Turkey Burgers

I absolutely love turkey burgers.  Nine times out of ten, I will choose a turkey burger over a beef burger, and

I cannot begin to describe my disappointment when a turkey burger is poorly made.  Poorly made would be dry and under seasoned.  The two cardinal burger sins.  And let's face it, a good turkey burger is tough to make.  Turkey meat is a very lean meat, and has a tendency to quickly dry out.  If you simply form a patty out of turkey meat, season it and cook it, you're going to have a dry burger.

To produce a great turkey burger, you need to add fat to the meat and find a way to retain it there through the cooking process.  You choose the fat.  You choose the seasoning.  You have to add something, but the control is in your hands.  The richer the fat, the better the flavor.  Of course, it only needs a little fat.  The key is adding a ton of flavor and enough of a binder to hold the fat.  As long as the fat is held, you only need a little.

Following my recipe will not only give you the best turkey burger I've ever had, but will also give you the guidelines to customize your own.  Maybe you prefer more spice?  Maybe you'd like to add some fresh herbs?  Maybe you just want a great turkey burger.  It's all I want.  Try this recipe.

Turkey Burgers

Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Yield:  4 large burgers

Ingredients:

2 lb ground turkey meat
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp kosher salt
dash of siracha
1/4 yellow onion, grated or fine chop
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 egg
1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs

Method:

Place everything in a mixing bowl except the bread crumbs.  Mix extremely well using your hands.  Make sure to work the pieces of butter into the mix.  At the breadcrumbs a little at a time.  The mix should be wet, but still holds together when you form patties.

Lay down a sheet of plastic wrap and place a ball of mix in the center.  Form the ball into a rough patty and loosely wrap with the plastic.  Using the plastic as a tool, gently work the mix into a circular flat patty.

In a saute pan, slowly cook the burgers in a little vegetable oil until evenly and slightly dark brown on one side.  Flip and continue to cook until both sides are evenly browned.  Remove from the pan and let rest for 1 minute.  Serve.

Best with a summer tomato salad, or on grilled bread or rolls with whole grain mustard or saffron aioli.

Enjoy.