Turkey burgers are classically the looked-down-upon subjects of grilling season. Most people think of them as first frozen, then bland, substitutes for beef. And this is generally my feeling as well if we’re talking about pre-frozen turkey burgers.
But these turkey burgers… OH these turkey burgers. They are an entirely different situation. Loaded with spices and fresh herbs, they pack a punch. To deal with the classic problem of dryness, I like to mix in a little olive oil right into the burgers for a little extra good fat.
Trust me when I say these will be the stars of any grill!
To start these burgers you need some onion, garlic, cilantro, and fresh jalapeno. You should spend some time dicing all these so they fold into the burgers nicely.
When you add these to the ground turkey, along with the listed spices, it’ll look like a lot of spices and add-ins but just trust me on it. They all serve a purpose and the burgers will hold together even with the add-ins.
Form the burger mixture into four large patties. You want them to be about 1/2-3/4 inch thick. If you make them too thick, it’ll affect cooking time.
Grill these beauties for about 5-6 minutes per side over medium-high heat or over direct heat if you’re using a charcoal setup. That should be enough time to get some nice grill marks on the burgers and cook them through. Because we’re dealing with turkey, these need to be cooked all the way through (unlike beef). There’s no such thing as a medium-rare turkey burger! If you’re in doubt about the doneness, use a thermometer to check the temperature. It should register 165 degrees F. in the center of the burger.
When the spicy turkey burgers are almost done, add a slice of cheese to each one. The cheese will melt in about a minute and also help add some fat to the lean turkey meat. You could leave the cheese off, but I’ll always choose a cheeseburger over a regular burger!
Serve these spicy turkey burgers on toasted buns with fresh vegetables like lettuce, red onion, and tomato.
Show people that turkey can work for burgers. These have amazing flavor and any burger fan will love them!
Spicy Turkey Burgers Recipe Instructions
spicy turkey burgers recipe
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4 large burgers
Ingredients
Directions
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1/4 cup minced white onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons minced cilantro
- 1 jalapeno minced
- 1 tablepoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- pinch cayenne pepper
Burger Fixings:
- 4 hamburger buns, toasted
- 4 slices cheese
- Red onions, sliced
- Romaine lettuce
- Fresh tomatoes
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat or prepare charcoal grill for direct heat grilling.
- In a medium bowl, stir together ground turkey, onions, garlic, cilantro, jalapenos, olive oil, and spices. Mix together well, but try to keep the mixture light.
- Form four large patties out of the turkey mixture.
- Grill burgers for 5-6 minutes per side until they are just cooked through. If you have any doubt on their doneness, use a thermometer to test. Their finished temperature should be at least 165 degrees F.
- About a minute before burgers are done, add a slice of cheese to each burger so it can melt (optional). Also, toast the buns.
- Assemble burgers with crunchy lettuce, sliced red onion, grilled burgers, and fresh tomatoes.
