Turkey burgers are hit or miss. Let’s be honest, most of the time they come out super dry and packed full of no flavor what-so-ever. The key to making a great turkey burger is pumping it full of great flavors and cooking it just to perfection. For this recipe, I decided to go a Thai route and add some of my favorite flavors from a great cuisine. These burgers are packed full of curry, peppers, spices and herbs. They are so deliciously satisfying. What’s also deliciously satisfying about this recipe is how incredibly easy it is. Burgers are one of the easiest things on the planet to grill and these burgers will be no different. All you need is your trusty meat thermometer and a heated grill and your halfway there. I paired these burgers with a great IPA (there’s really no other way to go with Thai food and beer pairings), and topped them with a delicious avocado salsa and cilantro mayo. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
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These burgers can go from delicious to overpowering in the matter of seconds. There are a ton of flavors going on so be very careful to follow each measurement precisely. If you are absolutely obsessed with curry then, sure be my guest, dump some more curry paste in there, but I forewarned you! Thai basil is another very powerful flavor, so use it in moderation. When grilling these burgers, I sincerely suggest using a meat thermometer. I know it may seem a little bit like cheating, but anytime I ever cook meat I use one…especially with chicken and turkey. These birds have to be cooked through, but you don’t want them so dry that you can hardly stand to eat them. They say it is healthy to eat turkey at an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. If you feel the need to cook them a little bit more then I certainly won’t judge. We cooked these burgers to exactly 165 and they came out perfectly.
If you haven’t yet figured it out, we made these burgers with our Avocado and Tropical Fruit Salsa from yesterday. This was the reason I made it in the first place! If you have trouble accessing the link below click HERE. =)
So we love Rogue. They are just one of those breweries that always release out a great beer. Even after they have grown so much, they still put so much love into each and every brew. Now, they have some great IPAs, but their Brutal IPA is to die for. IPAs go great with spicy, and they go even better with Thai food. This beer is extremely hoppy and bitter, but is still smooth. It is the perfect beer pairing with anything Thai in my opinion.
I hope everyone is getting excited for the weekend! I know we are! Have a great day everyone!
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These turkey burgers certainly do not lack in flavor. They are pumped full of the delicious flavors of Thailand. Perfect on the grill & at your next picnic.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 2 tablespoons thai basil, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, finely minced
- 1 fresno pepper, finely minced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 2 tablespoons green curry paste
- olive oil, for brushing
- 1 1/2 cups green leaf lettuce
- 4 hamburger buns
- 1 cup avocado & tropical fruit salsa (link in post above)
- 2 large tomatoes, sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 cup mayo
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your grill to medium-high. In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, thai basil, ginger, garlic, jalapeño, fresno, red bell pepper, sea salt and green curry paste. With a heavy wooden spoon mix the ingredients together, thoroughly. Form into 4 individual patties. Brush olive oil on each side of the burger.
- Place the turkey burger on the grill and grill for 6-8 minutes on each side or until cooked through (should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F). Remove from grill and set aside to rest for a minute or two.
- To prepare the cilantro mayo, in a food processor or blender, combine the cilantro, lime juice, garlic and mustard. Pulse until the garlic and cilantro are very fine. Add the mayo and pulse again to incorporate. Season with salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste. Set aside or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- To assemble your sandwiches, spread the bottom of your bun with cilantro mayo and top with lettuce, tomato and avocado & tropical fruit salsa (link in post above). Place the grilled turkey burger on top and top with the remaining bun. Repeat this step for the rest of your burgers.
- Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
Hardware: * Bowls * Wooden Spoons * Sharp Knife * Cutting Board * Brush * Small Bowls * Measuring Cups * Measuring Spoons * Food Processor *Grill * Spatula *
