I love hamburgers. But I also like variety, and I’m always looking for (or making up) healthy and interesting variations. Turkey burgers are a great way to go for something different. The problem I have with some turkey burgers is that the meat is so lean the burgers can get dry. My solution? Lots of veggies to add moisture, flavor and texture.
For these I was in the mood for a little southwestern flavor, so I made some modifications to my usual recipe and changed this one up a bit. Don’t be alarmed if the mixture is a little looser than your normal burger mixture, they cook up quite nicely without a hitch. Bun or no bun, they are pretty darn yummy!
Roasted Chile Turkey Burgers
Roasted Chile Turkey Burgers
1 egg
1/3 cup red onion, chopped finely
2/3 cup bread crumbs (I usually just crumble a slice of bread or bun)
1 pound ground turkey
4 oz. mushrooms, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 oz. can of diced green chiles (or you can roast extra peppers and chop them up)
2 green onions, sliced
4-6 Anaheim peppers
Cotija cheese, crumbled
Put whole chiles on a cookie sheet under the broiler. Broil on both sides until skin is blackened. Remove from heat and put in a paper or plastic bag to cool and steam.
In a large bowl, mix breadcrumbs, red and green onions, egg, salt, pepper and cumin with a fork until well blended. Add turkey, mushrooms, diced green chiles. Mix well (I use my hands for this part) until everything is combined. The mixture will be fairly wet and loose. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in large skillet or grill (do not use an open grill, the patties aren’t firm enough to sit on top without falling through) over medium high heat. Form 6 large balls of mixture. Flatten slightly and lay in the pan. Cook about 5 minutes on each side, until patties are firm and cooked all the way through.
Peel peppers, remove stems and seeds and slice into thick strips. Serve burgers with or without a bun, top with roasted peppers and cotija cheese. Serves 6.
3hungrymonkeys 