Chipotle Cheddar Turkey Burgers with Avocado Crema

Although it’s pouring as I type this, we’ve actually had quite a few picture-perfect evenings over the past two weeks, encouraging Ben and me to dust off the ol’ grill and fire that bad boy up! And by fire that bad boy up I mean poke a piece of spaghetti I’ve lit on fire between the grates with the gas on because the clicky starter thingy stopped working. Luckily I still have both my eyebrows…for now.

So far we’ve grilled salmon, chicken, and classic cheeseburgers. Decadent, juicy, and dripping with American cheese. I tell you what, there are few foods in this world that are as satisfying as well-seasoned, medium-rare, grilled beef burgers. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

Ahem, that being said Chipotle Cheddar Turkey Burgers with Avocado Crema are certainly giving them a run for their money!

As you can probably tell, I love me a classic beef burger, but burgers as a whole are just begging to be tinkered with. You’ve got your meat options: beef, bison, chicken, and turkey, of course. The mix ins: herbs and spices. And the cheese: American or cheddar is my basic burger topper of choice, but smoked gouda, mozzarella, muenster and blue cheese are all winners too.

Burgers are basically like salads – anything goes – and I think I’ve found a real winner with the smokey-cool combo that is Chipotle Cheddar Turkey Burgers with Avocado Crema.

Lean ground turkey is combined with chopped shallots, garlic, cilantro and smokey chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, then topped with a melty slice of yummy cheddar cheese. Cooling avocado crema (fancy talk for avocado mixed with sour cream!) is slathered on the bun providing a culinary retreat from the smokey heat of the burger. Translation – these are the da bomb.

Turkey burgers made with lean ground turkey can turn into dry hockey pucks if not done right, but the addition of chopped shallots and herbs in the patties, and not overworking the mixture keeps them nice and juicy. If you like to experiment with your burgers like I do, you’ll love this recipe!

Start by adding 1lb 99% fat-free ground turkey breast to a big bowl. Note: this is different from basic “ground turkey” which includes the skin, which is high in saturated fat. I’m not scared of fat by any means, but I’d rather eat healthy fats like the kind found in avocados or extra virgin olive oil, for instance.

To the bowl add 2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro, 1 chopped shallot, which helps to keep the meat moist, 2 minced garlic cloves and lots of salt and pepper. LOTS!

Next add 2 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce which are dried, smoked jalapenos packed in a flavorful sauce. They’re spicy but not raw jalapeno spicy, and the smokey flavor is to die for. Bonus: they freeze really well. Just pop the leftovers in a freezer bag then stash in the freezer.

Look for Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce in the Mexican foods aisle next to the canned green chilies and enchilada sauce. Here’s a few other recipes to try them in!

Chipotle-Mango BBQ Chicken Salad

Steak Tacos with Chipotle-Cherry Salsa

Chipotle Turkey Chili with Apples

Pulled Pork Taquitos with Chipotle-Ranch Dipping Sauce

Chipotle Black Bean Burgers

Chop the chipotle pepperss then add ’em to the mix.

Remove your rings then combine everything with your hands and form the mixture into 4 patties. 99% fat free turkey breast can get tough if it’s overworked, so gently mix no more than you have to, mmkay?

Pop the burgers into the fridge for a few minutes while you get the Avocado Crema ready. You could totally top your burgers with a few slices of avocado, but this cooling crema takes all of 2 minutes to prepare and tastes so good with the smokey, slightly spicy burgers.

Just mash 1/2 avocado in a small bowl then mix with 1/4 cup sour cream, a little salt, and the juice of 1/2 a lime. That’s it! Stash that in the fridge for a bit.

Time to grill! Preheat your grill over medium-high heat then spray the tops of the burgers with nonstick spray and place on the hot grates. Close the lid and grill for 3-4 minutes on one side then carefully spray the tops with more nonstick spray and flip.

After a minute, add a slice of cheddar cheese to the top of each burger then close the lid and let it melt while they finish cooking. It’s always such a delight to open the grill lid and see that ooey gooey cheese!

This is optional but you can also toss your buns on the grates for a minute or two to give them a nice grilled flavor. These are Udi’s gluten-free buns by the way. I didn’t love them, but I think I have too high of expectations for gluten-free bread, plus I don’t usually eat burgers with buns. It’s just who I am. Ben was a fan though!

Give the bun a thick smear of avocado crema then top with a burger patty and all your favorite fixin’s. Open wide!

Chipotle Cheddar Turkey Burgers with Avocado Crema

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gluten free30 minute meal

Description

Chipotle Cheddar Turkey Burgers with Avocado Crema are smokey, gluten-free burgers with a cooling avocado spread.

Ingredients

serves 4

• 1lb 99% fat-free ground turkey breast
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
• salt and pepper, lots
• 4 slices cheddar cheese
• 4 gluten-free or regular buns
• Toppings: red onion, tomato, lettuce
• For the Avocado Crema:
  • 1/2 avocado
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • juice of 1/2 lime
  • salt

Directions

1. Add turkey to a large bowl then add shallot, garlic, chipotle peppers, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Mix until just combined then form into 4 patties. Preheat grill over medium-high heat then spray the tops of the burgers with nonstick spray and place on the hot grates. Grill for 3-4 minutes then spray the tops with nonstick spray and flip. Grill for one more minute then top with cheese slices, close the grill lid, and then grill until cheese is melted and burgers are cooked through.
2. Mash avocado in a small bowl then add sour cream, lime juice, and salt. Mix until smooth then slather onto buns and top with burgers and toppings.

This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.

Because I can’t eat one single meal without something sweet, I baked a batch of crunchy Ore-Ida sweet potato fries to go with, which I am absolutely obsessed with. Those were also great with the smoky, slightly spicy burger and tasted particularly delicious dunked in leftover avocado crema. YUM. Hope you enjoy!