Turkey Basil Burger
If you haven’t noticed yet, I have a thing for Burgers! I’m not saying I’m a Burger Queen (no pun intended) but I like to think I know a little something something about making a handful of meat tasty. This Turkey Basil Burger is one of my classic creations.
Let me tell you how I got started on making good burgers- when I started meal prepping, it’s best to enjoy clean foods, so breakfast sausages and things like that are ok in moderation but with the sodium and that those meats are processed, I started making my own breakfast patties with fresh ingredients.
I just can’t make plain ones though, I need my burgers to be extra!
How Do You Keep Burgers from Falling Apart?
When making a burger you want moisture and a good binding agent. To achieve this, generally you want to use breadcrumbs and an egg. I have made burgers with corn flakes, progresso bread crumbs, white bread and Hawaiian rolls. In addition to the egg, I have also like to add a splash of milk or the natural juices from vegetables I add to the ground meat. A lot of people like to use Worcestershire or other sauces as well. You can really get creative when it comes to burgers!
Other Tips for a Good Burger
A good and well balanced flavor profile and of course some kind of melting goodness on top -AKA cheese. My cheese of choice in this Turkey Basil Burger is Feta. There are so many different seasonings you can play with when it comes to creating burgers. Besides the regular salt and pepper, garlic powder or Johnny’s Seasoning, you can add fresh herbs and vegetables like white, red or sweet onions, minced garlic and zucchini.
In this recipe, I use a nonstick skillet pan to prepare these. You can also use a grill pan or throw them on the actual grill. Just change the cook time accordingly, as the grill may take shorter or longer and you want ground turkey to be fully cooked to 165 degrees.
My goal here was to create a Mediterranean Style Burger and what else goes better with feta cheese than fresh basil!
Other Ways to Enjoy a Turkey Basil Burger
This Turkey Basil Burger recipe is very versatile on how you can enjoy it, here are some ideas:
- serve it with lemon rice
- you can use a traditional bun
- you can lettuce wrap it and serve as an appetizer
- have it as a snack, just reheat and enjoy
- on top of a fresh salad
- stuff in a pita and enjoy with some tomato, cucumber and tzatziki sauce
Can I substitute ground turkey with another protein?
Yes! You can use ground beef, chicken or even ground lamb to make these patties.
Turkey Basil Burger
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 1/2 cup fire roasted red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup basil fresh, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup spinach
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup corn flakes organic, crushed
- 1/4 cup feta crumbled
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2-1 teaspoon kosher salt as needed
- 1/2-1 teaspoon black pepper as needed
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together and form into 8 patties.
- In a large non-stick pan on md/low heat, preheat the pan and add the olive oil.
- Add the patties and cook in 2 batches if needed. Do not over crowd the pan. Sear for 6-7 minutes each side.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
