An easy, healthy turkey burger made on the stovetop featuring canned green chilis and a quick and easy avocado-mayonnaise spread.
Y’all — the Texas summers are hot. Like, real hot. Like, fry an egg on the sidewalk, brace yourselves before you step outdoors, get smacked in the face by heat, kinda wish clothing was optional kind of hot. Now don’t get me wrong. I’m proud to be a native Texan. I love this place whole-heartedly, and I can’t imagine living anywhere else. But, when those triple digits start rolling in, I have to admit, I find myself having traitorous thoughts about the land I love, and daydreaming of summers in a far away state, where the temperatures never hit above 90 degrees and a cool breeze is always blowing.
I have no idea how my husband withstands the heat. You see, he spends the majority of any given workday out in the elements, and especially in the Texas summer, my heart goes out to him and my hat is off. For he is way tougher than I. I mean, I get all panicky under the scorching sun just in the small amount of time it takes to get my kids out of their car seats, and back into an air-conditioned building. Truth be told, I’m not into the whole sweating thing, unless it comes along with intent and takes place inside of a gym.
So what do you cook for a man, physically drained and overheated from a hard days work? Something refreshing, yet filling … but, not too heavy. Man food, with an invigorating touch, and my green chili turkey burger is exactly that.
THE PERFECT TURKEY BURGER
Cooking turkey burgers is a bit different than the more common ground beef version, as there is more moisture in the ground turkey, meaning it takes just a touch longer to get a good sear on both sides.
This turkey burger, in particular, carries with it a Southwestern vibe, as it is speckled with green chilis, and seasoned with smoky paprika and cumin.
THE TOPPINGS
We are keeping it healthy with vibrant toppings like pickled tomatillos, spicy red onions, and a creamy avocado spread.
It starts with a seared turkey patty carrying with it a Southwestern vibe, as it is speckled with green chilis, and seasoned with smoked paprika and cumin. Vibrant, quick-pickled tomatillos cool things down a bit and add a beautiful burst of bright acidity to the mix.
PICKLED TOMATILLOS (OPTIONAL)
Now, don’t get all panicky over those tomatillos in there. I know some of you have likely never worked with them before, so let’s just talk this one out for a sec: Tomatillos are a night-shade vegetable, just like their cousin the tomato. They come in a nice little package that goes by the name of a husk. The husk is nothing scary, you simply peel it away, and underneath, you’ll find a slightly sticky little tomatillo, closely resembling a small green tomato.
To get rid of the sticky, you run it under a little water, and boom, you’re done. You’ve officially conquered a tomatillo. Nothing to it. However, if you just can’t come to terms with using pickled tomatillos on your burger, leave ’em out. It’ll still be delicious. Promise.
AVOCADO-MAYONNAISE (YUM)
Next on the burger, a cool and creamy, lime-infused avocado spread. Oh guys, trust me: You do not want to skimp out on this stuff. It is so creamy, so flavorful, and soooo perfectly delicious. Plus it’s easy to make and worth every second of your time. Convinced yet? Whew. Good.
STOVETOP TURKEY BURGERS
Oh, and did I mention all the cooking takes place inside? Bonus. Now if you knew my husband’s true affinity for beef, you might second-guess his adoration toward a burger … well, not made with beef. And, truth be told, he wasn’t silent on the matter the first time I placed this sandwich on his dinner plate. However, only one bite in, and my darling man was eating his words, along with every last bite of his turkey burger. He loves it, the kids love it, and man-oh-man, do I love it, too. It’s the perfect ending to a hot summer’s day, and a lovely way to say thank you to any hard-working spouse. Enjoy.
- 5 Tomatillos husks removed and rinsed, sliced into thin rounds
- 2 tbsp White Wine Vinegar
- Juice of a Lime
- 2 tbsp Mayonnaise
- Avocado diced
- Tbsp Cilantro minced
- Juice of a Lime
- ½ tsp Kosher Salt
- Red Onion halved and cut into thin slices and set aside
- 1 tbsp Canola Oil
- 2 lbs Ground Turkey very cold
- 1 Egg slightly beaten
- 4.5 oz Canned Chopped Green Chilis
- 1 ½ tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 tsp Cumin
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
- ½ tsp Smoked Paprika
- 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter separated
- 6 Hamburger Buns preferably fresh from the bakery
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Spread tomatillo slices across the bottom of a pie dish, or any shallow dish with similar in circumference. Sprinkle over vinegar and lime juice and transfer to the refrigerator to marinate while making other preparations.
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Mash together avocado, mayonnaise, cilantro, lime juice and salt until it reaches a spreadable consistency. Set aside until ready to use.
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Add oil to cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. While heating, make the patties. Mix together ground turkey, egg, green chilis, salt, cumin, pepper, and paprika, and form into six turkey patties.
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Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the oil. As soon as it has melted, add ground turkey balls to the skillet and flatten as much as possible with the spatula. Cook for 4 minutes, or until browned.
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Carefully flip and cook the other side until juices have evaporated, the patty has browned, about 6-8 minutes more. Set aside turkey burgers.
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If desired, add 1 tablespoon of butter to the skillet, cut buns in half and toast 1-2 minutes on the hot skillet. To assemble burgers, spread a thin layer of avocado-mayo on each bun and top patties with onion and pickled tomatillos. Serve and enjoy.
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