Spicy Turkey Burgers with Guacamole
Spicy turkey burgers, grilled and topped with guacamole and sprigs of fresh cilantro make a delicious, economical weeknight dinner.
The secret to great turkey burgers is to make sure that the meat is very well seasoned as ground turkey tends to be a bit bland and dry.
These spicy turkey burger patties include a small amount of panko crumbs to help retain the natural juices, fresh garlic, minced jalapeño pepper, chopped cilantro and a handful of crumbled Queso Fresco.
If you’re not familiar with Queso Fresco, it’s a fresh Mexican cow’s milk cheese with a fresh, milky flavor and crumbly texture. You can replace it with feta cheese, but feta has a drier texture and saltier flavor.
Note: Bon Appetit recommends soaking feta in cool water to tone it down a bit before using it as a replacement for Queso Fresco.
To serve, the burgers are topped with homemade guacamole and more fresh cilantro.
Spicy Turkey Burgers with Guacamole
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 to 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 teaspoons honey, or agave nectar
- 1 tablespoon panko crumbs
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 cup Queso Blanco, crumbled (or mild feta cheese)
- 4 soft sandwich rolls
- 3/4 cup guacamole
- Fresh cilantro sprigs for topping
Instructions
- Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to a medium temperature (about 400°F).
- Add the ground turkey, garlic, jalapeno, lime juice, honey, panko crumbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, a few grinds of black pepper, cheese, and chopped cilantro to a large mixing bowl.
- Combine gently, but thoroughly, then form into 4 equally-sized patties.
- Transfer to a plate and chill the burgers for 15 minutes.
- Brush both sides of the burgers with a little vegetable oil and oil the grill grates as well. (see notes)
- Add the burgers and cook until you see juices start to accumulate on the top of the meat, approximately 4 minutes.
- Carefully flip them over and grill until they are cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes longer.
- Transfer the burgers to a plate to rest for 5 minutes.
- To serve, place a burger on each bun, top with 2 tablespoons of guacamole and sprigs of fresh cilantro.
Tips for Making This Recipe
Grilling Notes:
Turkey burgers are more fragile than beef burgers, and to protect them from breaking apart you can grill them on aluminum foil. Here’s how:- Line the grates of the grill with a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil that’s large enough to accommodate the burgers with a few inches between them.
- Poke a few small drainage holes in the foil with the tines of your grilling fork, then either brush the entire surface with oil or coat with nonstick spray.
- You may need an extra minute or two of grilling time, watch carefully.
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