more grilling action
Recipe: turkey burgers
I had every intention of blogging yesterday, but it was one hell of a busy day with photo processing, errands, and then cooking and baking all afternoon and evening until I passed out without even the excuse of getting plastered. And just when we thought we were rightfully stepping into warmer weather, we were once again graced with snow. Wait a sec, I meant to say we were pummeled with snow. 80 mph gusts – that’s something I don’t mind leaving behind! Of course, today is melted out and sunny. [*psycho weather*] Good thing too, as we are having some buds over this evening.
While prepping all sorts of dishes yesterday (for today), I also had that pesky issue of what to make for dinner yesterday. The guy has got to eat or else he wastes away to nothing. I mean come on, how is this fair? I go on chemo for several months and have digestive issues and lose 10 pounds and he forgets to eat while at a telescope for 3 days and loses 10 pounds. WTF? But back to dinner, I wanted something quick and healthy and tasty. Turkey burgers. Bingo!
start with a medium red onion
It’s a simple thing to whip up as long as you have fire, and by fire I mean a grill. You could pan fry the burgers indoors, but what the hell season are we in now and why would you want to clean up that pan? Okay, southern hemispherers can claim it’s autumn… but I really believe that grilling should be a year-round activity.
adding minced onion to ground turkey
Ground turkey is more widely available today than it was 15 years ago when I started making turkey burgers. Better yet, ground turkey thigh meat can be found at my local Whole
jeremy mixes it up because i jacked up my thumb
So really, you chop up an onion, mince some herbs (parsley, in this case), toss it in with ground turkey (thigh meat), garlic powder, salt, pepper, and mix it up.
form into patties, ready to grill
I like to make my patties flat and wide because the buggers will shrink to the size of the bun that way. I really don’t like biting into a lot of bun and no burger. This is a big issue for me. We grill over medium heat for 7 minutes a side. If it is your wont to add cheese as it is ours, then slap a slice onto the burger 2 minutes before you take it off the grill.
we like the swiss
My own favorite combination is to serve this on a potato roll bun with lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup, and a swipe of mayonnaise. Dress it up anyway you like it. Good times.
this is my burger because the guy fears tomatoes
Turkey Burgers
[print recipe]
1 lb. ground turkey meat (prefer thigh meat)
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced (or whatever fresh herbs you like)
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
cheese (optional)
Mix ingredients together and form 4-6 patties. Grill on medium heat for 7 minutes a side. 2 minutes before burgers are done, place a slice of cheese (optional) on each patty. Serve hot.
May 3rd, 2008 at 4:17 pm
Yummo! Looks good. I need to try this and then try a couple of modifications.
Thanks,
Kevin
May 3rd, 2008 at 5:18 pm
Oh, you know what Jen? I love the Swiss too.
And you’re so right about the bread; Nothing but pillowy soft white rolls will do. Although, in my own very humble opinion, the cheaper the better.
May 3rd, 2008 at 5:34 pm
That looks so good. Turkey meat isn’t really prolific in NZ, unfortunately! You have a way with raw meat, seriously, even the uncooked patties look fab :) oh and I am definitely a thigh girl too.
May 3rd, 2008 at 7:19 pm
Jen – Pierre isn’t down with turkey – *turkey ees for tanksgiveen* Well, I swapped turkey for beef once in a bolognese sauce and waited ’til all the compliments and praises for its deliciousness were over before I did a little dance and told him “It’s Turkay!!!’ I love turkey burgers, especially with lots of red onion, as you made them. Who knew something so good was also lower in fat/calories…
May 3rd, 2008 at 8:41 pm
I love adding onions in the meat mixture; It makes for such a moist burger! I bet this approach would be phenomenal with ground lamb fresh mint and a sprinkle of rosemary, too. btw, that potato salad looks just as exquisite!
May 3rd, 2008 at 8:50 pm
I wish *my* thighs could attract as much attention as your ground turkey thighs, heh heh :) (well, I did all I could for them, except squats– I was afraid my back would break– while I was playing ice hockey. Nope. Still twigs. Wanna trade? :)
Maybe I could “forget to eat” too.. No, how could I?! How could he?!
