Green Chile Turkey Burgers

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, 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!

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!

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!)

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

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5 from 4 votes

Green Chile Turkey Burgers

By Chelsea Lords

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!

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 6 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 41 minutes minutes

Servings: 5 burgers

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

Turkey 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
• ▢ Salt & pepper 

For 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 onion

Instructions 

• BURGER PATTIES: Combine all ingredients for the turkey burger patties and season with 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper. Mix well by hand until fully incorporated. The mixture will be soft and wet.
• FORM PATTIES: Form 5 equal-sized patties (Note 3), about 5 oz each and 3/4-inch thick, slightly larger than the bun. Place on a lined sheet pan and refrigerate for 20 minutes or while prepping other ingredients.
• BURGER PREP: While patties rest, prep veggies: thinly slice tomatoes, lettuce, red onion, and avocado (or mash into guacamole). Butter and toast buns (Note 4).
• COOK PATTIES: Heat 2 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium-high heat (or use a grill). Cook 3 patties at a time for 2-3 minutes per side until golden and cooked through (165°F). Transfer to a plate to cool slightly. Repeat with remaining patties.
• ASSEMBLE: Place the bottom bun on a plate, spread with mayo, and layer with lettuce, turkey patty, avocado, tomato, and onion. Add mayo to the top bun, sandwich together, and enjoy.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Ground turkey: Use turkey from a carton instead of a chub, as chub-style is often less flavorful and watery. For best results, choose 93/7 fat content; avoid 99/1, which is too dry and flavorless.

Note 2: Green chiles: Use fire-roasted diced green chiles for added flavor. Choose medium or hot for spicier burgers, or mild for less heat.

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 meat into equal mounds on a double-lined sheet pan. Shape each mound into a firm patty by pressing it against the pan. Discard parchment paper after cooking, and use the pan for the cooked patties if it remains clean.

Note 4: Toast buns: Generously spread softened butter on the inside of the buns and toast on a pan or grill, butter side down, over medium heat for 30-60 seconds until golden brown. Remove from heat; subsequent batches will toast faster as the pan heats up.

Note 5: Calories are only for the burger as toppings and buns will vary.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 320kcal | Carbohydrates: 17.4g | Protein: 26.7g | Fat: 15.7g | Cholesterol: 119.4mg | Sodium: 845.5mg | Fiber: 1.4g | Sugar: 1.7g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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