Barbecuing is one of our family's favorite summertime activities. Just imagine...listening to burgers sizzle while sitting by the pool with the kids splishing and splashing, while you sip on a cold cocktail. It doesn't get much better, does it?
Burgers, hot dogs, ribs and steaks are the usual grilling suspects, but often pack a bunch of unnecessary calories. One option to lighten your burgers is to substitute ground turkey for ground beef.
I would recommend using white turkey meat instead of dark meat. Those dark turkey morsels have more fat and calories. However, the dark meat is higher in iron and will make a juicier burger, so if you are craving that, go for it...but maybe cut back on the sauce and non-vegetable garnishes.
When deciding what toppings to choose, you might consider mayonnaise. But have you heard of substituting Greek yogurt instead? I think Greek yogurt is...dare I say it...a better contender to sauce that burger! It's full of protein, comes in a non-fat version, is just as delicious as mayo (if not more), and is so easy to adapt to your family's favorite flavors.
I've created lots of yummy sauces based on Greek yogurt: smoky, chipotle-based dressing for a Southwestern quinoa wrap; cucumber-herb tzatziki sauce; and a garlicky sauce I made for chicken shawarma. Any of them would be great on this burger—or try your own combinations. Mayo fans, you will not miss your favorite condiment when you try this delicious substitute!
Grilled Turkey Burger
Recipe adapted by Epicurean Mom
Yields 4-6 burger patties
Ingredients:
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1.5 lbs lean ground white turkey
2 tablespoons basil, chopped
1 teaspoon Worcester sauce
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Garnishes:
4 Burger buns
White cheddar cheese
Butter lettuce
Tomato, sliced
Red onion, sliced
Avocado, sliced
Any of the sauce recipes mentioned above
Preparation:
Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium/medium-low heat and add the sliced onions, cook until soft and translucent, about five to seven minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring continuously, until fragrant, about one minute. Set aside to cool completely.
Preheat grill on medium heat. Combine cooled onion mixture, ground turkey, basil, Worcester, bread crumbs, salt and pepper, and stir until well combined. Form four patties and set aside until ready to use.
Turn grill to high heat, and clean and oil grill. Place patties on hottest part of grill, and sear on both sides for about two minutes. Move patties to coolest part of grill (turn heat down if needed) and cook an additional 5 minutes on each side, until cooked through.
Assemble the turkey burgers with garnishes and slather sauce over the buns. Serve!
This post is part of the BlogHer Light & Fresh Summer Grilling series, which includes 100 percent editorial content presented by a participating sponsor. Our advertisers do not produce editorial content. This post is made possible by Michelob ULTRA Light Cider and BlogHer.
I love that shot of the avocados! I have a Greek yogurt-based avocado dip planned for this weekend. The burgers look great!
ReplyDeleteI love turkey burgers, these look so delicious! Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteWow! Those burgers look delicious. We love to grill turkey burgers during the summer. We also top them with avocado, lettuce and tomato. But, we I never have a good healthy sauce to serve them with. I'll have to try this yogurt sauce. Yum! Thanks for the idea.
ReplyDeleteYum! I love the idea of substituting mayo with the yogurt sauce!
ReplyDeleteI can just imagine that avocado and cheese, delicious!
ReplyDeleteThese looks amazing! I love it with the avocado. This is right up my alley! Let's fire up the grill! :)
ReplyDeleteThese burger look sooooo good!! Really have to try them. A nice change for the heavy classic burger.
ReplyDeleteHey Katie! It was lovely to dine with you today. Your blog is gorgeous!! Best of luck!
ReplyDeleteThe Burger looks so Delicious. Have to try this.
ReplyDelete~~~~~Lovely.
ReplyDeleteAnd the idea of avocado on this turkey burger makes it even BeeeETTER.
This looks wonderful. I've never been a huge fan of turkey burgers, but I've also never had a grill. I think we're finally about to get one so I can try this! I can imagine it adds the perfect flavor.
ReplyDeleteAll of the sauces sound wonderful, and that is one gorgeous turkey burger!
ReplyDeletewhite turkey meat and greek yogurt are both excellent choices! The burger looks delish and you're right, nothing better than sitting by the pool with a cocktail or two and grilling burgers. :)
ReplyDeleteI am imagining this burger to be in front of me. My mouth water automatically and it looks so good!! I love this light burger with the greek yogurt base sauce. So much flavor from the sauce and it sounds delicious!
ReplyDeleteI'm 100 percent ready to come over for a BBQ = )
ReplyDeleteWhat a great burger! I love making turkey and chicken burgers. What a great sauce with Greek Yogurt. I am not a fan of Mayo at all, so this is a great change!
ReplyDeleteThis looks so delicious and even I ate two hours before I'm a hungry again :). I really must stop reading your blog and start shinking about my diet :)
ReplyDelete