The Ultimate Turkey Burger Recipe
Why Use Ground Turkey Instead of Ground Beef
There is a lot of hype about reducing red meats or eliminating animal products from our diets. If you have eaten red meats all of your life, it is kind of hard to imagine not eating them at all.
My gynecologist retired recently. He was my doctor for a couple of decades. At each of my visits, he recommended minimizing the consumption of red meats. He said it was beneficial for everyone but stated women had the most to gain.
His consistent message did have an impact. There has been a gradual change in my consumption of animal products over the years. I am not sure I will ever eliminate them from my diet. However, I understand the benefits of exploring, learning, and continuing to make adjustments to improve my health.
Roasted turkey is one of the ingredients that I was happy to eat only during Thanksgiving dinner. I could Perhaps eat it a day or two later to use up leftovers, but that was it. It was not fond of any other turkey product.
After many years, I can say that ground turkey is a staple in my home. However, it requires the addition of some bright and tasty ingredients to get flavorful results.
These ultimate turkey burgers have the added flavors of fresh, lightly sautéed vegetables and a few spices.
For more depth of flavor, prepare the patties in advance and refrigerate for a few hours.
The ingredient list below is only for the burger patties. To assemble traditional burgers, add the other ingredients you will need.
Turkey Burger Recipe (2-3 PATTIES)
Ultimate Turkey Burger Recipe Ingredients
1 lb ground turkey 90/10
½ large poblano pepper, sliced
½ large red bell pepper, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
½ small shallot, chopped
4-6 white button mushrooms, chopped
½ tsp Season-All
¼ tsp black pepper
½ tsp smoked paprika powder
2 tbsp olive oil (separated)
¼ Cayenne pepper powder (optional)
Ultimate Turkey Burger Recipe Preparation
- Place the ground turkey in a medium mixing bowl.
- Add the powdered spices to the ground turkey, mix and set aside.
- Heat 1 ½ tbsp. of olive oil in a 10” frying pan on medium heat.
- Lower heat to medium-low, add chopped shallot and peppers and cook for 4 minutes.
- Add mushrooms and shallot and cook for 2 minutes
- Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Turn off the heat.
- Transfer the cooked vegetables to a cutting board; chop all into smaller pieces and add to the ground turkey.
- Form burger patties
- Refrigerate if not cooking immediately.
- Return pan to medium heat and add ½ tbsp. of olive
- Place the burger patties in the pan and cook 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until no longer pink in the center.
- Enjoy patty with your favorite sides, or assemble burgers with your favorite toppings.
Other Ultimate Turkey Burger Recipe Variations
Substitute or add a variety of ingredients to create your turkey burger options.
I have made Asian-inspired burgers with vegetables and other ingredients in traditional Chinese cooking, including ginger soy sauce.
I have prepared a Thai version with added spicy Thai curry sauce.
You get it. You can use your favorite cuisine as inspiration.
The only thing to figure out is, when will you make your next batch of ultimate turkey burgers?
Do You Ever Plan to Have Leftovers?
With this simple recipe, you can make extra patties for easy meals in the days to come.
If you do not want to repeat a burger meal, you can prepare meatball sandwiches or a pasta dish.
Burger and Wine Pairings
If you enjoy wine, here are a few good burger and wine pairings. I consider this to be a reference for helpful suggestions for selecting the best wines to accompany burgers. Some of the referenced wine brands may or may not be easily accessible.