How to turn a turkey burger into something your backyard guests will swoon over? Spread on this smoky berry sauce that offers a sweet heat and a wonderful counterpoint to turkey. A bit of goat cheese helps infuse the meat with creamy moisture, which is especially important if you’re using lean ground turkey breast.
Meatballs are for spaghetti
To keep burgers from turning into giant meatballs during cooking, poke the patties a few times with a skewer prior to grilling. You can also gently press your thumb into the centre of each patty to form about a 1/4 in (0.6 cm) depression. Both methods help the meat expand during cooking to keep the burgers flat.
Wash up
To avoid contamination with raw meats, wash your spatula or other cooking utensil after each time it comes in contact with meat that isn’t fully cooked yet, such as after flipping a burger.
Turkey Burgers with Raspberry-Chipotle Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tsp (5 mL) grapeseed oil
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 cups (350 mL) raspberries
- 2 tsp (10 mL) fresh thyme
- 1 tsp (5 mL) minced chipotle chili canned in adobo sauce
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 Tbsp (22 mL) chia seeds
- 1 lb (450 g) organic ground turkey
- 1 carrot, shredded
- 1/3 cup (80 mL) finely chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 oz (57 g) soft goat cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) black pepper
- 4 whole grain buns (optional)
- 2 cups (500 mL) spinach
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories251
- protein32g
- fat7g
- saturated fat2g
- trans fat0g
- carbohydrates13g
- sugars3g
- fibre5g
- sodium309mg
Directions
01
Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and half the minced garlic; heat for 1 minute. Add raspberries, thyme, chipotle chili, lemon juice, and pinch of salt to saucepan. Simmer until raspberries break down, about 5 minutes. Stir in chia seeds and heat for 1 minute more. Set aside to cool and thicken. Reheat if needed, to serve on burgers.
02
Preheat grill on high heat for 10 minutes and then lower to medium for cooking.
03
In large bowl, gently mix together turkey, carrot, sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese, remaining minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Form into 4 equal-sized patties. Place burgers on grill and cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side, or until an internal temperature of 165 F (74 C) is reached in each burger. Remove burgers from grill and place bun halves, if using, on grill and heat just until toasted, not burnt, about 20 seconds.
04
Serve burgers on buns topped with Raspberry-Chipotle Sauce and spinach. If not using buns, place spinach on plate and then nestle burgers on greens and spread sauce on patties.
Matthew Kadey, MSc, RD
Matthew Kadey is a dietitian, nutrition writer, and recipe developer. He is also the author of Rocket Fuel (VeloPress, 2016) and Muffin Tin Chef (Ulysses Press, 2012).
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