Hamburger Buns & Turkey Burgers

When it starts getting warm outside my mind always shifts to things to grill, I love the smell of the grill (even when I end up smelling like it!), the taste of it and the social aspects of grilling and eating outside. In an effort to find a healthier hamburger I grabbed a few pounds of ground turkey at the store this week and decided to try and figure out what I could do with them....this being my first foray into turkey burgers I was a little nervous. In an attempt to buffer the potential for a bad turkey burger I also mixed up a batch of homemade burger buns...so easy and tasty!

Beautiful Burger Buns (adapted from the King Arther Flour Baker's Companion Cookbook)

1 Cup Water
2 Tbsp Butter
1 Egg
3 1/4 Cup Flour
1/4 Cup Sugar
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Instant Yeast

1. Combine all ingredients and mix/knead them together until you've made a soft, smooth dough.
2. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover and let it rise for one hour.
3. Divide the dough into eight pieces and shpae each one into a flattened ball.
4. Place the buns onto greased baking sheets, cover and let rise 30-40 minutes, until they are pretty puffy.
5. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Bake buns for 12-15 minutes, until they are golden brown.
6. Let cool - split and use for your favorite sandwich or burger!


The successful baking inspired a bit of confidence so I got a little bold with my turkey which gave rise to BBQ Turkey Burgers!

BBQ Turkey Burgers
1 Tsp Salt
2 Tsp Black Pepper
1 Tsp Paprika
2 Lbs Fresh Ground Turkey
1/4 Cup Minced Red Onion
1 Clove Minced Garlic
1 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tsp Liquid Smoke
2 Tbsp Your Favorite BBQ Sauce

1. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Shape five medium-large burgers from meat mixture, let chill an hour.
3. Grill or broil burgers until they are cooked through.


These burgers were a big hit, my little sis and her roommate came all the way up to the house from San Marcos (where they go to school) to have some BBQ Turkey Burgers! I ended up working from home a day after these were dinner and was lucky enough to be able to make a patty melt from the remaining burger - mmmm...a slice of Havarti and some seriously caramelized red onions = one delicious patty melt (and yes I've been on a big tomato kick lately)!