The Cranberry Jalapeno Turkey Burger: Maximum Flavor With Minimal Effort
Some days, man. Some days. Some just aren’t meant for the leisurely, low and slow barbecue process. This is one of those days. Cold, breezy, with a little nip in the air that begs for a little sip in my glass. Something sweet and spicy, yet savory and quick would do nicely on a day like this, and if it’s served on a toasted bun, well, all the better. That brings us to Cranberry Jalapeno Turkey Burgers on toasted English muffin buns. Minimal effort, maximum flavor, all right there in your hand. Let’s get after it.
To 1 pound of ground turkey, the leaner the better, I added 1 tsp each Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce, 2 Tbsp each diced jalapenos (with seeds), dried cranberries and 1 clove of fresh minced garlic. Mix it in and add an egg with any additional binders you feel you need, including crushed pretzels, goldfish crackers, or the standard bread crumbs, plain, seasoned or panko.
After mixing and getting the ingredients all distributed, they made for four, nice looking, quarter-pound burgers.
Over a direct fire made with lump hardwood, I preheated a cast iron skillet with about a tablespoon of oil. It was hot, smokin’ hot, and gave me that loud sizzle when my burgers were laid in the skillet. The cranberries, Worcestershire and soy sauce are doing double duty, adding flavor and providing the base for exterior crispiness and caramelization. Lordy!
These burgers are being grilled with all the vents open and dry wood chips tossed on the coals to get the fire jumping and those burgers sizzling for about five minutes before flipping.
Once flipped, let them go for another few minutes. How do you like them? Crusty on the outside, tender and juicy inside? Yeah, me too! We’re there…
Pull the burgers off of the fire, and get your buns toasty, or in this case, English muffins, which happens to be my bun of choice.
Add the fixin’s you choose. I went with lettuce and some red onion. With the juicy cranberry, jalapeno and garlic sealed into the burger by the seared outside, there really isn’t a need for any exterior sauces, but hey, if you want, go for it.
This Cranberry Jalapeno Turkey burger plays nicely with fresh steamed broccoli and tomato and cucumber salad. Healthy, appetizing and satisfying. Big time flavors with minimum effort.
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