Of the many things that I adore about the longer days and warmer weather that Spring promises, I think it’d be fair to say that grilling outdoors is at the top of my list.
So with recent temperatures reaching the high seventies here in Los Angeles, my hubby and I have been cooking up a storm on our grill and this Sweet and Smokey Turkey Burger recipe is my latest favorite!
Extra lean ground turkey (preferably organic if you can find it) kissed with smoked paprika and topped with sweet barbeque sauce and smoked Gouda cheese creates a sweet and smokey combination that is absolutely deeelicious.
While extra lean turkey is super lean and packed with protein it tends to be a little bit dry, so balancing it out with the barbeque sauce and the cheese is the key to the flavor and texture of this burger.
Finish it up with some crisp spicy watercress (or arugula) and you’ve got yourself a Clean & Delicious® burger that you can feel good about eating.
What’s your favorite way to dress up your turkey burger? Come on down to the comments below and share!
Clean Eating Sweet and Smokey Turkey Burger
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time:5 minutes
Cook Time:10 minutes
Total Time:15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1.25 lb extra lean ground turkey
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt and ground pepper
- ¼ cup barbeque sauce
- 1 slice smoked Gouda cheese
- A couple handfuls of watercress
- 4 Sandwich Thins (100-calorie buns)
Directions:
- Combine ground turkey, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl and using your hand mix until everything is well incorporated.
- Free form your burgers into 4-5oz burger patties.
- Cook burgers on a hot grill or grill pan for about 4 minutes per side or until the burgers are cooked through. About 2 minutes before the second side is done cooking, spoon 1 tbsp of barbeque sauce on top of the burger and place one slice of cheese over the sauce. Allow the cheese to melt over the burger as the burger finishes cooking.
- Place watercress on the bottom of your bun and top with your burger. Enjoy with your favorite burger toppings and enjoy!
Yum! I love turkey burgers – but as you said, the extra lean turkey is really dry, so to “moisturize” mine, I will use about half of a sweet onion and maybe 1/2 cup (or small canned, drained) of mushrooms and blend in my mini chopper until very fine. I add this to my raw turkey and mix all together along with whatever spice I use (usually Cavenders Greek). It makes a delicious moist burger! I have also added some mashed avocado to the raw meat for moisture and use Mexican spices.
I will definitely have to try the bar-b-q version, although I may add some sauce to my raw meat (and maybe an egg white!)
Thanks for great recipe!!
Missy – Thanks for al the ideas and tips! I have tried added onion and diced mushrooms in the past (both very successful ways of adding moisture) but never tried the avocado idea. I’ll have to give it a go next time! Hope you enjoy the burgers:)
I made these for dinner tonight, and my son’s eyes rolled back in his head as he said, “Mom, these are heaven!” And they were!
We are big turkey burger fans in our house. One of our favorite ways to dress up our burger is with orange and cilantro in the meat. The fresh juice of one orange, about half the zest, and a nice handful of chopped cilantro. A little garlic and S&P, and you’ve got a fabulous burger.
Great recipe…can’t wait to give it a try.
I have to watch my sodium intake, if it isn’t to big of a pain in the butt, could you list it in your Nutritional Analysis??’
Tried this last night – delicious! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Made Sweet and Smoky Turkey Burgers and the Cole Slaw for dinner last night. Is “1 tbsp garlic powder” a mistake? I thought it was a bit much and used only 1 tsp. Even so, hours later my husband remarked, “Was there alot of garlic powder in those burgers? I can still taste it.”
I just made these for the first time and they are amazing!! I added finely diced mushrooms to help with the dryness of the turkey. Absolutely a recipe I will use again and again. Thanks for making turkey good to eat!!
Where do you get the Sammy thins. I looked at the store and didn’t find any.
I can usually find them in any of our local grocery stores.