These spiced jerk burgers are made with ground turkey or chicken and savory jerk seasonings, topped with fiery jalapeno-mango guacamole, delicious! It's burger time!
We're busting out some spicy jerk burgers today. It's been awhile since I made turkey burgers, and that's a shame because I truly love them. As much as I love a good beef burger - um, see the Smashburgers with Charred Serrano-Blue Cheese Butter Recipe, OMG - I find myself drawn more to chicken and turkey burgers for a few reasons.
First, turkey burgers are lower calorie. If you're watching your waistline, which some of us need to do from time to time, you can save a lot of calories by switching out beef for turkey.
Second, turkey burgers absorb all those wonderful seasonings you've decided to work with. Beef burgers need little to no seasoning, as the fat content and flavor are a natural component of the beef, but ground turkey doesn't have big flavor on its own, so whatever seasonings you include will be reflected back to your taste buds in such a wonderful way.
Third, turkey burgers simply ROCK! Yeah! I love them.
Looks pretty darned tasty, right? Yeah it does.
Today we're working with Jamaican Jerk seasonings. You can find a good blend at your local grocery store, or have your hand at making your own. Here is a recipe for Homemade Jamaican Jerk Seasonings that I prefer.
Jerk seasoning is quite distinctive, with plenty of chili powder, nutmeg, allspice, clove, and about a dozen other components. Once you try it, you'll agree it's pretty unique, and tasty as heck.
We're also including some diced jalapeno pepper for a bit of heat and flavor, diced mango for sweetness and moisture, as well as other goodies to make this turkey burger truly stand out.
AND! To top off these crazy amazing burgers, we're making a sweet and spicy Jalapeno-Mango Guacamole that you may want to serve on its own for your next party. Or just for yourself. However you want to do it.
That's some good stuff right there.
If you think you're not into turkey burgers, try this recipe and I'm pretty sure you'll be a convert.
Let's talk about how we make the recipe, shall we?
Spiced Jerk Burger Ingredients
- FOR THE GUACAMOLE
- 1 avocado
- Juice from 1/2 small lime
- 3 tablespoons loosely packed cilantro
- ¼ cup diced mango or more to taste
- 1 jalapeno pepper, diced (use bell pepper for a milder version)
- Salt to taste
- FOR THE JERK BURGERS
- 1 pound ground turkey (or use ground chicken or pork)
- 3-4 tablespoons jerk seasoning or more to taste
- 1 medium jalapeno, diced
- 1/4 cup diced mango
- 1 small shallot, diced
- 1 egg beaten
- 1/4 cup bread crumbs
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Olive oil as needed
- FOR SERVING
- 4 buns
- Bib lettuce leaves
How to Make Jerk Burgers with Jalapeno-Mango Guacamole - the Recipe Method
- FOR THE GUACAMOLE: Peel and pit the avocado and add it to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the remaining ingredients and mash with a fork until fairly smooth.
- Adjust for salt and refrigerate until ready to use.
- FOR THE BURGERS: Add the ground turkey, jerky seasonings, jalapeno, mango, shallot, egg and breadcrumbs to a large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Hand mix, but do not over mix or the burgers can become mealy.
- Form the burgers into 4 quarter pound patties, about 1-inch thick patties.
- Heat the oil in a large pan and add the burger patties. Sear a couple minutes per side on medium high heat, then cover and cook until they are cooked through completely, about 10 minutes at medium heat.
- Serve on buns with bib lettuce, then top with a heaping pile of guacamole.
Boom! Done! They look wonderful, don't they?
Recipe Notes
I got these jalapeno peppers straight from our garden, which is so great this time of year, with the garden just beginning to produce a number of peppers for us. No, the mango did not come from the garden. I must move to warmer climes, I suppose.
Patty's Mom was kind enough to give us a bag full of bib lettuce from HER garden, which is also exploding with veggies. The bib lettuce is a nice addition, laid gently at the bottom of the burger, giving just a tad bit of crunch.
Let me know what you think. I hope you enjoy your turkey burgers!
Patty's Perspective
Mike can make these for me anytime. I want them for lunch again today! YUM.
Try Some Of My Other Popular Burger Recipes
If you make this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #ChiliPepperMadness on Instagram so we can take a look. I always love to see all of your spicy inspirations. Thanks! -- Mike H.
Spiced Jerk Burgers with Jalapeno-Mango Guacamole - Recipe
Ingredients
FOR THE GUACAMOLE
- 1 avocado
- Juice from 1/2 small lime
- 3 tablespoons loosely packed cilantro
- ¼ cup diced mango or more to taste
- 1 jalapeno pepper diced
- Salt to taste
FOR THE TURKEY BURGERS
- 1 pound ground turkey (or use ground chicken or pork)
- 3-4 tablespoons jerk seasoning or more to taste
- 1 medium jalapeno diced
- ¼ cup diced mango
- 1 small shallot diced
- 1 egg beaten
- 1/4 cup bread crumbs or more as needed
- Olive oil as needed
FOR SERVING
- 4 buns
- Bib lettuce leaves
Instructions
- Make the Guacamole first. Peel and pit the avocado and add it to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the remaining ingredients and mash with a fork until fairly smooth.
- Adjust for salt and refrigerate until ready to use.
- FOR THE BURGERS, add all of the ingredients to a large bowl. Hand mix, but do not overmix or the burgers can become mealy. If the meat mixture is too loose/wet, add a bit more breadcrumbs to firm it up slightly.
- Form the burgers into 4 quarter pound patties.
- Heat the oil in a large pan and add the burger patties. Sear a couple minutes on each side, then cover and cook until they are cooked through completely, about 10 minutes.
- Serve on buns with bib lettuce, then top with a heaping pile of guacamole.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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