Spicy Southwestern Turkey Burgers

These moist and delicious grilled Spicy Southwestern Turkey Burgers are packed with flavor and are a healthier alternative to traditional beef burgers.

I have to admit, I’ve always thought turkey burgers were rather gross. I have never come across one that could compete with the flavor or texture of a moist and juicy beef hamburger. All of my previous expectations where shattered as soon as I took a bite into this spicy turkey burger. The first word that came out of my food stuffed mouth was “wow”. It was that freaking good.

I always have a story of how my recipes came to be, so allow me to tell you my tale. I’m trying to eat healthier these days so I bought some ground turkey at the store. The problem is, not of us really like ground turkey. Turkey lunch meat? Great. A wonderful roasted Thanksgiving turkey smothered in gravy or leftover turkey soup? You bet. But for some reason, ground turkey kind of freaks me out. I don’t like the way the raw meat feels and I usually feel like the final product is sort of dry and flavorless. That was so not true for these burgers.

I was originally going to make my turkey croquettes which are like these little Thanksgiving tasting patties. Its sort of the only recipe I ever buy ground turkey for. But my food loving husband is actually not too find of the wonderful flavors of Thanksgiving and pretty much said “eww” when I told him what was for dinner. Discouraged, I tried to think of other uses for my ground turkey. I had some leftover roasted hatch green chile in my frig along with some chipotles in adobo sauce that needed to be used up, so I sent him a text that asked “spicy turkey burgers?” and he lovingly replied with “duh” which in my husband’s terms really means “why yes, dear, I would be ever so grateful if you prepared a tasty and healthy dinner for our family to enjoy”.

I discovered a few secrets while cooking these turkey burgers. First – you must add fat to make them moist, so I threw in some mayonnaise with the raw meat. If that means that I can no longer call them healthy, than so be it. They needed it. And boy did that mayo make them absolutely delicious. Second, the onion really added some much needed moisture, in addition to the added flavor. Who doesn’t like a little onion with their burger? Next, the spicy green chile and chipotle. Wow – what a combo. Delicious. Finally, I lathered some homemade green chile aioli onto the bun as well as a piece of melty extra sharp white cheddar – perfection!

Spicy Turkey Burgers

These moist and delicious grilled Spicy Southwestern Turkey Burgers are packed with flavor and are a healthier alternative to traditional beef burgers.

5 from 1 vote

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Course: main dish

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 4 patties

Calories: 219kcal

Author: Krissy Allori

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey breast
• 1/4 cup about 4 ounces roasted green chile, minced
• 2 tablespoons chipotle in adobo sauce minced
• 1 very small onion finely minced
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients in bowl. I use my hands to ensure everything is fully mixed. Form into four equal sized patties.
• Preheat your grill to 300 degrees F. Spray grill grates with olive oil to prevent sticking. Grill turkey patties for a duration of about 30 minutes, turning only once half way through the cooking process. Ground turkey should be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F.
• I like to top with a thick slice of sharp cheddar about 5 minutes before I'm done grilling.
• Serve on a bun with your favorite toppings, including some green chile aioli.

Nutrition

Calories: 219kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 486mg | Potassium: 337mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 3% | Vitamin C: 4.7% | Calcium: 3.4% | Iron: 7.4%

Questions about the nutrition information?Check out my Nutrition Disclaimer