Turkey burgers are moving up in the world. This easy turkey burger recipe flavored with green onion and tarragon are further enhanced with creamy bleu cheese and a spicy chipotle mayonnaise. Make a batch tonight!
Don’t you love a big juicy burger loaded with toppings? Chances are you’ve had one that goes down in memory. Unfortunately, burger joints are no longer the cheapest eats in town. In fact, some of my local restaurants are charging $12 to $15 for a burger and fries.
Gourmet though these burgers may be, they just don’t merit the price tag. Unless you’re on vacation or celebrating a special occasion.
The good thing is that you can make your own gourmet-style burgers at home for less and they are a great way to use up leftover ground turkey!
One of my favorite burgers of all time features bleu cheese crumbles and chipotle mayonnaise. Yum!
While my preference is an all-beef patty, beef prices have been rather high these last few years with sale prices rarely dipping below $3/pound, so I’ve taken to making turkey burgers instead. Plus, you might be able to get a deal on protein and stash leftover in the freezer.
I know, you might not think that turkey burgers are all that, but they can be! Here are two techniques I use to making ground turkey work well in burgers.
Is A Turkey Burger Healthier Than A Hamburger?
A turkey burger is definitely the better option! You could make a lean beef burger, but a turkey burger still has less saturated fat. A turkey burger will also have a few less calories than a regular hamburger.
So save some money and calories and go for the ground turkey next time!
How to Make Turkey Burgers Better
1. Dress it up.
I don’t do straight ground turkey, but instead I take a few minutes to spice it and infuse the meat with a little extra flavor. This takes a few extra steps, but it’s worth it.
2. Freeze the patties in advance.
I also like to prepare the patties in advance and stash them in the freezer. Not only does freezing the patties and storing them in the freezer help Burger Night to happen quickly, and whenever I want it to, but frozen patties also go on the grill so much better than uncooked. Frozen turkey burgers cook without sticking to the grill. Amen, hallelujah.
Adding seasonings and preforming and freezing the patties have been very successful techniques for making turkey burgers work for me.
Now about this turkey burger…
Tarragon Turkey Burgers with Bleu Cheese and Chipotle Mayonnaise
Bleu cheese is one of those ingredients that makes me smile. Seriously, one bite and I’m giddy. It may be an acquired taste for some, but if you haven’t tried it on a burger and paired with chipotle mayonnaise, I highly recommend you do so. Soon.
Homemade chipotle mayonnaise comes together super quickly. It’s packed with flavor and serves as a delicious dip for onion rings or french fries. Super yum!
How to make this good and cheap:
Here are some of the strategies you can use to make this recipe more economical:
- Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. The priciest ingredients here are ground turkey and bleu cheese. Watch the sales and snatch up those items when the prices are low.
- Cook in bulk. When you cook in bulk, you are maximizing your time investment as well as the energy you use to heat the oven. It doesn’t take that much longer to make a few more hamburger patties and freeze them for another time.
- Freeze the leftover chipotle peppers in single packages to use in future recipes. You will likely never come across a recipe that uses a full can.
- Make your own hamburger buns. A little more effort but worth it!
How I make this recipe easy:
This recipe really couldn’t be easier than it is, but having the right kitchen tools can really make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable. Over time, I’ve honed my collection so that they are perfect for my needs.
Here are the tools that I use for this recipe:
- plastic cutting boards – I have blue boards for veggies and white boards for meat.
- Ergo Chef chef’s knife – I’ve had my set for several years and they work well.
- large stainless steel mixing bowl – Give yourself plenty of space to mix the meat and seasonings.
After you enjoy these burgers, I’d love for you to come back and rate the recipe. Thanks so much!
Easy Turkey Burger Recipe
Ingredients
- 20 oz ground turkey
- 1/4 cup green onion (chopped)
- 1/2 tsp dried tarragon
- 1/2 tsp coarse salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 oz blue cheese crumbles (1/2 cup)
- 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce from a can finely chopped
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 5 hamburger buns try homemade
Toppings
- tomato sliced
- lettuce leaves
- onion sliced
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey, green onion, tarragon, salt, and pepper. Combine just until the ingredients are lightly mixed.
- Divide the mixture into five equal portions. Form each portion into a hamburger patty.
- To cook, place patties on hot grill and cook until no pink remains inside. In the last few minutes of cooking, place 1 to 2 Tablespoons of blue cheese atop each burger.
- Meanwhile, assemble the toppings.
- To prepare the chipotle mayonnaise, chop the chipotle chili and stir it into the mayonnaise in a small dish.
- Serve the burgers with the toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published July 27, 2011.
karen
Our favorite turkey burger—-blitz two jalapeno peppers and an onion until finely chopped. Add to 1.5 lb ground turkey. After they are cooked, top with pepper jack cheese, cilantro and a dollop of sour cream.
Jessica Fisher
That sounds amazing! Thanks for the tip!
Anne
I love tarragon with turkey!