Ground turkey is typically much leaner than ground beef. In order to keep the burger from being too dry it helps to use ground dark meat from thighs and legs if you can get it. Adding a little olive oil to the mix helps too.
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium red onion, minced
4 minced garlic cloves
2 pounds ground turkey meat
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup loosely packed chopped parsley
1 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp minced fresh sage
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
Method:
1. Sauté the chopped onion in olive oil for 3 minutes over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes, or until the garlic begins to brown. Remove from heat. Transfer the onions, garlic, and oil to a large bowl to cool down.
2. Once the onions are cool to the touch, add the ground turkey, salt, pepper, and herbs into the bowl. Using your hands, gently mix everything until well combined. You want the herbs mixed in without overworking the meat (which would make the burgers tough).
3. Form the meat into patties. Here's a burger patty tip: use your fingers to form a slight indentation in the middle of the patties. When burger patties cook, the meat contracts from the edges. Having the middle part slightly thinner than the edges when raw will help the patties finish with a more even shape (less bulge in the middle).
4. You can cook these one of three ways. On the grill, in a frying pan or in the overn. If you cook these on the grill, be sure to spray the grill grates first with a little cooking spray. If you choose the frying pan, cook for 5-6 minutes per side in a little cooking oil. What I like to do is first coat an oven safe baking dish with cooking spray & pop them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. They aren't quite as moist, but it's what's easiest for me and saves on using added oils.
Serve on a mini whole wheat bun and top with you favorite condiments. I had one of these similar burgers at "Burger Moes" in St Paul. They topped it with a fabulous cranberry mayo, which I'm still trying to find a recipe for. These turkey burgers are so tastey though, that you don't even need a bun or condiments.
