I made these delicious burgers for Cobalt’s birthday party at the end of July. They were super easy to make and tasted better than any burgers I’ve ever had!!
Since I used 5 lbs of ground turkey meat (1.79/lbs at Aldi), I nearly tripled every other ingredient. So I used a LOT of dried herbs (green ones like thyme, Italian seasoning, parsley, basil etc.). And for some kick, I stirred in crushed black peppercorns, red pepper flakes and puréed pickled jalapeños. For some structure, I poured in about a cup of bread crumbs.
For the party we provided our guests with toppings like onions, homegrown tomatoes, cheese and condiments. They generously brought sides (chips, beans, fruit and veggies) so we had a lot of leftover burgers (not to mention everyone left their contributions with us!). With the leftovers, Cobalt and I enjoyed an over easy egg on top of the burgers and beside a heaping serving of grilled green beans (seriously, they are as addicting as fries)!!
Considering I’d never made turkey burgers before, I was pleased that our guests from the party enjoyed them, too. Several even asked for the recipe!
P.S. I haven’t posted a picture of the burgers because the photo I have doesn’t do them justice. The one displayed on Simply Recipes’ website is much more mouth-watering :)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 medium red onion, minced
- 4 minced garlic cloves
- 2 pounds ground turkey meat, preferably from the legs and thighs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped parsley
- 1 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary
- 1 Tbsp minced fresh sage
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- Sauté the chopped onion in olive oil for 3 minutes over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes, or until the garlic begins to brown. Remove from heat. Transfer the onions, garlic, and oil to a large bowl to cool down.
- Once the onions are cool to the touch, add the ground turkey, salt, pepper, and herbs into the bowl. Using your hands, gently mix everything until well combined. You want the herbs mixed in without overworking the meat (which would make the burgers tough).
- Form the meat into patties. Here's a burger patty tip: use your fingers to form a slight indentation in the middle of the patties. When burger patties cook, the meat contracts from the edges. Having the middle part slightly thinner than the edges when raw will help the patties finish with a more even shape (less bulge in the middle).
- Cook on a hot grill or in a hot cast iron frying pan for 5-6 minutes per side, until cooked through (165°F if using a meat thermometer). If using a grill, coat the grill grates first with a little vegetable oil. If using a frying pan, put a little oil in the pan first to help keep the burgers from sticking. A trick my mother uses when making burgers in a cast iron frying pan is to sprinkle the bottom of the pan with a little salt. The salt acts sort of like ball-bearings, keeping the patties from sticking when you go to flip them.
- Serve with toasted buns, and the accompaniments of your choice—sliced onions, lettuce, sliced tomatoes, bacon, mayonnaise (especially good with mayo), mustard, relish, ketchup.
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For dessert I made three pies: two berries and one cherry. One of the couples who came made Cobalt an amazing apple pie for his present, which he generously shared with everyone else. Needless to say, we had plenty of pies, and even some leftovers! We were both grateful for the time shared with family and friends and the food shared. Life is such a blessing!
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Wow, I wish I could have been there to enjoy the food!
Cobalt is blessed to have a wife who is such a fine cook (kind of like her mother)!
Thanks, Dad :) I love making food for us!! Mom really did teach me everything I know.