Turkey Zucchini Burgers
sandravalvassori.com
These Turkey Zucchini Burgers are juicy, flavorful and just so incredibly good. They're also packed with vegetables and topped with a lettuce and burger sauce combination that takes them to the next level. This recipe includes instructions and plenty of tips for grilling the burgers, or cooking them in a skillet on the stovetop.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For the burgers
- 1 medium zucchini about 1 1/2 cups grated
- 1/2 medium yellow onion finely grated and squeezed of excess moisture
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 2 cloves garlic grated on a microplane (or finely minced)
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise see notes
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- oil for the grill grates
- Optional: cheese slices, burger buns
Optional burger sauce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- a pinch each of kosher salt and black pepper
Optional lettuce-onion topping
- 1 small head iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- pinch of black pepper
Instructions
- Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- Place a clean tea towel on your counter (or cutting board). Using a box grater, shred the zucchini on the large holes directly onto the towel. I stop grating when there is a 2-inch piece of zucchini left. Gather up the edges of the towel, and over the sink, twist the top tightly to force out as much liquid as possible.
- Using the same box grater (no need to clean it) grate about 1/3 cup of onion. Use your hands or a few paper towels to squeeze out excess moisture. Tip: Use a large chunk of onion even if you're only grating 1/4 of it. This will save your fingers and you can slice up the remaining onion for the lettuce mix or to serve with the burgers.
- In a large bowl, combine drained zucchini, grated onion, ground turkey, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, mayo, ketchup, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Use your hands or a large silicone spatula to mix everything together. Don't overmix; overmixing leads to tough burgers.
- Divide mixture into 4 equal portions and form patties that are about 1-inch thick. Place patties on prepared baking sheet and freeze for 20 to 30 minutes (or refrigerate for up to 48 hours).
- While the patties are chilling, prepare the burger sauce. In a small bowl, stir together mayo, ketchup, Worcestershire, smoked paprika lime juice, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Preheat a grill to medium high. When grill is ready, generously oil the grates. Place the burgers on the hot grill and cook for 6-7 minutes, covered, or until they release easily. Flip and cook an additional 5-6 minutes. Lower the heat if at any time the burgers seem to be browning too quickly. If using cheese, lay the slices on the each burger during the last few minutes of cooking.
- To finish and serve: In a large bowl, toss together the lettuce, onion, salt and 1/4 cup of burger sauce. Spread cut sides of buns with some of the remaining burger sauce, then fill each bun with a turkey patty and a generous serving of lettuce-onion salad.
Notes
To pan sear the burgers: Heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet (preferably cast iron). Once oil is shimmering, but not smoking, add the turkey burgers and cook them undisturbed on one side for 5-6 minutes or until they easily release without sticking. Work in batches if necessary. Flip the burgers and cook for another 5-6 minutes. Again, don’t move them around or they will not get nice and golden.
Bonus Recipe Tips
- Squeeze out the zucchini really well! Zucchini contains a lot liquid so it is crucial to squeeze out as much as possible before mixing it with the meat. If you skip this step, whether you grill them or cook them in a skillet, the burgers will fall apart from the extra moisture.
- If grilling burgers, make sure to chill them first. Especially because these burgers are breadcrumb-free, they must be chilled for at least 20 minutes in the freezer if you plan on grilling them. This will help them firm up and keep their shape as they cook.
- Make an indent in the center of each patty. An old trick that actually works to help keep the patties from swelling up in the middle. A domed patty is not the end of the world, but it won't cook as evenly and it will also be smaller in circumference.
- Toast the buns. If using buns, I highly recommend you toast them. Toasting the buns not only makes them tastier, but also less soggy once you add the fillings. Towards the end of cooking the burgers, place the buns on the hot grates and grill on each side for 30 to 45 seconds, until just lightly toasted.