Home > Dinner > Green Chile Turkey Burgers Green Chile Turkey Burgers June 4, 2022 | 2 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. We love a good turkey burger, but these Green Chile Turkey Burgers are where it’s at! They’re loaded with fire-roasted green chiles, the perfect amount of seasonings, and pepper Jack cheese — delish! Try some of our other favorite burger recipes like our beef Burger Recipe, these insane Teriyaki Burgers, or these quick Chicken Burgers. Green Chile Turkey Burgers For when you’re craving this green-chili-loaded White Turkey Chili, but it’s far too hot outside for soup, these burgers are just the thing to make. They’re perfectly spiced, loaded with flavor, and have a wonderful texture. And while the patties are worth raving over, there is nothing that compares to a buttered and toasted brioche bun layered up with veggies, the turkey patty, and perfectly ripe avocado — swoon! In fact, my ground-turkey-hating father texted me this after I dropped by some leftover burgers, “Best burger ever!!!!!!! Really. This is what I want for my birthday.” What’s in a Green Chile Turkey Burger? A few ingredients in these Green Chile Turkey Burgers are worth going into detail over: Ground turkey. Use turkey sold in a carton, rather than in a chub. Chub-style ground turkey is the kind that comes in the plastic tube and it tends to be less flavorful and more watered down (it sweats in the tube). This makes it even harder to shape the patties. As far as fat percentages, we recommend 93/7. (Ultra-lean 99/1 is too dry and flavorless!) Use panko breadcrumbs. Panko is similar to regular bread crumbs, but it creates a much crunchier, crispier, lighter, and more delicate result. Using panko ensures a more nuanced texture than regular bread crumbs deliver. We recommend fire-roasted diced green chiles — this adds layers of flavor (fire-roasting) without any additional work on your end! Use pre-minced garlic from the jar to save chopping time. Pepper Jack cheese. This cheese is nice and creamy with a subtle emphasis on spice — perfect for these burgers! QUICK TIP What is Jack cheese, anyway? Close to 200 years ago, a businessman named David Jack marketed a mild, semi-firm cheese in the Monterrey, California area. Everyone loved it and started calling it Jack’s cheese. Monterrey Jack is the basic type of Jack cheese, and over time, cheesemakers developed different variations–including pepper Jack. Now you know, and now you can be ready for Trivia Night. Blame it all on David Jack! Spice Levels Less spice: Use mild green chiles and if desired, replace the pepper Jack cheese with Monterey Jack to further reduce the spice. More spice: Use medium or hot green chiles and if desired, add 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper to the patty mixture. Green Chile Turkey Burger Toppings My one must-have topping is a good, ripe avocado. The combination of the turkey patty with avocado is unbeatable! A ripe avocado adds an amazing creaminess to these Green Chile Turkey Burgers. See “quick tip” below. Lettuce: Butter, romaine, Boston, green leaf lettuce — they all work for this amazing burger. We typically use green leaf lettuce. Tomatoes: A good thick-sliced tomato can make or break a burger — here’s a list of the best tomatoes to use. Red onion: Thinly sliced red onion or caramelized onions make a flavor statement. Mayonnaise. We love Hellman’s/Best Foods® on these burgers — the better the mayo, the better the flavor. Don’t skimp here — the mayo pulls everything together beautifully! QUICK TIP You can tell if an avocado is ripe when it yields to gentle pressure (think: touching the tip of your nose). Can’t find a ripe avocado? We love having these perfectly ripe avocado minis on hand. Grab the pack that lists “Hass Avocados” only in the ingredients instead of getting the guacamole blends! A packet (or half of one) works great instead of avocado on these burgers. You’ve Got To Try Brioche Buns! In my opinion, there is nothing better than a Green Chile Turkey Burger on a brioche bun. And once you’ve got those buns, you simply must toast them with some melted butter — trust me they’re the best! Spread softened butter generously on the insides of the bun. Place them (butter side facing down) on a large pan or grill over medium heat. Toast buns for about 30 seconds to a minute or until golden brown. Remove from heat (subsequent batches will be quicker as the pan continues to get hotter!) QUICK TIP What is brioche? A brioche bun is a French pastry that is slightly sweet and has more egg and butter than most types of bread. Many times, brioche is baked with an egg wash, which gives it that rich, shiny exterior. Green Chile Turkey Burger Tips Chill the patties before cooking. When the cold meat patty hits the hot skillet (or grill grates), you’ll get a beautiful sear on the burger– which gives you a wonderful texture and helps keep the patties from falling apart. Keep the meat as cold as possible. Any heat (your hands/warm environment) can melt the fat in the meat and prevent it from binding. If it doesn’t bind, it will render (melt out) as it cooks. As you might guess, this causes a dry burger.) Keep the meat as cold as possible and in the fridge as much as you can. Flip burgers, but never press them: Once the patties are on the heat, don’t press them down with a spatula. Pressing forces the fat (and flavor) out of the burgers. When you press the burgers, that delicious-sounding sizzle is actually the sound of the juices escaping. Use a large, wide metal spatula: This spatula makes it much easier to flip and remove burger patties. Rest your burgers: Let the burgers rest for 1-2 minutes after they’re done cooking. This allows the