Turkey Burgers with a Hint of Lime

It’s starting to really warm up around here, and spring is in the air… or maybe summer since last week it was hovering around the 25 degree mark all week. I love the sun shining down, the kids outside playing all day… even just going outside and getting fresh air on our front porch is better than nothing. One of the first things I dive into and put all over our weekly menus in the spring & summer are burgers. I love burgers. I love cheeseburgers, hamburgers, chicken burgers, buffalo burgers, damon burgers tuna burgers… you name it, I love it. So I thought why not mix it up a little for dinner and introduce one of our new favourites, The Turkey Burger with a hint of lime.

This simple recipe can be made in advance or the day of. You can buy stocks in ground turkey, make these patties and freeze them oh so easily! Note: when you freeze them, make sure to add wax paper in between them to prevent sticking when it’s time to take ‘em out again! My whole family ate these up, and Clint even had two! They are filling, and since they are turkey a little on the lighter side (of calories… not taste my friend!).

Without further ado, I give you easy weeknight Turkey Burgers with a Hint of Lime.

The Ingredients:

•  1 lb ground or minced turkey (you can always substitute chicken if you can’t find ground turkey)
• 1 egg
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp thyme
• Zest of 1 lime
• Juice of ½ a lime
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Olive Oil Spray
• 4 Buns (I used President’s Choice Multigrain Thins)

The How-to:

Note: Since it ended up raining out (classic!!) I made these inside on the stove top with a frying pan. You can easily BBQ these, but make sure you oil your grill REALLY WELL. From lots of painful experiences, these burgers will stick and break and then… you’re out of a burger.

1.  Whisk your egg, garlic, thyme, lime zest, lime juice salt & pepper in a medium sized bowl. Add turkey and mix well until everything is well combined.

2.  Separate your turkey mixture into 4 quarters. Take each quarter and form into a patty about ¾-1 inch thick.

3.  Spray your pan with a little olive oil as it heats up to medium heat.

4.  The trick to these is to let them cook “slowly”. I don’t mean that this will take 2 hours… but since you’re cooking them on the stove top, you don’t want a high heat to burn or crisp up the outsides, and leave the inside raw… you want to place each patty in your pan and give it about 8-10 minutes on the first side ensuring everything is cooking from the inside out. Flip and continue cooking until the insides are no longer pink.

5.  Once you’re done, add ’em to your bun with your favourite toppings. For this occasion, I decided to make a Roasted Tomato Relish (seen on top of the burgers… and the recipe is coming shortly), along with some chopped lettuce and a slice of jalapeño havarti cheese. It was the perfect ‘bite’ to compliment the sweet relish and zip of the lime juice & zest.

And there you have it! Easy & delicious. As I mentioned before you will probably see plenty of burger or burger-inspired recipes here since they are in my mind a summer staple. I love how easy they can be with simple flavours, or dressed up with extra special ingredients… actually, as I’m writing this I’m already thinking of my next burger adventure… can’t wait! And also as mentioned before, the Roasted Tomato Relish recipe is com ing next, so make sure you come back and check it out! This relish isn’t just for burgers, but it’s a GREAT place to start!

I hope everyone is having a great week, and thank you for coming back, stopping by and seeing what I’m cooking in my kitchen!

Chat soon! Cheers, xo