The other day I shared a few lessons I gathered from The Kitchn Cookbook. I’m getting better at cooking from some of the cookbooks I own and love, like The Kitchn Cookbook. I mentioned in this week’s post that I would share a recipe from The Kitchn so here we are. The book has a ton of recipes so it wasn’t easy picking just one to share this week. When I was choosing a recipe, I knew I wanted something for dinner but I wanted something quick, easy and somewhat familiar. So I chose a turkey burger. Turkey burgers are easy and Middle Eastern turkey burgers just sound delicious.
I don’t know a lot about Middle Eastern cuisine; I’ve had a chance to taste certain dishes but it’s not a cuisine that I eat a lot of though, I’d love to. What I do know about Middle Eastern food is that it usually has some interesting flavor combinations like cinnamon, mint, cumin and raisins. This burger was no different. The seasons were great though I did alter the recipe just a bit.
You know my philosophy: a recipe is simply a guide. It’s not the absolute only way to make a recipe.
Dinner tonight: Middle Eastern turkey burgers
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1/4 cup red onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon mint, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon dill, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl (except for the olive oil); mix together really well (use your hands and make sure they're clean). Form 4 patties (use your thumb to make a small indentation in the middle of the patty - this helps it cook evenly).
- In a skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook; 6 minutes each side or until they are cooked through.
- When the patties are done, use pita bread or naan to assemble your sandwiches (I used pita pockets).
- Assemble your burgers using whatever toppings you like: tzatziki, feta, curry ketchup (curry powder + ketchup), bibb lettuce - really whatever you like!
Seriously, this burger is really yummy and such a vast contrast to the usually boring turkey burger. The herbs and spices in this really make for a flavorful combo. I used pita pockets as the “buns” (because, hello, they’re cute) and blended curry powder and ketchup together to make a smoky ketchup. I really loved that part.
Tzatziki would be a wonderful addition too. Unfortunately for me, I don’t enjoy tzatziki but I can appreciate the ingredients and what it adds to dishes. I’d highly recommend trying it if you make this burger. Here’s a recipe from The Kitchn if you’d like to try it for yourself.
