Better than beef burgers (turkey)

We really enjoy a good turkey burger. I have some old go to recipes that we like, but I decided to change it up this time. And I’m glad I did – they turned out fantastic! Luckily I was silly enough to make a dozen so we now have a few packs in the freezer to enjoy in a week or so. I think you can cook Turkey burgers just about any way: grill, stove top, oven. We usually grill, but it was close to 120 degrees yesterday!! So – I used a cast iron griddle on the stove. It may have helped me keep them together a little better as well? I have one like this ..actually I think it might be that exact one. We like to use it on the grill for breakfast too. Oh.. I should share a few of our favorite grill breakfast recipes soon! Anyway – the burgers..

I had a huge box of fresh spinach so of course spinach turkey burgers are a thing. I decided to chop it up and leave fresh (not cooked). Just a rough chop worked fine. I threw that into a large mixing bowl.

Then, I had some beautiful jalapenos from the garden. As you can see they were red/turning red. I don’t know if it’s a wives tale, but I swear it’s true.. the longer they stay on and the hotter/drier it is outside the hotter the pepper. I diced them pretty tiny and added to my bowl of spinach. I then threw in a little Himalayan salt and some fresh cracked pepper.

So then I’m shuffling around the kitchen and pantry trying to figure out what I want to do with these and see some sun-dried tomatoes. I had both jarred and dried. I decided on the dried ones. I chopped them up as much as I could – those weren’t easy to chop. I might suggest a magic bullet or something similar for next time. Of course these need some cheese. I’ve used several kinds in the past and really debated on what type would go best with this burger and I landed on the classic feta.

Throw that all in your bowl and it’s looking like a really yummy and beautiful salad! I debated eating some for lunch! Lastly, before the turkey, I added some olive oil. I chose to use my Meyer lemon infused olive oil. Just a drizzle. Mix it all together really well.

Then, I got out my 3lb package of turkey.. yes that’s right, 3lbs. I started by adding in half and mixing together. Use your hands! I realized I had used such a large bowl that I probably added too much of the above so I went ahead and used the entire package of turkey. Praying these would turn out okay enough to freeze some for future. Trust me – they turned out so good I had to get this recipe written down quickly!

After mixing in your turkey really well – make your patties. These are about 1/4 pound patties. I was making these ahead so they would be ready to go when we got home from a little after work outing together so I put them in the fridge with some saran wrap over. When ready – I heated my griddle on high over my stove (using the grated side, not flat) and cooked on each side for approx 5 minutes. Don’t press down while cooking. You will squeeze out the juice. Just get your pan super hot and flip when ready. I also made a slaw that we served on top of the burgers (my husband with a bun and mine without). I’ll share that recipe with you next! The additional side that night was grilled pineapple – yummy! We also cooked that on top of the cast iron griddle. I hope you enjoy these as much as we did. Let me know what you think!

Better than Beef Burgers (Turkey)

This makes from 10-12 so adjust your amounts accordingly!

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups fresh spinach give or take
  • 2 jalapenos
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 oz sun-dried tomatoes not in oil
  • 1 cup feta cheese
  • 2 tbsp olive oil meyer lemon infused if available
  • 3 lbs ground turkey

Instructions
 

  • Wash and chop the spinach. Add to large mixing bowl.
  • Seed and dice the jalapenos and add them to bowl.
  • Add salt (Himalayan) and pepper to bowl.
  • Chop the sun-dried tomatoes. Also add them to bowl.
  • Add Feta Cheese and olive oil and mix well.
  • Add ground turkey mixing well, use your hands.
  • Make your patties. You should have about 10-12 total patties around 1/4 lb each. Make sure you get them formed well so they don't fall apart on the grill, but don't work with them too much either. 🙂
  • When ready to cook – heat your grill or griddle to a high heat. Cook on each side for approx 5 minutes. This will depend on how large you make your patties. Enjoy!
Here is a picture of my finished plate – should have gotten my husbands with the slaw on the burger, but since I am gluten free this is what you get.