Salsa Burgers

I wanted tacos for dinner, but the husband requested burgers, so I defrosted a package of ground turkey in the fridge. Turkey burgers are a quick, standby recipe in this house, but sometimes I get bored with them. While the meat was thawing in the microwave, I scoured the fridge, looking for flavor inspirations.

I usually add plain yogurt to ground turkey to increase the moisture (I find ground turkey to be really dry otherwise), but we were out, so I settled on light sour cream. That, combine with my craving for Mexican food, pushed me towards the salsa jar. Slowly, I began pulling out ingredients for a spicy, Mexican-flavored burger.

The husband doesn't like spicy food as much as I do...in fact, he even commented that I put salsa on all my food and wondered when I will create a salsa cake! So I divided the meat in half and only added the salsa to my half of the ground turkey (the recipe below calls for the salsa to be added to the entire pound of meat). If you are like the husband, use a mild salsa and omit the cayenne. You'll still have a flavorful burger, but without all the heat I like. If you like a lot of heat, use a hot salsa and up the cayenne and chili powder. That is the great thing about this recipe, it is easily adaptable to your tastes.

Salsa Burgers
Source: me
Printable Recipe

Ingredients
1 pound ground turkey
2 Tablespoons chunky salsa
2 Tablespoons light sour cream
1-2 teaspoons cayenne
2 teaspoons pepper
sprinkle garlic salt
heavy dash chili powder
4 small cubes pepper jack cheese

Directions
Light a charcoal grill or plug in your George Foreman grill (my method of choice here).

Mix all ingredients, except the cheese, together until fully incorporated.

Form the meat into four patties. Push a cube of cheese into the center of each patty and seal.

Cook the meat until your desired level of doneness. Serve on your favorite bun (we used toasted sandwich thins) with additional salsa.