Turkey Zucchini Burgers

 TURKEY ZUCCHINI BURGERS  
Printable Recipe

• 1-2 lbs ground turkey 
• 1 small zucchini
• 1/2 medium red onion 
• 2 garlic cloves 
• 1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs,(use a piece of wheat bread & break into pieces)
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 
• 1 teaspoon salt & pepper

1. Roughly chop the zucchini, onion, & garlic. 

2. Put the zucchini, onion, & garlic in a food processor & roughly chop. If you don't have a food processor just finely chop.

3. Put ground turkey, bread crumbs, veggie mixture, & red pepper flakes, in a mixing bowl and mix by hand until all ingredients are well combined.

4. Roll turkey mixture into a ball, 1/4 cup for sliders or 1/2 cup for burgers, place two small plates on the counter facing down, on top put a sheet of wax paper. Place the meat on one plate in the center, top with second piece of wax paper, then use second plate to press down meat into a patty. You can always do this by hand with no plates but I like the consistent shape for cooking evenly.

5. Lightly salt & pepper both sides of the patties & cook them on an outdoor or indoor grill at medium-high heat for about 3 minutes on each side or until there is no pink in the middle. Longer for full burger size.

6. Toast the buns, spread with mayo or ketchup, & top with gouda cheese, lettuce, tomato, & avocado. 

PLATE FINISHED PRODUCT 

7. Plate & serve while they are still hot.

 

STORY BEHIND THE DISH

I have posted turkey sliders/burgers a few months ago but I wanted to create a healthier version. A few years ago my sister added some zucchini to some ground turkey & they turned out so delicious. I decided to add bread crumbs to the mixture for a better consistency & some red pepper flakes for a little kick.

MODIFICATIONS/Whole30

The burgers can be topped with anything of your choice,provolone cheese is also goes well, onions, arugula, BBQ sauce, etc. You can also add some Worcestershire or seasoning salt to the turkey mixture.To make these turkey burgers whole30 or paleo approved, do not add bread crumbs to the mix, you can add a tablespoon of homemade mayo to some fat content to help bind the meat & obviously you cannot use cheese as a topping & you can make this burger protein style by using lettuce or grilled sweet potatoes in place of the bun.