Food Network Magazine had a little spread on “perfect burgers” a while back. We aren’t huge burger people, but once in a while, we do feel like a great burger, and we love the chance a turkey burger offers to change up flavors and ingredients used to assemble it (for example, fresh sprouts just feel more right on a burger made with poultry than one of beef). We’ve made a few turkey burgers in our day, and THIS one takes the cake. The tricky thing with turkey is that, because of the low fat content, it threatens to be dry if you don’t help it out in just the right way. This truly is the most juicy turkey burger imaginable, thanks to the intense flavor and moisture of the portobello mushroom caps. And, to be honest, we like this burger more than any beef burger we’ve made (and we’ve made some good ones). This is high praise indeed, but go ahead and try these for yourself. We think you’ll agree.
Tip (unsponsored): Handle the turkey as little as possible when forming your patties, as over-working equals tough burgers. We suggest using 85% lean ground turkey (we get ours at Walmart as many grocers only carry 93%). We also suggest using manchego (we get ours in a wedge at Trader Joe’s, whom we love for their affordable cheeses). Using whole grain English muffins looks and tastes better, and we like to mash up our avocado with a little salt and pepper and spread it thickly on our muffin tops (tee-hee-hee) to make the burger a little less slippery and easier to eat. We love microgreens or sprouts on our burgers, and this burger is delicious with whole grain mustard if you don’t have Dijon on hand.
Show your kids the beautiful, soft gills under the mushroom caps before scraping them out. Have your kids help you spread the buns with avocado. As you prepare and enjoy this meal with your family, teach them about some of the health benefits of some of the ingredients:
- Portobello mushrooms give you lots of B vitamins that help your hair look healthy.
- Avocados have lots of vitamin K, which makes it so you can absorb vitamin D to have a healthy immune system.
- Turkey provides your body with protein, which you need to have strong bones and muscles.
Since this burger reminds us of California-style, here are a few facts about California:
- Surprisingly (because of California’s “health-nut”-y reputation), The world’s first McDonald’s ever was built in San Bernadino.
- More turkeys are raised in California than in any other state.
- California is called “the Golden State” because a builder found a lump of gold in a river, sparking a rush of people (the “Gold Rush”) hoping to find gold.
Adapted slightly from: Perfect Turkey Burgers
- 1 large portobello mushroom cap
- 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped shallot
- 3 tablespoons lightly packed fresh parsley
- 1¼ pounds 85% lean ground turkey
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 8 thin slices manchego cheese
- 4 whole grain English muffins, split
- Dijon or whole grain mustard, mayonnaise and sliced avocado, for topping
- Use a spoon to scrape out the gills from the underside of the mushroom cap. Cut the cap into 1-inch pieces and transfer to a food processor. Add the shallot and parsley and pulse until chopped.
- Transfer the mushroom mixture to a large bowl. Add the turkey, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste; gently mix with your hands until just combined. Divide into 4 balls, then lightly press into 4-inch-wide, 1-inch-thick patties. Put on a large plate, cover and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat a grill to medium. Brush the grates with olive oil. Grill the patties, undisturbed, until marked on the bottom, 4 to 5 minutes. Give the patties a quarter turn and cook until marked again, 4 to 5 more minutes. Flip the patties and grill until cooked through, 6 to 7 more minutes; top each with 2 slices cheese during the last 3 minutes of cooking and cover with a disposable aluminum pan to melt.
- Toast the English muffins on the grill, then spread with mustard and mayonnaise. Serve the patties on the English muffins; top with avocado.
