I have been on something of a turkey burger kick lately, wanting to try out different recipes that can bring flavor to a healthier alternative to the regular beef hamburgers. I have tried a few different things, and then I found this recipe at allrecipes.com for a very easy turkey burger that makes use of two things I really like on a burger – caramelized onions and a nice, spicy mayonnaise. The recipe itself can’t get much easier than this and you can make the mayo ahead of time so you have it ready to go when you put the burgers on the table.
Kickin’ Turkey Burgers with Caramelized Onions and Spicy Sweet Mayo
For the Spicy Mayo:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup coarse-grain mustard
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
Hot sauce, to taste
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
For the Turkey Burgers:
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
1/2 onion, grated
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 tablespoon Montreal Chicken seasoning
1 teaspoon dry mesquite seasoning
For the Caramelized Onions:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, sliced
Hamburger buns, for serving
For the mayonnaise, combine the mayonnaise, coarse-grain mustard, honey, horseradish hot sauce and cayenne pepper in a bowl until it is well blended. Adjust seasoning with the hot sauce to suit your tastes. Cover the mayonnaise and refrigerate it until the burgers are ready.
For the turkey burgers, combine the ground turkey, grated onion, jalapeno pepper, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, Montreal Chicken seasoning and the mesquite seasoning together in a large bowl. Form the mixture into 5 or 6 patties.
For the caramelized onions, heat the olive oil in a medium skillet set over medium heat until it is shimmering. Add the sliced onions and cook and stir the onions until the onions have softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking and stirring until the onions are very tender and dark brown, about 15 to 20 minutes more.
In a large skillet set over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and heat until it is shimmering. Add the turkey patties to the skillet and cook, turning them once, until they reach an internal temperature of 180 degrees when an instant-read thermometer is inserted into the middle of the burger, about 5 to 6 minutes per side. Serve the turkey burgers on the hamburger buns and top each burger with caramelized onions. Pass the spicy mayo around the table for additional topping.
You can always add any of your own favorite toppings to the burgers as well, such as any type of cheese, pickles, tomato, lettuce, bacon or anything that you might like. The spicy mayo turned out really well and added great flavor to the burgers. I have even used it on other sandwiches for topping it tastes great. The burger itself was moist and flavorful and had a really nice smoky taste with a hint of heat from the jalapeno and the mesquite seasoning. Of course, everyone in my house loves caramelized onions and that just made the burger even better for everyone. It’s definitely a great recipe to try when you want to jazz up your turkey burgers. The tropical slaw recipe from yesterday would quite nicely with these as a side dish.
That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!
onedadskitchen 