A better turkey burger

It really is time for all of us to get over our hesitation about turkey burgers. Though cooks get nervous about the patties coming up dry and flavorless, there really is no reason to worry.

Avoiding these pitfalls is easy. Start by not overcooking them. Get the burgers off the grill as soon as they hit 165 degrees. And during cooking, never press down on the patties with the spatula. That squeezes out all the delicious juices of whatever meat you’re using.

As for turkey burgers specifically, it also helps to use a mix of dark and light ground meat, which adds a bit more fat and flavor. Ground turkey labeled “93 percent lean” will have enough dark meat mixed in to keep it moist and delicious. I try to avoid 99 percent lean, which can produce those tasteless burgers we all fear.

You also can add an ingredient or two to help keep the meat juicy and provide a boost of flavor. Play around with all kinds of add-ins, from ketchup and mayonnaise to shredded apple and sauteed onions. A touch of olive oil doesn’t hurt either, to amp up both juiciness and flavor. In my recipe the oil is added along with barbecue sauce and the mild heat of chipotles in adobo sauce.

Chipotles packed in adobo sauce usually come in small cans. To puree them for this recipe, just dump the entire can in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Leftovers can be frozen in small amounts (ice cube trays are handy for this) and kept on hand for future recipes.

If you don’t wish to grill them, the burgers can be cooked in a lightly oiled skillet or under the broiler for roughly the same amount of time. There’s a sauce that goes along with these burgers, but you’re welcome to use plain old mustard or ketchup if you prefer.

I wish for world peace, and for more people to like turkey burgers. Today I’ll start with the latter.

Chipotle Barbecue Turkey Burgers

» 1 tablespoon olive oil
» 1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
» 1/4 cup barbecue sauce
» 2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
» 2 teaspoons pureed chipotles in adobo
» 1 pound 93-percent lean ground turkey
» Kosher salt and ground pepper, to taste

Sauce:
» 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
» 1 teaspoon pureed chipotles in adobo
» Kosher salt and ground pepper, to taste

To serve:
» 4 hamburger buns
» Sliced red onions
» Sliced tomatoes
» Romaine lettuce leaves

Heat grill to medium-high.

To prepare sauce, in small bowl mix mayonnaise, chipotles and hefty pinch each of salt and pepper. Set aside.

Make burgers: In small skillet over medium, heat olive oil. Add scallions and saute about 4 minutes or until softened. Transfer to large bowl, then add barbecue sauce, breadcrumbs and pureed chipotles. Stir well, then add turkey and generous pinch each of salt and pepper. Using hands or a spoon, mix well but handle meat gently. Form into 4 patties, pressing slightly to create indentations at the center of each.

Grill about 5 minutes on each side, or until patties are cooked through and have reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Place cooked burgers on the bottom halves of the buns, then top with sauce and layer on onion, tomato and lettuce. Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 440 calories, 22 g fat, 4.5 g saturated fat, 90 mg cholesterol, 800 mg sodium, 33 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 10 g sugar, 26 g protein