Often when people opt for turkey burgers, it’s because they’re looking for a healthier alternative to a beef burger. And there’s something to this line of thinking: Ground turkey is slightly lower in saturated fat than ground beef. But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that there’s flavor in fat. However, flavor can come by other means.

In this recipe, it comes with the addition of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, along with scallions and yellow onions. The chipotles in adobo add a bit of heat and smokiness. The scallions lend a little sweetness, while the onions bring a sharp bite to the mix. If you don’t want things too spicy, simply scrape the seeds out of the chipotle peppers.

Given these turkey burgers have a low fat content, you’ll want to take care not to overcook them. Watch the burgers carefully. If you don’t trust your inner-cook, use a meat thermometer. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends cooking ground turkey to 165 degrees.

Bibb lettuce makes a great “bun” for a few reasons: (1) It’s nice to change things up. (2) Bibb lettuce doesn’t have those extra carbs. (3) The Bibb lettuce brings additional moisture to the party.

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Chipotle scallion turkey burgers

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey

  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

  • 2 tablespoons finely minced scallions – green tops only

  • 1/2 cup finely minced yellow onion

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

  • 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • 8 Bibb lettuce leaves

  • 12 thin slices of English cucumber

  • 1 small Roma tomato, thinly sliced

Preparation:

Step one: Heat the grill to medium heat.

Step two: Combine the turkey, chipotle peppers, onion, scallions, pepper and salt.

Step three: Divide the mixture into four equal portions and shape into patties. Make a small indentation in the center of each patty.

Step four: Brush the grill grates with the olive oil. Place the patties on the grill.

Step five: Cook each patty for three minutes and then flip them over. Continue cooking approximately three minutes more, or until the patties reach a temperature of 163 degrees. Remove the patties and place them on a plate. They will continue cooking, achieving the desired final cooking time of 165 degrees.

Step six: Place each patty on top of a lettuce leaf. Top with tomato and cucumber. Top with the additional lettuce leaf.

Serves 8. Nutritional information: 201 calories; 11 grams of fat; 186 milligrams of sodium; 3 carbohydrates; 22 grams of protein.