Southwest turkey burgers

Southwest Turkey Burgers!!

Probably the biggest complaint about turkey burgers, is that they are dry and have less flavor.  The solution?  Add some moisture and flavor!!  This is a burger that my husband thought up, one night, when we really wanted tacos, but only had burger fixings. 

Start out with two pounds of lean turkey meat.  I like 93% lean meat, you still get a bit of moisture, but they are still very lowfat.  With the finest grater you have, grate to a paste one garlic clove and at least two Tablespoons of onion.  The more onion juice the better, it adds moisture!  Next, add your seasonings.  For this recipe, I sprinkled paprika, smoky chili powder, and cumin, then salt and pepper.

Now, before you touch any turkey germyness, get your pan set up.  I pull out a large sheet of foil, and line the pan, with plenty to layer and cover the burger patties.  

Now, dig in!  It is much easier to just use your hands to gently mix the meat, don't overwork it, or you end up with a pasty burger!  Once mixed, form the meat into a rectangle, and mark off 6 equal patties.

Loosely form the pre-marked sections into round patties, and the best tip, is to poke dimples into the center of the burger!  This helps to prevent the patties from shrinking up into a ball while cooking.  This is where I hand them over to my trusty grill master husband to work his magic!

The most delicious part of this burger, is the guacamole.  Seriously, it is delicious!  This guac is a cheater version, that avoids tediously fine dicing lots of veggies, which is a bonus, and I always make lots of extra for tomorrow's veggie lunch!

Avocado cutting is a pretty simple task.  Using a sharp knife, cut around the pit North to South, then around, twist to separate halves, then use a spoon to knock out the pit.  Then use the spoon to scoop around the flesh and the skin, and you get perfect avacado every time!

Sprinkle the avacado with cumin, chili powder, pepper, lime juice, and Sriracha, and mix gently to leave chunks.  Taste before you add salt, because Sriracha has a level of salt, and lime adds a salt-like flavor.

Now, for the build!  The creamy guacamole is in place of condiments, slices of beautiful tomatoes, taco seasoned cheese, and I like to use the thin sandwich buns that are whole grain, and extra thin...  I'm sure you know the brand!  Then I serve with my Southwest grilled beans...  stay tuned for the recipe!!