Lots of people miss the garlic and onion elements of the patty, which I think is a huge mistake! This sounds just about perfect!
I really don’t like biting into a lot of bun and no burger. This is a big issue for me.
Omg, you sound dead serious! I’ll keep that in mind! (scared) :p
May 3rd, 2008 at 10:31 pm
I’m a thigh girl too. I’ll have to see if my Whole Foods has thigh meat. I’ll bet it makes a much juicier burger.
I can’t believe you got more snow. It hasn’t snowed here since 1989! My husband I got up at 3 in the morning and were out crunching around the grass in our pajamas. I almost had enough for one decent sized snowball! We were crazy kids back then! ;)
May 4th, 2008 at 7:48 am
Gorgeous! I just wish turkey was as accessible here, but it’s so hard to find, unless you buy a whole turkey which would just go to waste with me :(
May 4th, 2008 at 8:24 am
I love thighs too, so much more taste and much moister. Now I’m in the mood for grilling! These look great.
By the way, I’ve always had trouble understanding how one can FORGET to eat. Forget??!? That’s the first thing I’m thinking about when I get up in the morning! :)
May 4th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Brown meat, all the way! I so, so, so love seeing your beautifully diced up ingredients. You’ve got some mad dicing skills, so even and perfectly small. Just double swipe these delicious burgers with mayo for us and we’ll be very satisfied.
Darn it, we gotta get grilling cause you are killing us!
May 4th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Oh, wow! I haven’t been reading for a while but your posts are as lovely as ever. Sometimes I forget that I live in beautiful Southern California and should be grilling RIGHT NOW.
May 4th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Great looking burgers and good choice with the thigh meat, keep them moist. I wish I could grill all’year ’round.
May 4th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Kevin – thanks!
Graeme – mmm… pillowy… :)
Laura – I wonder if you can ask the butcher to grind up some turkey leg meat for you?
Christine – ha ha! I love your prank, you little trickster! I wonder what Pierre said?? :) You crack me up!
Antonio – oh, that sounds pretty spankin’ good. Yup, the potato salad recipe will be up soon!
Mark – no trade, bub! I would keep my tree trunk quads over gorgeous min-skirt legs any day! :) You can’t tele if your legs are weak. Yeah, don’t ask me how he forgets meals (that’s plural) – makes.me.nuts. I am so serious about buns and no burger ;)
Susan – well, snow is to be expected here :) Not necessarily where you are in sunny FL! I’ll bring a snow-cone machine down there and we’ll produce enough snow for you to make a proper snowball :)
Ellie – oh how sad! Could you purchase the leg and ask a butcher to grind it (or grind it yourself?)
Amy – tell me about it. But that’s probably why he’s skinny as a rail and I’m… not ;)
WoRC – well, I’m missing three fingers! ha ha ha – just kidding!! *snort* Yeah – when will you guys get grilling?!?
Steph – if you’re in So Cal, you should have been grilling since January ;)
Peter – thanks!
May 4th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
I love turkey burgers! My husband and I eat them all the time, so definitely will be trying this recipe out…thanks!
May 4th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
MSS – great, and you’re welcome!
May 5th, 2008 at 3:27 am
looking at this, i can’t wait for my bbq party now. that cheese looks absolutely fantastic. yummy.
May 5th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
I’ve been making burgers too! But not with Turkey cuz it’s not widely availbale here! I can get those whole ones but with just 2 of us, what am I gonna do with the rest of it? hehe, maybe I will try it with minced chicken instead!
May 6th, 2008 at 12:32 am
Diva – yay for bbq parties! I can’t wait for mine either!
Mrs. E – can you try getting turkey legs and asking the butcher to grind the meat for you? Chicken might work too :)
May 6th, 2008 at 8:47 am
Jen – Pierre said, “You bee-tray me, you bee-tray me… I never believe you anymore!” Loved every minute. :)
May 6th, 2008 at 11:22 pm
Christine – ha ha ha! Oh, that’s CLASSIC. Love that Frenchie :)
May 8th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
Your photos are great! (Hmmm, already dreaming of another new camera)
These burgers caught my eye, because I grilled some up recently too. Adding you to my Reader! :)
May 9th, 2008 at 10:03 am
Rachelle – thanks!
