Stuffed Bacon Turkey Burgers

Happy (almost) 4th of July!  I have a killer burger recipe for you to try during your Independence Day festivities!  Mark and I made these Paleo Stuffed Bacon Turkey Burgers several times already this summer and we just can’t get enough of them!  New favorite burger?  Definitely YES.

I mean, let’s be honest.  A turkey burger sounds kind of boring.  But, when you mix in smokey bacon, stuff it with cheese, and top it with caramelized onions and my Dairy-Free Avocado Ranch Dressing?

Bliss.  Pure burger bliss.

I came up with with my Stuffed Bacon Turkey Burgers several weeks ago, actually, but held off on sharing it with you until now, since July 4th is prime time for cookouts!  I also wanted to make sure you had some practice making the Dairy-Free Avocado Ranch Dressing that I posted earlier this week!  🙂  It really compliments these burgers so well!

We kept our burgers totally dairy-free by using what is hands down my favorite dairy-free cheese:  Miyoko’s Kitchen brand.  It’s popping up in health food stores across the US, so if you happen to find it, it’s a must-try!  You can also order it through their website.  It’s innovative, creamy, SO tasty, and comes in a variety of flavors!

We happened to have the Miyoko’s Kitchen Sun-Dried Tomato Garlic cheese on hand, so we used that, but you could use any cheese (dairy or non-dairy) that you want!  Or, stuff with some pieces of avocado as a cheese alternative!

Let’s get our grill on and make these burgers!

We set our grill to medium/high heat while we prepped the burgers.  I also started the caramelized onions.  The key to these is low and slow!  Slice the onions into rings and then start them on medium heat until they turn translucent, then turn the heat down to low and stir occasionally.  It takes about 15-20 minutes for good caramelization, so be patient and check in on the onions now and then while you make the burgers.

While your onions are sizzling, whip up a batch of my Dairy-Free Avocado Ranch Dressing and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready for it.I cut up some uncured bacon into small pieces using kitchen shears.  Then I combined the bacon bits, ground turkey, and spices together in a large bowl.  I was able to form 6 patties out of the mixture, but you can make yours larger or smaller.Once the patties were formed, I enlisted Mark to be my hand model once again and had him stuff each patty with a piece of Miyoko’s Kitchen cheese, then press in the edges to reseal the burgers so the cheese would stay inside.  After the patties were reformed, it was time to grill!

I should note that Mark is the grill master in our house!  He has a gift for it that I totally lack!  I never can tell when meat is done, but he is like a pro!  So, he grills everything for me and I’m happy to pass off that duty to him! 🙂  Thank you, Mark!

The burgers take about 5 minutes per side with the grill lid closed.  Once they’re done, take them off the heat and set them aside for a minute.  I cut one open to check out the cheesy goodness.  Drool.

  To complete the burgers, we used romaine hearts, sliced tomatoes and avocado, our lovely caramelized onions, and my Dairy-Free Avocado Ranch Dressing.

For an easy side, I served my burgers with a generous handful of Jackson’s Honest Sweet Potato Chips.  You guys, these chips!  Cooked simply in coconut oil and sprinkled with sea salt, they are crispy, slightly sweet, and addictively good!  I could easily eat the whole bag!

But, back to the burgers.  Talk about a big, messy bite of glorious food!  The burgers were juicy and full of flavor from the bacon, the cheese was soft and creamy, the onions were sweet, and the avocado ranch dressing was tangy and refreshing.  I could barely stand taking the photos of these burgers because I couldn’t wait to dive in!

Whether you cook out or eat in this 4th of July, add these Stuffed Bacon Turkey Burgers to your party menu!  Here’s to America, our freedom, and those who fought so hard to earn it for us!  Happy 4th, friends!

Stuffed Bacon Turkey Burgers

 

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Created by: Joanna Smith

Serves: 6 burgers

Ingredients

For the Burgers:

• 1.25 lbs ground turkey
• 6 slices of uncooked bacon
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon thyme
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 3 ounces cheese of choice (I used dairy-free)

For the Toppings:

• 1 large sweet onion, sliced
• 1 large tomato, sliced
• 1 avocado, sliced
• Romaine or Iceberg Lettuce leaves
• Dairy-Free Avocado Ranch Dressing

Instructions

1. Place sweet onion slices in a lightly oiled skillet and cook over medium heat until onions are translucent a lightly browned, then turn the heat down to low and let caramelize for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Make Dairy-Free Avocado Ranch Dressing and set aside.
3. Cut bacon slices into small pieces. Combine with ground turkey and spices in a bowl and mix well with your hands.
4. Form burgers into 6 patties. Separate each patty into two halves, fill with ½ ounce of cheese, then reform patties.
5. Grill burgers with lid closed on medium/high heat for about 10 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
6. Serve burgers on lettuce leaves with tomato, caramelized onions, avocado, and Dairy-Free Avocado Ranch Dressing.

Notes

~I used dairy-free Miyoko's Kitchen Sun-Dried Tomato Garlic cheese for my burgers and they were fantastic!

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