Turkey Teriyaki Burger

It’s grilling season, so I’ve been craving a good burger. Now, granted, I’m actually not allowed to grill on my patio. (Whew. I know my dad was momentarily worried). But I do have a nice grill pan that works as an adequate substitute. Well, not really. It adds nice grill marks to the burgers but definitely doesn’t impart any grill flavoring to the meat.

But you make do with what you got—and that’s what I got.

Now I’ve mentioned before that I’m not huge fan of ground beef, but somehow I’ve convinced myself that ground turkey is somehow different and better. Logical? No. But there you go.

This burger is very flavorful and comes together quickly. I particularly enjoy the tang of the grilled pineapple and that the teriyaki flavoring is in the burger versus a messy sauce.

Give this burger a try at your next cookout. And let me know how good it tastes when you can make it on a real outdoor barbeque grill.

Adapted from Home Is Where the Holman’s Are

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground turkey
16 pineapple rings
8 slices pepper jack cheese
8 whole wheat hamburger buns
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup parsley, finely minced

Garlic Aioli

3/4 cup of mayo
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
Zest of 1/2 a lemon
4-5 garlic cloves, finely minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

For Garlic Aioli: Combine ingredients and stir until well combined. Refrigerate until serving.
Combine the ground chicken, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, chili powder, seasoning salt, cumin, garlic and parsley.
Lightly mix with your hands and divide into 8 even pieces.
Form patties, press your thumb in the middle of each burger to make an indentation. Refrigerate about 30 minutes.
Preheat grill pan or grill to medium heat. Coat grates lightly with oil.
Grill burgers about 4-6 minutes per side.
Top with cheese for the last 1-2 minutes of cooking time to melt.
Remove to a plate and cover with aluminum foil to rest. Grill buns if desired.
For the pineapple, if you are using rings, grill directly on the grates over medium heat. Carefully turn after 1-2 minutes.
Spread a generous amount of garlic aioli on grilled bun. Top with burger and two pineapple rings.

Enjoy!