Bacon and Blue Cheese Turkey Burgers

One of our favorite meals in our household is turkey burgers. Like the chimichangas, our burgers are customized to each person’s tastes. The Beard tops his with tomatoes and onions and a smear of mayo and mustard, while I like to accessorize mine with mayo, A-1 sauce, and mushrooms, and then dip the whole thing in barbeque sauce. In spite of our differing opinions on toppings, the Beard and I agree on two things: there needs to be bacon, and there needs to be cheese.

And there needs to be plenty of both.

Thankfully, this cheeseburger recipe has both, and in abundance.

Turkey burgers don’t need to suck.

Now, a lot of people scoff at ground turkey. It’s dry, they say, it has no flavor.To that, I say you’re doing it wrong. You can make a juicy, flavorful turkey burger, you just need the right ingredients and methods. First, don’t go for the 97% lean or the fat-free ground turkey. You want that turkey fat flavor, and anything leaner than 93% lean will give you a dry burger. What gives these turkey burgers all the juiciness of any beef burger is adding the bacon in the mix. The bacon lends its fatty flavor and moistness to the turkey, while the blue cheese gives it another pop of flavor and creaminess.

Next, you want to fry these on your stove top. You could bake them a wire rack, letting the juices drain into a pan, but you’re going to lose a lot of the juiciness that way. Frying them up sears the meat, keeping the juices inside, where they’ll do the most good. Because you want to keep that lovely burger juice inside, there’s one thing you don’t want to do, no matter how much of an urge you may have: DON’T PRESS DOWN ON YOUR BURGERS. Just put the burger in the pan and leave it alone. Let the pan do its job and it will cook these turkey burgers to glorious perfection.

Accessorizing Is Important

Equally important are your toppings. The Beard is more restrained than I will ever be when it comes to condiments. However, I love a burger that’s covered in so much…. stuff, that it’s nearly unrecognizable as a burger. I want it dripping down my hands and on my fries. Speaking of fries….

We’re traditionalists. We like to pair our burgers with fries, with the Beard going for russet potatoes, while I’m positively addicted to sweet potato fries. You want something really good? Keep reading.

Dip your fries in this.

The night that we had these, we also made a blue cheese sauce to go on top. It’s thick – thicker than your average blue cheese dressing – and absolutely packed with blue cheese crumbles. You don’t pour this sauce so much as you spread it.  We’ve included the recipe below!

Get your plate ready.

Be daring, add more bacon on top. Add some mushrooms, or even one big Portobello cap. The combinations are endless , and entirely up to you.

Trust me, this whole thing is awesome.

5 from 1 vote

Print

Bacon and Bleu Turkey Burgers

Switch up your traditional hamburger with this one made with juicy ground turkey and filled with creamy bleu cheese and crispy bacon.  Pair it with some fries and your favorite toppings for a quick dinner!

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine American

Keyword bacon, bleu cheese, turkey

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 4 burgers

Ingredients

Bacon and Bleu Turkey Burgers

• 1 lb ground turkey 93% lean
• 4 slices bacon fried and chopped
• 3/4 cup bleu cheese crumbled into small bits
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 hamburger buns
• assorted toppings optional

Bleu Cheese Sauce

• 1 cup + 2 tbsp Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup bleu cheese crumbled
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp fresh parsely finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• salt to taste

Instructions

Bacon and Bleu Turkey Burgers

1. In medium bowl, mix your ground turkey, bacon, parsley, garlic, bleu cheese, salt, and pepper.  Divide your meat and roll it into into four balls, then press into four patties.  TIP:  Make a bit of a shallow divot in the center of each patty to prevent them from shrinking too much.

   

2. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat, tilting the ban and swirling the oil around to coat the pan's bottom.  When the pan and oil are hot, add each patty to the pan.  DO NOT SQUISH THE PATTIES.  While the meat cooks, toast your rolls.

   

3. To cook the patties to medium, let them cook for 5 minutes before flipping them.  Flip the burgers and allow them to cook for another 5 minutes.  Adjust the cooking time if needed, increasing or decreasing the amount of time on each side to reach your desired doneness.

4. Assemble your burgers, adding the toppings of your choice.

   

Bleu Cheese Sauce

1. Add Greek yogurt, bleu cheese, oil, lemon juice, vinegar, and parsley to a small bowl and whisk until mixed well.

2. Store unused sauce in covered container in a covered container for up to 4 days.  Note:  Sauce will separate while it sits, simply stir up before using.

The Tart

The Tart likes to eat, cook, and bake things.  She eats to work out, and she works out to be able to eat.