I can’t believe I’ve never blogged this before. I first saw this on Anne Burrell’s show “Secrets of a Restaurant Chef”. I loved that show. I almost always alter a recipe to make it more my own, even when it is from one of my favorite Chefs. In this case, I only had a few minor tweaks. First, in my grocery, ground turkey comes in 1 or 3 pounds. So I scaled the recipe down a bit to adjust. I didn’t saute the onions and garlic prior to adding them to the burger mixture and it worked out well. I switch out mayo for Greek yogurt in the schmear. I don’t like using mayo in recipes unless I have to. I use Dales Steak Seasoning and Soy because Dale’s is even more salty than Soy. I happened to have an Heirloom tomato so I used that instead of beefsteak. I also added more sambel oelek in the burgers and the schmear because I like the extra heat. I served this with baked fries, which I’ve blogged plenty of times (here, here, and here).

I love these turkey burgers. Nothing can replace greasy beef burgers, but I have to admit, I crave these. The subtle Asian flavor is nice but not over powering. The smear is creamy and spicy. The tomato and lettuce are those familiar burger accoutrements. I know some folks (like my wife) aren’t huge fans of raw red onion. I love it and I especially love it on these burgers. It gives the burgers extra crunch (almost like bacon, I kid you not). Cheddar cheese is an interest twist which I might not normally think of but trust the Chef, it works very well here. Last thing, don’t skip adding the water in step one below. I did the first time and the burgers ended up dry.

Here is a link to Anne’s Recipe: Turkey Burgers

Give it a try and let me know what you think in the comments below.

Ingredients Turkey Burgers

Measurements are approximate.

• 1 lbs lean ground turkey
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup Dale’s Steak Seasoning (or Soy Sauce)
• 1-2 tbsp sambal oelek (or Sirachi)
• 1 inch fresh ginger, minced
• 1 8 oz can water chestnuts, minced (use about 3/4 the can)
• 1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, minced
• Salt to taste

Accoutrements

• 4 slices cheddar cheese
• 4 seeded burger buns
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1-2 tbsp Sambal oelek
• 4 slices heirloom tomatoes (or beefsteak)
• 4 slices raw red onion
• Butter lettuce (or spring mix greens)

Directions for Turkey Burgers

1. In a mixing bowl, combine turkey, Dale’s or Soy, sambal oelok, ginger, water, chestnuts, cilantro, onion and garlic. Add a little water to help keep the burgers moist, maybe 1/4 cup. Season with salt and mix until evenly combined.
2. Divide mixture into four patties.
3. Coat a pan with olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Place burgers in the pan and cook on either side until cooked through (5-6 min per side). Place cheese on the burger and remove from heat.
4. Mix the yogurt and 1 tbsp sambal oelek in a small bowl.
5. Toast the buns in the broiler. Schmear buns on both sides with the yogurt mixture, add some lettuce, place the burger patty on next, top with tomato and onion.
6. As Anne says, give them “a little squish and eat em’ up”. Yummy!