Buffalo Turkey Burgers

I was recently invited to participate in a competition being hosted by British Turkey alongside Peppadew to find Britian's best recipe blogger.  They asked me if I would mind devising a dish using both British Turkey and Peppadew peppers.  The winner will be crowned at the British Turkey Awards being held at the Savoy this September.

 

I love figuring out new recipes and new ways to use things, so I was quite happy to comply.  We eat a lot of turkey in this house and we love Peppadew peppers.  A pizza just isn't a pizza for me unless I have chopped peppadew's on it, and as a woman who is always trying to keep my weight down, turkey is a natural and healthy choice.

 

We are great lovers of turkey burgers, so I thought I would create a tasty turkey burger.  We also love hot Buffalo Wings, but they are bad, bad, bad for you.  All that fat and skin, is a no no.  I decided that I would try to create a tasty turkey burger which would encompass a lot of the delicious flavours from Buffalo Wings and yet at the same time remain relatively healthy.

 

I think I might have just managed it.  These turkey burgers are not only incredibly delicious but wonderfully moist.

 

I flavoured them well with a delicious combination of warm spices and herbs . . . along with some grated onion and finely chopped celery and Peppadews.  The Peppadews give them a little bit of sweet heat and colour.  I browned them and then pan basted the finished burgers in a delicious buttery hot pepper pan sauce.  This is where the real heat comes from . . . but it's not obnoxiously hot, just tasty hot.

 

Popped onto toasted buns with some lettuce and drizzled with a tangy blue cheese dressing, these are fabulously tasty and satisfying on many levels.  Todd declared them the best turkey burger he's ever tasted!

 

That made me smile.  I do hope you will give them a try.  I think you just might agree.  That would make me smile too.  ☺  Delicious, easy and the perfect choice for a family pleasing supper any time of year.

 

 *Buffalo Turkey Burgers*
Makes 4 servings
Printable Recipe

Moist and delicious turkey burgers with a bit of a bite, sauced with a lovely blue cheese dressing and served on a toasted bun.  Fabulous!

500g of lean turkey mince (about 1 1/4 pounds ground turkey), at room temperature
1 tsp fine sea salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried marjoram
1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/4 tsp dried rosemary leaves
1/4 tsp dried savoury
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp dried sage leaves
pinch of fennel seeds
pinch of coriander seed
pinch cayenne pepper
generous grating nutmeg
1 TBS finely grated fresh onion
1 stalk of celery, along with it's leaves, very finely chopped
4 peppadew mild pickled peppers, finely chopped

To Baste:
2 TBS unsalted butter, melted
2 fluid ounces hot sauce (1/4 cup.  I used Cholula)

For the Sauce:
250ml of prepared ranch dressing (I used Newman's)
4 ounces of crumbled blue cheese (1/2 cup)

To finish:
Toasted buns
fresh lettuce leaves
Celery sticks (optional)

 

Whisk together the ranch dressing and blue cheese crumbles.  Cover and chill.

Place all of the herbs and spices into the bowl of your pestle and mortar and grind to a fine powder.  Place the turkey mince in a bowl.  Add the ground spice mixture and mix together well with your hands, using a gentle touch.  Stir in the grated onion, chopped celery and chopped peppadews.  Mix together gently.  Shape into 4 equal sized patties.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Spritz with a bit of oil.  Add the turkey patties.  Cook, for six minutes per side, until nicely browned and the juices run clear.  Remove to a plate and keep warm.

Wipe any residue out of the pan with paper towels.  Add the butter and hot sauce.  Melt together, swirling gently.  Add the turkey patties back to the pan and turn to coat well with the hot sauce/butter mixture.  Keep warm.

Split your buns, lightly butter if desired and toast under a hot grill.

Place the bun bottoms onto each of 4 plates.  Top each with some fresh lettuce leaves and one turkey pattie.  Spoon some of the blue cheese sauce over top.  Add the toasted top of the bun on the side. Garnish with some potato crisps and celery stalks if desired.  Serve hot.



Peppadews are delicious whole sweet and piquante peppers.  This type of piquante pepper was first discovered in early 1993. The name is derived from "Pepper" and "dew". The flavour of the Peppadew fruit is sweet, with mild heat, that is not at all unpleasant. The fruit is processed for removal of the seeds and reduction of the heat, and then pickled and bottled, with a most delicious result.  We love them!  They are available in the pickle section of most grocery shops.