Turkey Burgers with Red Pepper & Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
When summer BBQ season is at its peak and you’re looking to mix it up, jazz it up, or just do it right—these are the burgers you’ll want to make!
- 1/3 c. slivered blanched almonds
- 2 whole roasted red peppers (high-quality jarred or homemade, see TIP A)
- 8-10 whole sun dried tomatoes (packed in extra virgin olive oil)
- 2 tbsp. olive oil from sun dried tomato jar
- 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 1 small garlic clove, coarsely chopped
- 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 tsp. mild Dijon or Düsseldorf mustard
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
- 2 green onions, finely chopped (white and light green parts)
- 1.25 lbs. ground turkey breast, thigh, or combination
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 3-4 oz. Fontina cheese, thinly sliced (see TIP B)
- 1-2 oz. mixed greens
- 4 hearty burger buns
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Lightly toast the slivered almonds over medium heat in a small, dry skillet (about 3 minutes total, watch closely). Once toasted, transfer the almonds to a food processor and add the remaining Pesto ingredients. Whir all of the ingredients together until well-blended and mostly smooth. Be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Set aside until ready to use. The pesto can be made up to 48 hours in advance and stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Let come to room temperature before serving.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the beaten egg, mustard, oregano, and pepper. Then add the green onions and ground turkey. Gently work the ingredients together with your hands and form the mixture into 4 even patties. The less you handle the ground turkey, the better (over-worked ground meat of any kind is never good)—so keep this step brief. Also, don't fret about the patties seeming extra soft or wet with the egg mixture. Turkey does not have as much fat as ground beef, so the additional moisture is good.
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Heat your outdoor grill to about 425-450° (medium heat) and coat the grates with vegetable oil. Meanwhile, sprinkle the salt over both sides of the patties. This adds flavor, locks-in moisture, and creates a nice crust on your burgers.
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Grill the burgers for about 5-7 minutes per side or until they develop nice grill marks and cook through (see TIP C). Roughly 2 minutes before removing the burgers from the grill, add the Fontina cheese slices to the top of the patties and rest the buns (flat-side down) on a cooler part of the grill to toast-up slightly. Then, compose your burgers by spreading generous dollops of the pesto on both halves of the bun and layering a cheese-topped patty and a handful of mixed greens in the middle.
TIP A: Roasting your own red bell peppers is quite easy—it just takes time. An equally tasty short-cut is to purchase a jar of whole red peppers that have already been roasted and peeled of their outer skin. Look for a variety that is packed in a simple vinegar brine. You'll also want to ensure that the "roasted" flavor is authentic (i.e. the peppers were actually roasted before being packed) vs. artificially added.
If you prefer to roast yourself, simply prick a couple whole red bell peppers with a toothpick (3-4 pinholes will do) and put them under the broiler in your oven or over an open flame on your gas range (range must be gas, electric will not yield the same result). If using the oven method, you can put a piece of aluminum foil underneath the peppers to prevent any juices from dripping onto your oven's lower racks or base. You want to blister and blacken all sides of the pepper so watch them closely and turn as needed. Once fully roasted, immediately transfer the peppers to a bowl and cover that bowl with plastic wrap. Let sit for at least 10-15 minutes. The steam will help loosen the outer charred skin. When ready, gently peel the charred skin away from the peppers and remove/discard the stem, seeds, and internal white membranes (all should pull away from the good flesh part pretty easily).There you have it!
TIP B: Fontina cheese in a mild Italian cheese with a slightly buttery, sweet flavor. It's great for burgers because it melts beautifully and its flavor complements the tang of many sauces and condiments.
TIP C: Turkey burgers should not be pink in the center like beef burgers, but they will also continue cooking a bit when you take them off the grill. If you're using a meat thermometer, I recommend pulling them off the grill at 160° and then letting their internal temperature rise to 165° before serving.