Cajun Turkey Burgers with Louisiana Remoulade

Now I know what you are thinking: “Turkey burgers? What’s gotten into you, Aaron?” Five years ago I wouldn’t have come near a turkey burger. However, taste buds change, and it’s not like I’m never going to eat another cheeseburger again, so ease up.

For those of you who are not familiar with ground turkey, a good way to start eating it is by putting it in meat sauce with spaghetti. You will soon realize that it is quite delicious (I am not saying it will forever be a substitute for beef; it is just a nice change of pace). This Cajun-themed turkey burger is topped with a simple, yet tasty, Louisiana remoulade.

Ingredients

Turkey Burger

1 1/3 lbs ground turkey (1 package)

¼ cup green onion, sliced

¼ cup red bell pepper, diced

½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp creole seasoning

1 egg

1 cup bread crumbs

salt and pepper, to taste 

Cajun Remoulade

1/2 cup evoo

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 egg yolks

1/8 cup horseradish mustard (Creole mustard mixed with prepared horseradish works well too and is more traditional, but the prepared HR mustard works splendidly.)

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp Cajun or Creole seasoning

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (preferably Tabasco)

¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce

Process

Finely mince the garlic, adding a pinch of salt about halfway through to allow the garlic to get creamy. Mix the olive oil and garlic together. Whisk egg yolks and mustard in a mixing bowl for about two minutes. Slowly pour the oil and garlic mixture into the egg yolks and whisk until a mayonnaise-like texture is achieved. Stir in the remaining ingredients, and refrigerate for about an hour to let the flavors fully merge.  

Whisk the egg for about a minute. Combine the rest of the ingredients for the turkey burger.

Cook in an oil coated pan on medium heat for about four minutes on each side. A nice sear should be created, and the inside of the patty should be fully cooked.

Place on a bun and top with the remoulade.

Taste Test

Now, I’m no expert on turkey burgers—but the fact that I finished the whole thing without thinking “I’m eating a turkey burger” is a very good sign. The green onion and peppers flavored the meat nicely, and the Cajun seasoning rounded out the overall taste. As far as texture goes, it was comparable to a bison burger, which I love.

The remoulade was pretty spicy. The oil and garlic flavor were abundant but not overpowering, allowing for the spices to shine.

Leftover Quality

Much like a regular burger, it is better to eat these after cooking.