SERIES: burgers and turkey burgers
It’s Memorial Day Weekend! Which, in my book, is the kick-off to summer. So we are kicking off summer with a 5-week series on all things burgers. We’ll cover meat, toppings, buns, and sides.
A few years ago, I was fortunate enough to visit a friend living in London. We spent some time playing tourist in London. And then she, her then French boyfriend, and I traveled to Paris for a few days. I’ll forever remember one of his questions for me – do American’s only eat hamburgers? Ha! It caught me completely off guard and was a stereotype of Americans I’d have never come up with on my own. I defensively responded with an emphatic “no!” I think it was the singularity of “only” that brought about my defensiveness. As if we had no other skills in the kitchen other than grilling burgers.
Over the coming years, I found myself occasionally reflecting on his question. There was the fact that every time, nearly without exception, I went out on a tough hike or multi-day backpacking excursion, I’d order a burger and a beer once we returned to town and stopped for food. There is also the fact that in our house we probably eat burgers weekly. It seems to be a “go-to” if we’re home on a Friday night. And then there’s the truth that at many family get togethers, especially in the summer, burgers are part of the menu. I guess it’s true – Americans eat a lot of burgers. But lets acknowledge that a burger’s a pretty perfect food. Hot, juicy, grilled meat atop a bun (or lettuce wrap) with endless topping combinations, and often fries on the side. Make fun of us all you want, burgers are darn delicious.
We’re kicking this first week off with a turkey burger. You’re probably thinking, a turkey burger? I know. We’ll get in to beef patties, which is what I typically look for in a burger. But on occasion, a well made turkey burger is a good mix up to the beef routine. And if you’re thinking, how do you make a well made turkey burger, I’ll help. They’re not as easy as beef burgers, but it’s possible. I’ve made a few turkey burgers in the last year in a bit of a quest to find something that I liked. Honestly all of them were good, but this one is a keeper and a repeat recipe to turn to.
Let me know in the comments, your favorite burger combination … I’d love to hear what you’ve found and “go-to” when a grilled burger answers the hunger call.
turkey burgers with chimichurri
Ingredients
Burger
- 16 oz. ground turkey, preferably 80/20
- 1 TBSP jalapeño, finely minced
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 TBSP lime zest
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 TSP olive oil
- 1 TSP salt
- 1/2 TSP pepper
Chimichurri Mayo
- 1/8 cup red onion
- 1 cloves garlic
- 1 TBSP fresh red chile (jalapeño, fresno, serrano)
- 1/2 cup cilantro
- 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley
- 1 TBSP fresh oregano
- juice of a lime
- 1 TBSP red wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/2 TSP salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 4 TBSP mayo
Fixings
- White melty cheese (Swiss, Monterrey jack, or even Oaxacan)
- Roasted poblano peppers
- Avocado
Instructions
First make the chimichurri sauce by adding the onion, garlic, chile in a food processor and pulsing until roughly chopped. Add cilantro, parsley, oregano and pulse again until uniformly chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in lime juice, vinegar, salt and pepper, adding olive oil at the end. Combine 2 TBSP of this with 4 TBSP of mayo.
Next, place all of the burger ingredients in a bowl and mix until thoroughly combined. Form 3-4 burger patties. Be sure to grease the grates on your grill before placing the patties on a hot grill. Grill 4-5 minutes on each side to develop color and then move to a cooler spot on the grill until the patties are cooked through. Melt cheese on top, if desired.
Top burgers with strips of roasted poblano pepper, chimichurri mayo, and chimichurri sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
Inspired by: Feasting At Home