flavor, we assess the wetness.  Remember our goal is a nice moist turkey burger which means the mixture needs to be wet.  If they are too wet, we add a couple tablespoons of panko breadcrumbs at a time until we achieve the right consistency. 

They need to hold together long enough to form them into patties and get them in a frying pan.  Sorry, no grilling these burgers.  We actually brown them in a skillet and then transfer them to the oven to finish.  BBQ Turkey Burgers love to be topped with a slice of nice smoky Gouda or my favorite Munster and a generous schmear of BBQ mayo, served on a bun or a bed of lettuce.  Quite amazing.

BBQ Turkey Burgers paired so nicely with our Smoked Paprika Sweet Potato Chips and Moroccan Couscous Salad.

All my best,
xo Libby

Turkey Burgers

B with Lemony Thyme

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Course Burger

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

• 1 ~ 1 1/4 lb. pkg. Jennie-O Ground Turkey
• 2 slices bread processed in food processor
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup favorite BBQ sauce
• 1 Tbl. olive oil
• 1 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs more or less as needed
• olive oil for pan frying
• sliced cheese optional
• burger buns optional
• BBQ mayo optional (but highly recommended)

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Add all ingredients, except panko crumbs, in a mixing bowl and combine by hand. The mixture will be wet, however it needs to hold together. Add panko a little at a time until mixture just comes together.
• Form into 6 patties. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat and cook burgers, 3-4 minutes per side until nicely browned. Transfer to oven to finish cooking. Use an instant read thermometer to check for doneness. Remove when 5 degrees from desired doneness, cover with foil and allow to rest 5 minutes.
• Best served on a bun or bed of lettuce, with a slice of cheese, and a dollop of BBQ Mayo.

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Colorful Caribbean Coleslaw with Citrus Dressing Coconut Shrimp Fried Rice {served in young coconuts}