Chipotle Turkey Burgers

These chipotle turkey burgers are a healthy and spicy twist on a classic cheeseburger. Plus they’re sliders and cook in less than 30 minutes!

These turkey burgers were a complete fluke. I planned to make something totally different that day…

It was one of those situations where we got home from the store and realized we were missing half of the necessary ingredients. I usually forget key ingredients when grocery shopping! I’m better about writing out the grocery list, but I still forget things. I guess the plus side to my fleeting memory is that we get to try a bunch of unplanned new meals. Rather than making a trip back to the store, I checked the fridge. I had ground turkey, onions, ketchup and chipotle…not inspiring but workable.

I really didn’t expect much from these burgers, but this is definitely a top 3 weeknight dinner for us. I usually make these on Thursdays because it’s the breaking point between feeling tired from the work week but also desperately craving indulgent weekend food. Burger Thursday has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?! FYI They also taste delicious on other nights of the week! The ingredients are simple but naturally flavorful, so you don’t need to do too much to them. Tip: When I work with chipotles in adobo I always puree them in a blender or food processor and save the puree in a mason jar. I like to puree it so you don’t have big chili chunks in your meals aka hot surprises!

With this turkey burger recipe you get the same guilty satisfaction as you would with a nice beefy burger, only sans guilt.

Here are some healthy swaps to consider for burger night in your home:

• Ground beef → Ground turkey
• Burger buns → Wheat buns, multi-grain bread, go bun-less!
• Mayo → Greek yogurt, mashed avocado

Enjoy!

Chipotle Turkey Burgers

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5 from 1 vote

These chipotle turkey burgers are a healthy and spicy twist on a classic cheeseburger. Plus they're sliders and cook in less than 30 minutes!

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Main Course

Prep Time15 minutes

Cook Time20 minutes

Total Time35 minutes

Servings4

Ingredients

• 16 oz ground turkey
• 2 sweet onions
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp ketchup Sir Kensington's brand is really good
• 2 1/2 tbsp chipotles in adobo pureed
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 oz sharp white cheddar, sliced Cabot or Trader Joe's brands are good
• 10 slider buns
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt or smashed avocado

Instructions

• Cut both onions in half. Thinly slice 3 of the halves and dice the remaining half. In a pan on medium high heat at 1 tbsp of olive oil. Cook the diced onions 3-5 minutes until golden and softened. Add cooked onions to the ground turkey. Place the pan back on the heat and add another 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add the sliced onions to the pan. Stir the onions every 3-5 minutes for about 15 minutes (don't stir continuously, you want them to caramelize rather than steam). Tip: Add 1 tsp of water to onions when they're done cooking to de-glaze the pan.
• Add ketchup, 2 tbsp chipotle, smoked paprika, salt and pepper to ground turkey. Mix until evenly combined. Form 10 slider patties. In a pan (cast iron pan works best) on medium-high heat add 1 tbsp olive oil. Cook 3-5 minutes on one side the flip. A crispy crust should form before flipping. Tip: The meat will let you know when it's ready, if it's sticking to the pan when you try to flip it, it's not ready.
• Top each slider with cheese slices and reduce heat to medium. Cover the pan to allow the cheese to melt, about 2-3 minutes.
• In a small bowl mix Greek yogurt or smashed avocado with 1/2 tbsp of chipotle. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Toast buns. Dunk the bottom bun in the pan juices/melted cheese. Top with slider and caramelized onion slices. Smear chipotle yogurt or avocado on the top bun. Enjoy!

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