Turkey Burgers on the BBQ

Our family loves barbecued burgers and we eat quite a few in the summer. Burgers are easy to make and something kids can help with. I get tired of the standard beef burger so I change up the base and seasonings for variety. I've made chicken burgers, lamb burgers, pork burgers, chicken-pork burgers, veggie burgers, salmon burgers, tuna burgers and turkey burgers. At the start of summer I watch for sales on ground meat, buy in bulk, make burgers ahead and freeze them. Having them ready in the freezer makes for easy summer meals...at home, camping or the cottage. Here's a recipe for turkey burgers that even die-hard beef burger lovers will enjoy for a change.

Turkey Burgers

Ingredients (for 8-10 burgers)

2 eggs
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs or ground flax seed
1 small onion, grated or 2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp each dried sage, rosemary and thyme (I used fresh herbs, about 3 tbsp total)
2 tsp dried mustard
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper
2 lbs (900 g) lean or extra lean ground turkey


What to do

Whisk eggs and water in a large bowl.

Add ground flax seed (or bread crumbs)

Stir the flax seed into the egg-water mixture

Add the herbs, lemon juice, salt and pepper and mix together

Add the ground turkey and mix all ingredients together. Using hands is messy but the best way to blend things evenly (I think).

To make the patties, I roll the turkey mixture into equal size balls then flatten them. Try to get them all about the same size so they cook evenly. I lay them in a single layer on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet.

If you're going to freeze them, simply put them in the freezer on the cookie sheet. Once frozen,
take them off the cookie sheet and put them in freezer bags or an airtight container.
If you're going to BBQ them right away, put them in the fridge for 15-20 min. I find this helps them to hold their shape and make them a bit easier to place on the grill.

To BBQ them, place them on a greased grill over medium high heat. Cook them about 7 min per side until they reach 74 C (165 F).

Enjoy them on a whole grain bun with your favourite toppings.