You might be thinking you only like burgers made from 100% All American beef. I say that because that’s what I used to think too… So what I did was examined the difference between ground turkey and ground beef. On the plus side ground turkey is by far a much healthier option. However, if you were to take ground turkey and just form it into a patty, you might find your burger dry and bland. So, in keeping this in mind, I came up with a recipe to leave your turkey burger flavorful and juicy. This is not your average Turkey Burger…
Packed with nutrients, vitamins and protein, this Southwest Turkey Burger is a healthy and delicious addition to your weekly dinner rotation. Olive oil, onions and peppers add in not only flavor, but plenty of moisture. Black beans add in an extra protein punch, more of that moisture and some great texture. Along with fresh ingredients and a pantry staple, there are a host of spices that highlight one of this county’s most tantalizing food genres.
Now, I am preparing these burgers for my husband, myself and our two toddlers… So, I will take you first through the not so spicy kid friendly version. Then, we will kick things up a bit with adding some more heavy-duty spices and a bit more onions and peppers.
Start your base mixture here with black beans, ground turkey and an egg…
Rinse one can of black beans.
Add the washed beans into a clean bowl.
To the beans add in about one pound of ground turkey.
Add an egg into the ground turkey and beans. Stir together to get the mixture going.
Now you can start getting a key component ready, your sautéed onions, peppers and garlic.
Saute a medium onion, chopped in olive oil over medium heat.
Add your peppers to your onions and continue to saute.
Mince some garlic and add it into your sautéed veggies.
Saute until golden brown.
Place your veggies in a separate bowl to speed the cooling process.
You’ll want about a teaspoon of kosher salt.
Mix the salt into your meat and bean mixture. To this mixture, add in about 1/3 of your cooled sautéed veggies… I do this for the kid friendly version of these, I’ll add the rest in a bit for the adult version.
Add in a good 6-7 shakes of cumin.
Add in a good 5-6 shakes of smoked paprika.
Now lets turn these babies into kid patties…
Make a patty with this not so spicy mixture. And if you aren’t into spice, then you are set to turn all the mixture into patties.
I make a couple of these smaller burgers for my kids and add the additional spices in for the grown ups.
Get good color on each side as they cook through.
Now for the grown ups add in a few shakes of cayenne pepper.
Add in a few shakes of chili powder.
Now for the grown up burgers I add in the rest of the sauteed veggies. Then I use my extra large cookie scooper to handle the mixture because it is a delicate blend.
Place the scoop directly on the grill that is heated with oil.
Take the back of a wooden spoon and press down forming the ball into a patty.
Again, get good color on each side as they cook through.
Place the cheese on the burger when you are about 2 minutes from pulling your burger off the grill.
People underestimate the importance of the bread they use for their burgers. Find the freshest keiser rolls you can for this recipe… These are fresh from my bakery.
Cut your rolls in half and toast them up on the grill.
Recipe for Southwest Turkey Burgers:
(serves 4-6)
1 lb. ground turkey
1 15.5oz. can black beans, rinsed
1 onion, chopped
1 pablano pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 egg
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 tsp chili powder (optional)
1/4 c. olive oil
4-6 slices pepper jack cheese (or cheddar for the kid friendly version)
4-6 Keiser rolls
Directions:
Start by preparing your meat mixture base. Add one can of rinsed black beans to a bowl with one pound of ground turkey meat and one egg. Also add in your kosher salt. Mix together.
In a non-stick skillet over medium heat add in your olive oil, onions and peppers. Saute until lightly golden brown. Add in garlic and sprinkle with salt. Continue to saute until golden brown. Once the veggies are nicely cooked, remove from skillet and place in a separate bowl to cool.
Now, for the kid friendly version:
Add in 1/3 of the cooled veggies. Also add in cumin and paprika. Mix. Form kid sized patties and serve on white or wheat buns.
For the adult version:
Add in remaining veggies and your cayenne and chili powder. Mix. Scoop out with XL cookie scooper and grill on medium heat until just about done.
At this point add-on cheese until melty.
Serve on roll. Enjoy!
*Note: This burger patty is gluten-free and can be enjoyed on a salad or on a gluten-free keiser roll as well.