Turkey burgers with pineapple hot pepper jelly
We have a Weber grill on our deck that we rarely use, but when we do grill out, it’s usually turkey burgers. I love my turkey burgers topped with a few flavorful embellishments, like creamy avocado, spicy mustard, fresh arugula, and juicy tomato. But, when I’m craving a sweet heat, I swap out my usual mustard with Neat Nick Preserves Pineapple Hot Pepper Jelly and homemade pickled red onions.
When the evenings begin to cool down slightly from the scorching mid-day sun, hubby and I fire up our grill. While you can use a gas grill, hubby and I prefer charcoal, as there’s just something iconic about the char and smokiness that you just can’t achieve with other cooking methods. Grilling the burgers seals in their juices, then it becomes all about topping those patties with a proper balance of textures and flavors to build the perfect burger.
To me, less is more when it comes to the burger patty; humble ground turkey combined with scallions, garlic, salt, and black pepper is all you need. The mild flavor of the turkey is a blank canvas for all its seasonings and toppings to marry together in tasty harmony. The Neat Nick Preserves Pineapple Hot Pepper Jelly complements the smoky turkey with a little bit of heat and sweetness all in one bite. And, because the jelly is both sweet and spicy, a vinegary bite from homemade pickled onions cuts through some of those flavors. Add creamy slices of avocado and peppery arugula all stacked into a freshly baked bun, and you’ve got yourself one fantastic burger. Now since I am gluten-free, I go at my burgers bun-lessly with a fork and knife in hand, but you can substitute a gluten-free bun or even use iceberg lettuce in place of a bun to keep these completely paleo. Sometimes I even just eat my burgers over top a bed of arugula like a burger salad!
For my homemade pickled red onions, I simply marinate red onions in salt and rice wine vinegar. You can make these 30 minutes prior to serving or even several days ahead of time and keep them in the refrigerator. In fact, the longer they marinate, the better! The salt in the vinegar draws the moisture out of the onions and the vinegar soaks in, softening the flavor and texture. And the pickling liquid becomes a beautiful purple-pink hue that you can reserve for marinades or dressings.
Turkey Burgers with Neat Nick Preserves Pineapple Hot Pepper Jelly
2 lbs. ground turkey breast
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
3-4 scallions, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
For serving:
Onion rolls or gluten-free buns
Avocado
Arugula
Neat Nick Preserves Pineapple Hot Pepper Jelly
homemade pickled onions:
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
½ red onion, thinly sliced
½ tsp. sea salt
For the turkey burgers, combine the ground turkey with the scallions, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Patty into ¼-pound portions, resulting in eight patties total. Refrigerate until ready to grill.
Prepare the onions at least 30 minutes prior to serving or several days ahead of time. Mix the salt and vinegar in a small bowl and place the thin onion slices into the mixture. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes, or several days. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Heat up the outdoor grill. Grill the turkey burger patties about 3-5 minutes per side, or until cooked through (internal temperature should reach 165F).
To assemble the burgers: slather about 1-2 tablespoons of the jelly on the inside of the top half of each bun. Place one handful of arugula on the other bottom half of each bun, then top the arugula with a burger patty, then slices of avocado, then a few slices of pickled onion, and finally top the burger off with the top of the bun, jelly-side down. If you’re not using buns, place each meat patty on top of a bed of arugula lettuce and top with each of the toppings.