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Do you want all the flavor of a burger with less calories? Use ground turkey but up the flavor with a great sauce and great ingredients and lose half the bun. I don’t know for sure how many calories this saved but based on some simple research, I took out a good 3oo calories. For more ideas on how to take calories out of your burger, check out this link from Eating Well.
Skinny Fiesta Turkey Burger
When I first started out on this cooking journey, I never really appreciated using a lot of ingredients. Now, I do not mean a crazy amount of ingredients but enough to create some great flavor. I know there are a lot of sites that like to promote 3 ingredient recipes, and I have done my share too, but the biggest learning I have experienced is how to use ingredients and blend them together. So it may look like a lot of ingredients in some of my recipes but what is really happening is the development of flavor. When you learn what ingredients go together, you can make some truly amazing dishes.
I only used 8 ingredients in this Skinny Fiesta Turkey Burger to spice the turkey burger. Do you think that is a lot of ingredients? They go to together so well. I always sneak in smoked paprika. It is my favorite spice with its zestiness and smoke – YUM! This sauce has the prefect combination of spice, heat, acidity and sweetness. I sound like I am on a Food Network show. Not my intention. Just trying to to use words to get the flavor to jump off the page.
- 1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 tablespoon annatto powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Hot Mexican Chili Powder
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 jalapeno sliced
- 1/4 red pepper, sliced lengthwise
- 1/4 green pepper, sliced lengthwise
- 2 buns
- 8 slices pepperjack cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 pieces iceberg lettuce
- Season the ground turkey with salt and pepper and form into 4 patties.
- Heat a cast iron skillet on medium high heat and add the oil.
- When warm, add the patties.
- Meanwhile, combine the next 8 ingredients (up to the jalapeno) in a bowl and mix well.
- Pour this sauce into a skillet and bring to boil and reduce to a simmer.
- Add in the peppers and simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside.
- After cooking the turkey burgers for 5 minutes, flip and add the jalapenos to the pan.
- Cook for 5 more minutes putting 2 slices of cheese on each burger in the last 2 minutes of cooking. Remove from pan and let rest 2 minutes.
- Assemble by taking 1 side of the bun and top with lettuce. Add the burger and finish by spooning on the peppers and sauce.
- Serve and enjoy!
Ingredients
The cast of characters combined to make a sweet & spicy sauce.
Sauce Mixed
Cooking the burgers in the skillet with the juices of the jalapenos being soaked in.
Burgers & Jalapenos
The final burger plated.
Plated
A skinny burger in disguise. This looks so good