If you’re like me, normal beef burgers just don’t do it for you. I’m not a huge fan of red meat and I almost always opt for chicken or turkey, especially when it comes to burgers. That’s why I needed to bring these southwest turkey burgers to the blog. It takes turkey burgers to a whole new level without the hassle of cooking an extravagant meal.
Ingredients & Alternatives:
Lean ground turkey: I’ve made these turkey burgers with both 99% and 93% lean ground turkey and the 99% kept together much better. So go with the 99% if you can, but know the other kinds will work. You may just have some black beans running away on the skillet.
Black beans: You’ll need one 15-ounce can of black beans. I like to make black beans in bulk in the Instant Pot from dried. If you cook them yourself, you’ll need 1 .75 cups of cooked beans.
Bell pepper: Orange and red bell pepper will add the most flavor, but if you prefer green or the colored ones are expensive at the store, opt for green!
Red onion: You can use white onion here if you prefer.
Taco seasoning: If you are using packets of seasonings, grab two at the store. If you have a large bulk container of taco seasoning, as I do, you’ll need about 4 tablespoons.
Cilantro: I love to use the fresh kind for this recipe but dried works well, too.
Buns & toppings: Choose your favorite kind of buns, or opt for a lettuce wrap, and grab your favorite toppings — ketchup, mustard, sliced onion, tomato, lettuce, etc.
How To Make The Best Turkey Burgers:
I have to admit, before making this recipe I always bought prepared burgers to make. Whether that be frozen or fresh, I always avoided making them myself because it seemed like so much work. Luckily these southwest turkey burgers are easy to make and wayyyy more flavorful than the burgers you get in the store.
You’ll want to start by placing your beans in a strainer and letting them sit there until you’re ready to add them to the burger. The more liquid that drains, the better the turkey burgers will hold up.
Next, you’ll chop up all of your ingredients — red onion, bell pepper and jalapenos (optional) — and adding them to a large bowl. Then you can add the remaining ingredients — ground turkey, black beans and taco seasoning. Use your hands or a spatula to mix until all of the seasoning and remaining ingredients are well combined.
Then you can start forming the burger patties. I was able to get 9 out of this batch, but you can make the burgers smaller or bigger, depending on your preference. When I made 9, each raw burger weighed about 5.6 oz.
From there, you can spray some oil on a frying pan or fire up the grill. The burgers will cook for about 3-4 minutes per side. Once cooked, you can enjoy right away or let them cool and store them in a tupperware in the fridge for a week or the freezer for up to 3 months.
I like to place mine on a whole wheat burger bun, add some spicy pepper jack Laughing Cow cheese and sliced tomato, lettuce and onion. Enjoy with a healthy salad, sweet potatoes fries or pickles!
Now you have yourself some amazing southwest turkey burgers. Whether you are looking for a quick and delicious dinner idea or a freezer/meal prep option that you can rely on for busy nights, this recipe is perfect!
MORE EASY MEAL RECIPES TO TRY:
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- Healthy Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
- One Pot Southwest Black Bean Quinoa Salad
- Simple & Healthy Instant Pot Turkey Pumpkin Chili
- Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp & Cilantro Lime Rice
The Best, Healthy Southwest Turkey Burgers
Equipment
- Skillet
- Large Bowl
- Strainer
- Spatula
- Cutting board
- Knife
Ingredients
- 2 lbs 99% lean ground turkey You can use other % turkey, but it will be more oily and may not stick together as well
- 15 oz can black beans
- 1/2 bell pepper (red or orange) 62g
- 1/2 red onion 110g
- 2 packets taco seasoning or 54g or 4 tbsp of bulk taco seasoning
- 2 jalapenos 63g
- Handful cilantro 10g
- Optional toppings: lettuce, tomato, onions, burger buns, ketchup, mustard, etc.
Instructions
- Open the can of black beans, dump in a strainer and rinse with cold water. Leave the beans straining until you need them later on to eliminate as much water as possible.
- Finely chop the jalapenos, onion and bell peppers.
- In a large bowl, add the ground turkey, chopped veggies, black beans and taco seasoning. With a spatula or your clean hands, mix until everything is well combined.
- Form into 9 burgers (about 5.6 oz raw each) and set aside. You can make more or less burgers depending on your size preference. Once formed, press down on the top with the palm of your hand or the spatula to make sure the burgers are relatively flat.
- Spray oil or add some olive oil to a skillet on medium heat. Once warmed, cook the burgers for about 3 minutes per side, or until fully cooked.
- Add to your favorite burger buns or lettuce wraps and top with sliced tomato, onion, lettuce, ketchup and/or mustard. Enjoy!