I went on the hunt for a good turkey burger recipe this past summer, when during a cleanse I thought I may jump out of a window if I had to eat yet another chicken breast. I adapted this recipe from southwest version by Rachel Ray (original recipe link here). I was skeptical, as I’m routinely disappointed with turkey burgers, at home as well as in restaurants. They are generally dry and by the time I add enough cheese and condiments to make them appealing, I feel pretty certain I’ve diluted most of the healthy benefits to choosing the turkey version over red meat. But this recipe is really great – the burgers are delicious and healthy, and I have a few tricks to make the prep a breeze. Recipe and prep tips below.

To help make the note of onion a bit more subtle and to add moisture to the burger, saute the onion and peppers in a touch of olive oil and half of the spices.

I use a measuring cup to portion out the burgers. Helps keep your hands clean of the raw poultry, makes even sized patties and is helpful if you need to have specific portions (such as when on a crazy cleanse).

Flatten the patties with a spatula, once in the pan.

Reality Check. I’d still pick a regular burger over a turkey burger every day of the week.

Recipe
Tasty Turkey Burgers

I package lean ground turkey (generally just over a pound)
1/2 medium sweet or red onion, diced
3 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 small red (or green) pepper, diced
1/2 small yellow pepper, diced
I small jalapeno, diced
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons grill seasoning blend (my husband swears by “Meat Magic”)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Saute the onion, garlic, peppers and half the spices until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
Mixed together the sautéed veggies, ground turkey and remainder of the spices and the hot sauce.
Form into patties and cook for 5-6 minutes on each side over medium high heat.