Jalapeno Turkey Burgers with Cheddar & Guacamole

March 7, 2013• Main Dishes, Poultry, Recipes, Sandwiches, Seasons, Spring, Summer

Weather:42 degrees and windy
What I’m listening to:Hope, John Tibbs

When the kids got out of school today, Spring Break officially began. Although we still have a lot of snow on the ground, temperatures got into the 40’s today, which is the warmest I believe we’ve seen in our area since fall. To celebrate Spring Break and warmer temps, I whipped up these tasty turkey burgers for dinner.

The last time I tried to make turkey burgers at home they were an epic fail. The patties were falling apart, the texture was mushy, and the burgers were pale and colorless. Bleh. I took several months off of all things involving ground turkey after that little episode. This week, I made two dinners with ground turkey and I’m proud to say that both were a big hit. Ground turkey and I are friends once again.

One of my Facebook fans mentioned that his turkey burgers always seem to end up dry and he asked for my suggestions on the matter. First, I used one egg and some breadcrumbs to help bind the patties and help them hold their shape and to firm up the texture (no more mushy burgers for me!). Second, I lightly dusted both sides of the burgers with a little bit of flour before pan-frying them in olive oil in a hot cast iron skillet. The flour both helps to achieve a crispy browned edge on the meat, similar to what you look for in an all-beef burger, and also helps to hold in the juices and the moisture. The hot cast iron skillet also assists in getting a really nice sear on the meat. These methods worked wonders for me.

Jalapeno Turkey Burgers with Cheddar & Guacamole

See Also

Hairy Bikers cottage pie

Flavorful and moist turkey burgers with jalapeño and cheddar cheese topped with a creamy guacamole made with Greek yogurt and lime.

Yields: 5-6 burgers

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1 egg
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced
1 jalapeño, de-seeded and minced
flour for dusting patties
olive oil for pan
6 slices cheddar cheese
For the Guacamole:
2 ripe avocados
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
Juice of half a lime
salt to taste
For Serving:
Burger Buns (I used whole wheat)
tomato slices
lettuce leaves
ketchup and mustard as desired

To a large mixing bowl, add the turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, cilantro, green onions, and jalapeno. Mix together until all the ingredients are well combined (I use my hands for this).

Place a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and swirl the pan with olive oil.

Shape the mixture into 5-6 patties. Dust both sides of each patty lightly with flour. Place patties into the hot cast iron pan. Turn down heat to medium and cook until browned, then flip, and cook again until browned on the other side and cooked completely through (burger should be firm in the center to the touch and bounce back a bit). Cooking time will depend on the thickness of your burgers. I cooked mine 5-6 minutes per side. Add the cheddar cheese on top of each burger in the last 1-2 minutes of cooking and cover the burgers to melt the cheese.

In the meantime, add your avocados to a bowl with the Greek yogurt, lime juice, and salt. Mash the avocados and stir until well combined. Set aside.

!To Assemble Burgers:

Place the burgers on the bottom bun. Spread a generous amount of the guacamole onto the top bun. Add lettuce, and tomato, and condiments of your choice. Serve.