Recipe: Turkey Burgers with Avocado Cream

You won’t miss the bun with these moist and flavorful turkey burgers. A dollop of avocado cream is the perfect complement.

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Ingredients

For the burgers:

1 ¼ pounds ground dark turkey meat (look for 15% fat; if all you can find at the store is lean 7 to 10% fat ground turkey breast, add 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the burger mix)
12 large oil-packed, sulfite-free sundried tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil or parsley leaves
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
optional: 2 pinches red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

For the avocado cream:

1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
¼ cup organic mayonnaise
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 pinches sea salt

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine the ground turkey, tomatoes, basil, mustard, salt and pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using) and mix with your hands until incorporated. (You can dampen your hands with a little water so the mixture doesn’t stick.)
Divide the burger mixture into four even portions and form into rounded patties about ¾ inch thick.
To make perfectly round burgers, use a 4‑inch ring mold.
Heat the oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium-low heat. When the pan is hot, add the patties and cook until a browned crust forms, 3 to 4 minutes.
Turn the patties over and cover the pan. Turn the heat to low and cook the burgers 7 to 8 minutes or until the internal temperature measures 165°F on a meat thermometer.
While the patties are cooking, make the avocado cream. Place the avocado, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and sea salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade.
Puree the ingredients until smooth and creamy.

Serve the burgers, each with a quarter of the avocado cream on top.