Pizza Turkey Burgers

I love summer and everything that goes with it, especially corn on the cob, watermelon and burgers.

And potato salad.

And baked beans.

And everything else.

I love making turkey burgers because they are healthier than their beef counterpart (don’t get me wrong–love those too!) and they are so fun to add different flavors to. Greek, Asian, Italian, whatever your heart desires. I traditionally make my turkey burgers with parsley, onion, cumin, and a bit of cayenne, but I felt like doing something different this time. I broiled these in the oven, but feel free to throw them on the grill if you want, just be careful as they can be a bit fragile. 

Pizza Turkey Burgers
Makes 6 LARGE burgers

2 pounds ground turkey
~1.5 ounces of sliced pepperoni, diced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 medium yellow onion, grated or diced
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup shaved or grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste
15.5 ounce can of pizza sauce (or homemade–you probably won’t use the whole can)
12-18 large basil leaves (they will be standing in for lettuce)
approximately 1/4 pound of fresh mozzarella, sliced thinly (one slice for each patty)

1. Combine turkey, pepperoni, oregano, garlic powder, onion, eggs, Parmesan, bread crumbs and salt and pepper in a large bowl using your hands. You don’t want to over-mix, just make sure everything is well distributed.
2. Shape into patties (I like to make them slightly thinner in the middle) and place on a broiler pan. Broil on high for 6 to 7 minutes or until browned, flip burgers over, and continue to cook for about 4 minutes. Add a slice of mozzarella to each patty and broil for an additional 1-2 minutes or until cheese is browned and burgers are cooked through.
3. Meanwhile spoon about 1 tablespoon of sauce on each bun (toast them first if you want!). Place burgers on top of sauce and top with fresh basil. Enjoy!

Verdict: Everyone loved these! The burger is flavorful, the cheese yummy and melty, and the basil fresh and crisp.
Husband’s take: He’s a huge turkey burger fan, and I think he liked these almost as much as the traditional variety that I usually make.
Changes I would make: My burgers were a bit on the thick side, I think you could easily get 8 burgers out of this but my broiler pan wasn’t big enough for 8 burgers…such a dilemma!
Difficulty: Easy!

This picture has nothing to do with the burgers but it’s been awhile since I posted a picture of E…and I just can’t help myself.

Do forgive me.

Tagged as: basil, burger, ground turkey, marinara, mozzarella, parmesan, pepperoni, pizza, turkey