Well, we have all heard the evils of beef and the praises of turkey over the years. I don’t necessarily believe that beef is bad, but I know I shouldn’t eat too much of it. Not to mention, the ‘good’ beef (aka pasture raised) is more expensive. I would rather eat a little bit less of it and get the better quality… Anyway, back to turkey. How many of you have gone to a restaurant and ordered a ‘turkey burger’? Oh, just you? You’re weird! We all know that turkey burgers are bland and dry and not even in the same ball park as beef. But, what if I told you I have a trick that makes turkey burgers not only tasty but healthier? What!? (oh, and please forgive the crappy pictures taken from my phone in horrible lighting!)
Step 1. Turkey is very lean and needs to be cooked to 165 degrees and therefore usually turns out dry. But, if you add some thing to the ground meet when you are making the patties, the meat doesn’t dry out. My secret ingredient? Apples! That’s right finely diced granny smith apples! It keeps the meat moist (that’s right– MOIST—I know some of you hate that word) and you can NOT taste the apples at all. Just peel the apple, finely dice it (or use a food processor if you have one) and mix it in with the meet. I use 1 apple for every pound of turkey. Then just make the patties like normal.
Step 2. Turkey burgers are hard to do on the grill. By the time they are cooked thru in the middle they are usually charred on the outside and DRY. We’ve all been to the picnic where you want to dunk your burger in your beer because it is so over cooked. To avoid this I make my turkey burger inside. I start in a super hot skillet. Sear the meat on each side (approx. 2 mins.) and then finish on a baking sheet in the oven (350 for 5-10 min. depending on how thick you made your patties). The oven will make sure they cook in the middle and makes it easy to add cheese the last 3 mins.
Step 3. Toppings! A good quality beef burger might be great on the plain side because the natural flavors are so good. Turkey needs a little more help. Prepare good toppings. Avocado, carmelized onions, tomato, bacon (!), good cheese (if you put American processed cheese on a delicious turkey burger I might find you and punch you, there are so many options- brie goes great with the apple, gouda regular or smoked, etc.), garlic aioli, and so on. I like avocado, onions, tomato, and mayo on mine but I mix it up. By the way, this is delicious with or without a bun. In the picture I had mine on a brioche bun- obviously a cheat day! So worth it!
Well, there you have it. Cheers to never making a sucky turkey burger ever again!
***this is the 2nd post in my how-to series. Click here to see the first one. Stay tuned for more over the next week.**** And, LIKE candysbrainblog on facebook to see more regular posts, tips, and non-sense. 🙂
candysbrain 
I can’t wait to try this for my husband. I have a tendency to overcook ground turkey and just always thought it was because I’m a vegetarian and don’t know what the finished product should be like, but I guess this is an issue for a lot of home cooks. And I assume the apple would compliment the white meat similarly to pork so I am sure these burgers will be delicious. Thank you for the tip!
You are very welcome. Yes, the apple compliments the white meat. Make sure you use the granny smiths and the crisper the better!