Barbecued Hawaiian Turkey Burger

Hi everyone! Although I love my classic beef burgers, I wanted to share this tropical flavoured burger just in time for the warm weather and Father's Day! I like trying something a little different sometimes and this one turned out pretty darn good.

This burger is made of turnkey meat instead of beef. I've never cooked with ground turkey so I wanted to try it out and it was dang good, as long as you season it well. For the tropical flavour, I added toasted coconut, avocado, barbecue sauce and grilled pineapple. I also added a little spice to these with a spicy mayo and red pepper flakes in the burgers. I hope you enjoy!

Serves: 6

Prep time: 20 min

Cook time: 15 min

Ingredients

2 packages extra lean ground turkey thighs

1 egg

2 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tsp garlic powder

Salt & pepper

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup chopped white onion

1/2 tsp cayenne

1 tsp paprika

1/3 cup barbecue sauce

6 brioche buns

6 slices pineapple (as pictured)

1 avocado

6 leaves of butter lettuce

1/3 cup toasted coconut

1/3 cup mayo

1 tbsp hot sauce or Sriracha

Directions

1. Turn on your barbecue to heat up while you prepare everything.

2. in a medium bowl, combine the first 9 ingredients to make the burger mixture. Taking a large chunk of turkey meat, roll it into a ball and then slap it between your hands to flatten out. Repeat with the remaining mixture and set on a plate or pan.

3. Top the burgers with half the barbecue sauce, saving the rest for the other side after flipping.

4. Place the burgers on the barbecue and cook for 6-8 minutes each side. Once you flip the burgers after the first 6-8 minutes, place the pineapple on the top rack of the barbecue and flip that halfway (about 3 minutes).

5. While the burgers cook, toast the coconut in a pan on medium heat. Stir this constantly and immediately remove from heat once it is golden brown.

6. Then, toast the buns on a low broil or on the barbecue for a couple minutes.

7. Combine the mayo and hot sauce in a small bowl.

8. Remove the burgers when fully cooked and serve immediately.

If you've never tried ground turkey, I would definitely recommend. In burger form, it has a similar consistency to beef; however, I find that it can get a bit more dry so I made sure to add an egg and season it well.

The tropical taste was my favourite part to this recipe. There is nothing like toasted coconut, pineapple, meat, barbecue sauce, and a little bit of spice.

If you're wanting to try these out and are not sure if those around you will like them, just don't tell them...You can barely tell the difference between them and beef except the colour once you bite into them; which, by that point they've already tasted it and likely won't deny it. They're so tasty.

Try these out this weekend for Father's Day or for your next barbecue. They're a good way to branch out of your ordinary barbecue recipes while still keep those summer vibes.

Thanks for checking this recipe out! Be sure to share it with anyone you think would like it.

- Emily