August 6th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
The recipe is so good! I had never tried a turkey burger before, but now that I have, I don’t think there is any going back to burgers made from beef!
August 18th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
GP – wonderful that you liked it so much! :)
August 4th, 2010 at 2:39 pm
[...] Use Real Butter: Turkey Burgers (1/2 cup) [...]
July 11th, 2012 at 6:28 pm
I also dice up celery and an apple. It keeps them moist. Then mix half mayonaise and half cranberry sauce. Spread this on the bun and add the turkey burger. Tastes like Thanksgiving and it’s healthy !!!!
July 24th, 2012 at 9:47 am
you can make the patty any thickness you want. if you put a dent in the center of the patty, it won’t shrink and it’ll stay flat.
August 31st, 2012 at 4:17 pm
I hate to complain but I just made these for dinner tonight and after a couple bites, my husband couldn’t eat it (he eats everything!). It had waaaaaaaaay too
much parsley and onion (and we LOVE onion). I think it would be good if I scaled WAY back on everything. Couldn’t even hardly taste the turkey. I’d rather have eaten them plain with s & p than to have so much of everything that it was very overpowering. Way too much seasoning. Sorry, but maybe some amount of an ingredient is incorrect?
September 4th, 2012 at 8:13 pm
Jana – I’m so sorry you didn’t like them. I’ve been making these a while and I never have problems with them, but not everyone likes the same thing. Certainly scale back if that is your desire.
September 25th, 2012 at 8:27 pm
Since I didn’t have any garlic powder I added a small minced garlic and a bit of serrano chili (I love spicy food) to the mixture. I then cooked it on an indoor grill and let me tell you it was so moist and very delicious!! YUM Thanks for the great recipe!
October 24th, 2012 at 9:22 am
I add 2 tsps. Hidden Valley Ranch powder mix with about 2 Tbs. crumbled gorgonzola or goat cheese to mine. Very rich and gourmet flavor. Fresh italian parsley or rosemary are great herbs with turkey too.
November 14th, 2012 at 5:14 pm
Can these be baked or fried on the stove? If so, for how long?
November 19th, 2012 at 9:28 pm
Mary Kay – almost certainly, but I don’t know how long. You’ll probably be able to tell their doneness as you cook them. I’d suggest pan-frying them on the stove rather than baking them. Plop the patties on a hot skillet on the stove and let them cook until the meat is brown. Flip and brown the other side. You can cut into one in the center to check for doneness.
November 29th, 2012 at 9:18 am
Magnífica receta, ya sabré a hacer después d Navidad para el recalentado y nos queda el pavo
January 2nd, 2013 at 7:59 pm
Chopped green apple mixed in is amazing. I usually use a white onion with the apple. Trust me. It’s fantastic.
January 20th, 2013 at 12:07 pm
Made this, but added chopped mango, tomatoe and cilantro. Soo good
January 23rd, 2013 at 8:35 pm
[...] Adapted from use real butter. [...]
January 26th, 2013 at 10:56 pm
can u freeze these?
January 29th, 2013 at 1:14 pm
Michelle – probably, but I’ve never tried it.
February 10th, 2013 at 7:57 am
Looks really good but this is not considered a low fat good for you recipe right?
February 10th, 2013 at 4:09 pm
Tina – It all depends on what you consider low fat and good for you.
February 12th, 2013 at 2:57 pm
Just made these :) they were really amaaazing! Thank you so much for the recipe.. I just struggled on how thick to make them. I guess I made them a little too thick though.. cause the onions were still raw on my first bite and that was kind of weird at first. But then I kind of got used to it. Next time I’ll try doing them on a grill, I bet that’s 1000 times better.
February 13th, 2013 at 11:05 pm
Hi, do you have nutrition information for this recipe?
February 13th, 2013 at 11:43 pm
This would also be really good with cranberries added. Mmmmmm:)