Brian’s Grilled Turkey Burgers

I made a false statement the other day. I lied in an Instagram post. Mark your calendars, folks, I don’t think anyone has ever done that before.

*Sigh*

I made a simple statement: that the recipe for my favorite turkey burgers was somewhere to be found on my blog. Alas, it isn’t.

I have a few turkey burger recipes floating around out there, including a BBQ glazed burger, sliders, and some curry turkey patties (it’s kind of a burger), but the real recipe for Brian burgers is below, because you need to know that it’s possible to make a delicious turkey burger.

Side note: There are a lot of people in our life who can attest that these burgers are delicious. In fact, I’ve had friends get noticeably angry at me when I’ve promised that I’m “making burgers” and then shown up with the boring old beef kind instead of these beauties. Just sayin’; they’re pretty good.

Burger Ingredients:

• 16 oz ground turkey
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup finely shredded Manchego or Pecorino cheese
• 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 3 cloves garlic – minced
• 3 green onions – finely diced
• salt and pepper (about 1/4 tsp each)

Other stuff you’ll need:

• Burger Buns
• Slices of cheese (cheddar or colby-jack, you know, stuff that melts easily)
• Whatever you want on top (I recommend lettuce, tomato, pickles, avocado, or whatever condiment suits your fancy)

Prep and cooking:

1. Prepare the grill for cooking over high heat, and let it warm up.
2. Prepare all of your ingredients, and mix them together in a big bowl. When the mixture is thoroughly combined, divide it into four lumps, and form it into 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch patties (they should be burger bun sized)
3. Scrape down the grill, and spray on some cooking spray (or rub some oil on the grates) and arrange your burgers on your cooking surface.
4. Cook the burgers over high heat for three minutes, then flip them over, and cook for another three minutes (six min total to start).
5. Reduce the heat to medium, and cook the burgers for another four minutes.
6. Flip them for the last time and place your slices of cheese on top, and then (still over medium heat) cook the burgers for a final 4 to five minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
7. Remove the burgers from the heat, and serve them up hot!

Recipe Notes:

• These burgers have a lot of ingredients, which can be a pain, but the lean nature of turkey makes it both dry and pretty boring. That’s why Thanksgiving dinner usually sucks. In order to add both moisture and flavor back into the equation, I use some hearty cheese, and a variety of sharp, effervescent flavors that work really well together.
• The long cooking time is because you’re cooking poultry, which reaches a safe temperature at 165 degrees (F). We add the cheese in order to keep the burgers moist throughout that long cook, and you have to make sure to monitor the temperature of the grill. I’ve made the mistake of not reducing the heat after the first 6 minutes, which results in an overcooked (read: super dry) burger.
• These burgers don’t need much in the way of condiments. I like a little mustard and pickle for the spicy and salt, but my wife likes them without any extra stuff. In her words: “they’re yummy enough on their own”!
• Also, it’s a burger, so you should probably open up a beer if you haven’t done so already 🙂

Enjoy!