Every time I make Turkey Burgers there is a happy feeling all over my house. I am not sure if it is the grill, the smell of thyme or it is just the only time my husband is in “charge” of the kitchen.

We have this dynamic, where I pour the ingredients in the bowl while he mixes them and shapes the hamburgers, then he starts the grilling process. It is the best way for us, just having one handling the raw meat and the other one moving around.

Now the truth,  I don’t seem to be able to make perfect rounds with my hands. I have abilities for certain artistic manual things like  wrapping presents and even drawing but round items are not my thing. I also for the life of me cannot make decent arepas without cheating with an automatic toaster that shapes them impeccably.  I must be missing the critical burger/arepas/round shaping chromosome in my genes!

Well, the same happens when I make burgers. They look like a clay ball flattened by a 5-year-old, you can even see the indentation of each one of my fingers going through the ordeal of trying to make the perfect circle. Then I try to make them flat with the spatula so that they will cook evenly, anyway it becomes a mess.  However,  they may not be beautiful but they are super delicious! On the other hand Guy, my husband,  can make the most beautiful  round burgers, also cooked to perfection. Still, he can’t wrap presents or draw……..just saying.

I came up with this recipe when I discovered how well thyme and turkey work together while making turkey picadillo. So one day I had planned to make turkey burgers and part of my ingredients (from my mom’s recipe) includes 1 egg and breadcrumbs. Then when I had everything lined up to start cooking I realized I didn’t have any eggs, it was time to get creative so I used a little olive oil and a little mayo to replace the egg to bind all ingredients. The combination was fantastic! The burgers are very moist and soft and the thyme gives them a very interesting herb lemony background flavor.

I like them served with the typical bun, tomato and lettuce. But quite frankly I love them just grilled or with some caramelized onions on top, they are exquisite. I really hope you like them!

Below is the recipe with the details. Enjoy!

Turkey Burger

Yield: 4 burgers (medium)

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey

1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

(I use low sodium Lea & Perrins)

1 1/2 tbsp Mayonnaise (I use Saffola)

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp of fresh thyme (1/2 tsp dry)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup panko or plain breadcrumbs

 

Instructions

Place all ingredients except the turkey in a large bowl. Mix with a whisk and add the turkey. Mix with your hands until all ingredients are mixed evenly. Try to hand shape each burger avoiding to overwork the mix – this has the tendency of toughen the meat.

Place the “perfectly”round burgers on the grill at medium high heat for about 4-5 minutes, each side or until well done.