TL/DR – Turkey Lentil Burgers with Cilantro Crema. Add lentils to ground turkey to beef up the fiber and moisture. Oil the grill well. Great flavors of onion, garlic, coriander, paprika and celery salt. –
Ground turkey can be… dry? Boring? Too lean? These burgers are decidedly not dry, boring or too lean. To keep the turkey moist and to add fiber, canned lentils are great. Drain them very well. The burgers are flavored with fresh onion and garlic, paprika, coriander and celery salt.
Because of the leanness of ground turkey and the presence of lentils, be sure to oil the grill well with nonstick spray. (Don’t spray directly on the grill, but on a cloth held by tongs and wipe across the grill to transfer the spray. Fire is scary.) Also spray each patty on one side and place the sprayed side down onto the hot grill.
Cilantro Crema is a very simple sauce of garlic, Greek yogurt, sour cream, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Make it in a food processor. It takes five minutes and keep for about five days in the refrigerator. Definitely add a small fresh jalapeño if you like spice.
Serve the burgers on a bun or just as a lettuce wrap.
Also try Cilantro Crema here: Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Crema.
Turkey Lentil Burger with Cilantro Crema
Ingredients
- For the burgers:
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 1 14.5oz can lentils, well drained and squeezed out gently
- 1/4 c yellow onion, finely minced
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1 t ground coriander
- 1/2 t paprika
- 3/4 t celery salt
- 1/4 t kosher salt
- 1/4 t black pepper
- For the crema:
- 1small clove garlic, chopped
- 1 bunch cilantro leaves
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 t white vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 1/4 c sour cream
- 1/4 c Greek yogurt
- 1/8 t black pepper
- 1/4 t kosher salt
Directions
- Step 1 Heat grill to 350 degrees F.
- Step 2 Mix all turkey burger ingredients together well and form into 5 burger patties.
- Step 3 Oil the grill with nonstick spray by spraying onto a towel, gripping towel with tongs and rubbing onto the grill.
- Step 4 Place patties on the grill and cook 6-8 min on each side or until they reach an internal temp of 165 degrees F.
- Step 5 While patties grill, combine crema ingredients in a small food processor and process until smooth, divide salad greens onto plates and dress lightly with oil and vinegar, and carefully grill the naan bread and put on plates.
- Step 6 Once burgers are done, allow to rest for a few minutes as you plate everything.
- Step 7 Serve each patty with a piece of naan, some dressed salad greens and a generous dollop of crema.