juices to redistribute evenly throughout the burger (better flavor throughout). Shape The Patties When shaping patties, note that they shrink during cooking. I usually shape my burgers about 1/2-inch wider than the bun. Here’s how I like to make patties: Portion out the meat in mounds on a sheet pan double-lined with parchment paper or foil. Working with one mound at a time, shape the patty by pressing it against the sheet pan to help form a firm patty. Once the patties are cooking, discard the parchment paper and you can put the cooked patties right on the pan (as long as the pan was double lined with parchment and no juices got through). More Favorite Ground Turkey Recipes Asian Ground Turkey with a creamy sriracha mayo Turkey Picadillo with golden potatoes Turkey Bolognese over spaghetti Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet with melted Cheddar cheese Turkey Sloppy Joes with buttered buns FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Green Chile Turkey Burgers 5 from 3 votes - Review this recipe We love a good Turkey Burger, but these Green Chile Turkey Burgers are where it's at! These burgers are loaded with fire-roasted green chiles, the perfect amount of seasonings, and pepper Jack cheese -- delish! SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Green Chile Turkey Burgers 5 from 3 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe We love a good Turkey Burger, but these Green Chile Turkey Burgers are where it's at! These burgers are loaded with fire-roasted green chiles, the perfect amount of seasonings, and pepper Jack cheese -- delish! Course Dinner, lunch, Main Course, Sandwich Cuisine American, Healthy Keyword Green Chile Turkey Burgers Prep Time 15 minutes minutes Cook Time 6 minutes minutes Resting Time 20 minutes minutes Total Time 41 minutes minutes Servings 5 burgers Chelsea Lords Calories 320kcal Author Chelsea Lords Cost $8.72 IngredientsTurkey Burger Patties▢ 1 lb. (16 oz.) (93/7) ground turkey (Note 1)▢ 1 cup panko breadcrumbs▢ 1 large egg▢ 3/4 cup grated pepper Jack cheese▢ 1 can (4 oz.) diced green chiles, well drained (Note 2)▢ 2 green onions, finely diced▢ 1 teaspoon each: paprika, chili powder▢ 1/2 teaspoon each: garlic powder, ground cumin▢ 2 teaspoons minced garlic▢ Fine sea salt & pepperFor Serving▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil▢ 5 buns (we love brioche best!), softened butter, good-quality mayo, green leaf lettuce, ripe (soft) avocado or guacamole, tomato, red onionUS - Metric USMetric InstructionsBURGER PATTIES: Combine all the ingredients listed under "turkey burger patties" seasoning to taste with salt & pepper (I add 1/2 tsp of each). Mix well with hands until ingredients are incorporated. Mixture will be soft/wet. FORM PATTIES: Form 5 equal-sized patties (see Note 3 for how I form patties). Each patty should be about 5 oz. in size, about 3/4-inch thick, and slightly larger than the bun (they shrink down a bit as they cook). Place formed patties on a lined sheet pan and place refrigerate for about 20 minutes (or while preparing the rest of the ingredients).BURGER PREP: While patties are resting, prep the veggies: thinly slice tomatoes, wash/dry/cut lettuce, thinly slice red onion, thinly slice avocado or slightly mash into a guacamole-type mixture. Butter buns and toast (see Note 4).COOK PATTIES: Heat 2 tbsp. oil in skillet over medium-high heat (or heat the grill). Add 3 patties at a time. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until deep golden, then flip. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until cooked through (165 degrees F). Remove to a plate to slightly cool. Repeat for remaining patties. ASSEMBLE: Place the bottom half of the bun on plate and add mayo. Layer with lettuce, turkey patty, avocado, tomato, and onion. Add mayo to the top bun. Sandwich together and enjoy promptly. Video Recipe NotesNote 1: Ground turkey: Use turkey sold in a carton rather than in a chub. Chub-style ground turkey is the kind that comes in the plastic tube and it tends to be less flavorful and more watered down (it sweats in the tube). This makes it harder to shape the patties. As far as fat percentages, we recommend 93/7. (99/1 is too dry and flavorless!) Note 2: Green chiles: We recommend fire-roasted diced green chiles — this adds layers of flavor (fire-roasting) without any additional work on your end! Use medium or hot green chiles for hotter burgers and use mild for less spice Note 3: Forming patties: If the mixture is too wet/sticky, refrigerate for about 30 minutes or lightly spray hands with cooking oil. Here's how I make patties: Portion out equal amounts of meat in mounds on a sheet pan double-lined with parchment paper or foil. Working with one mound at a time, shape the patty by pressing it against the sheet pan to help form a firm round patty. (Once the patties are cooking, discard the parchment paper and you can put the cooked patties right on the pan, as long as the pan was double lined with parchment and no juices got through.) Note 4: Toast buns: This adds tons of flavor and keeps the buns from getting soggy too quickly. Spread softened butter generously on the insides of the bun. Place them (butter side facing down) on a large pan or grill over medium heat. Toast buns for about 30 seconds to a minute or until golden brown. Remove from heat (subsequent batches will be quicker as the pan continues to get hotter!) Note 5: Calories are only for the burger as toppings and buns will vary. Nutrition FactsServing: 1serving | Calories: 320kcal | Carbohydrates: 17.4g | Protein: 26.7g | Fat: 15.7g | Cholesterol: 119.4mg | Sodium: 845.5mg | Fiber: 1.4g | Sugar: 1.7g We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
