Chili Lime Turkey Burgers with Guacamole and Pepper Jack Cheese

 

Holy guacamole.

I had to stuff this (yes the one pictured) turkey burger in my mouth the second I put my camera down. Very lady like, I know. But when the guacamole calls my name (my real name... not my um... blog land name), I can't ignore it. I seriously couldn't help myself. 

I wanted to use ground chicken as the original recipe called for, but my local grocery store was fresh out of it when I went last week. I settled for turkey, and man it tasted juicy! I'm sure you could use ground beef as well. I'm sure Ryan will roll his eyes a bit at the ground turkey move I'm throwing at him, but it's not like we can have a slab of steak every night (I'm sure he'd love that if we had the budget for it... that man loves his meat). 

I'm crazy for what Iowa Girl Eats mixed into the ground meat. Just take a quick look. Cilantro! Green onions! Red pepper! Garlic! What more could a girl need, right? The flavors were absolutely incredible. And that was just the tip of the iceberg. The warm, pepper jack cheese was certainly having it's own merry way with the creamy guacamole. Also, you know me, I had to go with the sesame-seed-coated bun. 

This is a burger I will never forget. Even if I tried.

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Chili Cilantro Lime Turkey Burgers with Creamy Guacamole and Pepper Jack Cheese 

recipe from Iowa Girl Eats, inspired by Trader Joe's Restaurant 

Burger:

1lb ground turkey
2 green onions, ends removed, chopped
1/2 cup cubed red bell pepper
4 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
2-3 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 lime, cut in half
4 slices pepper jack cheese
4 buns, toasted

Quick Guacamole:
1 avocado
garlic powder to taste
onion powder to taste
salt & pepper
*optional: tomatoes

Combine chicken, green onions, bell pepper, cilantro, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes and juice of half a lime in a large bowl. Mix until thoroughly combined, then form into 4 patties and spray each with a little cooking spray. Strange, but true. If you make the outside of the patties larger than the inside (so it looks like there's a crater in the middle - I like to think of it as a doughnut without the middle hollowed out all the way), the inside will pop up and even out with the rest of the burger.

Heat a large grill pan on medium heat. If grilling outside, lay down some heavy duty aluminum foil (don't want that soft turkey to fall through the grill now do we?). Grill burgers for 3-4 minutes a side, or until cooked all the way through. Don't smash them with your spatula to cook them faster - or I will find you. Let those juices cook through, low and slow, baby.

Place a slice of cheese on top of each burger, then cover with the lid (or pot cover), and allow to melt for about a minute. Make sure turkey hits 165 degrees F. Remove burgers to a plate, tent with foil, and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Place each burger on a toasted thin bun, then top with guacamole.

For the quick guac: Mash all ingredients together with a potato masher or fork.

Lay out your buns on the grill, and let toast for a minute or so until slightly golden. Layer on your turkey burger, extra pepper jack if desired, and a pile of guac.

Enjoy - and bring some napkins along.

 

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