Labor Day Turkey Burgers

What can go wrong when burger prep starts with these guys?!

I submit, nothing.

Since I had the day off for Labor Day, I took it fairly easy. I got up around 11 and established myself on the kitchen floor with the Golden Girls and my new IKEA dining room set. About 3 episodes later, I had a table, four chairs, a wire rack and a growing hunger that spicy Cheez-its didn't quite satisfy.

That was about when I decided that this Labor Day needed a burger.

I didn't get to making the burgers then, however. Nah... then I took a nap on my new sofa.

Around 5pm, I ventured outside the house to gather supplies for the best turkey burger on record. So cook along, friends. This burger isn't really hard and it's surprisingly rewarding. I promise that even beef-loving turkey burger skeptics will go all in for these.

Bacon Cheddar Jalapeno Turkey Burgers

1. Chop up the jalapenos from the opening shot there. How many you use is up to you. I used as many as I had because... well... I love them. That amounted to probably 1/2cup before the chop.


2. To those chopped jalapenos, add one chopped onion, a tablespoon of minced garlic, four chopped strips of cooked bacon, one egg, and a good handful of shredded cheddar cheese.

3. Add 1.3 lbs of ground turkey to the bowl, shake on some chili powder, and mix it all together. Form into patties (I got 5) and cook them on the grill or stove top. Stove top instructions I found online said 5 minutes per side for turkey burgers. I know I did longer than that... so just use your judgment: let them brown fully on one side before you flip them once.



4. And this next step is optional, but I recommend making a quick sauce for this burger. It provides a little wet and a little interest.


I combined ketchup and hot sauce until the ketchup was just a bit too spicy to be enjoyable. Then I added honey to taste. It made a good, sweetly spicy tomato sauce that balanced the bite of the burger.


And voila! The most brilliant turkey burger I've made thus far.

This burger is hot hot hot. Not too hot, but hot enough that it got my nose running a little bit. And I believe the bacon lends the bland turkey meat a bit more meat flavor, which is always nice. The cheese influence was subtle, so I might recommend using a grated cheese instead of a finely grated... but really there probably isn't a difference even then. :)

In conclusion, I offer two thumbs way up for this relatively healthy dinner!

And... since homegirl lives alone these days... I have 4 leftover burgers to eat for school lunches. Woohoo!