Unfortunately, I only had 4oz of leftover ground turkey when I made this experiment. It came out better than I ever expected and it would have even been better if I could have made it with more ground turkey.
The pear/ginger combination was awesome with the turkey. It was a fun spin and I will make it again once I get my hands on more meat. The only thing I'll do differently next time is double everything and add an egg. Even though the burgers stayed together I think they needed a bit more glue.
I didn't want to smother this burger in ketchup--strange for me, I know--so instead I took the leftover pear and made a quick spread that went with them perfectly!
Here's how I made them yesterday. I hope the idea inspires you….
Ingredients
- 4oz lean ground turkey
- ¼ cup old fashioned oats (20g)
- ½ pear diced with skin
- About ½ inch of fresh ginger grated (I keep 1 inch cubes in my freezer)
- ½ teaspoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground sage
Instructions
Place all ingredients in bowl.
Combine well
Form into 2 patties and pan fry about 4 minutes a side until cooked through.
To make the Pear Yogurt Spread I pureed the other half of the pear (minus a few nibbles) with a tablespoon of non-fat greek yogurt, then mixed in a dash of soy sauce. The result was a bit much for my two burgers, but it would have been perfect for about 4.
I used a whole wheat English muffin as my bun. Added some baby spinach and topped my burger with the spread. It was a great lunch!
📖 Recipe
Ginger Pear Turkey Burger with Pear Yogurt Spread
Ingredients
- 4 oz lean ground turkey
- ¼ cup old fashioned oats 20g
- ½ pear diced with skin
- About ½ inch of fresh ginger grated I keep 1 inch cubes in my freezer
- ½ teaspoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground sage
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in bowl.4 oz lean ground turkey, ¼ cup old fashioned oats, About ½ inch of fresh ginger grated, ½ teaspoon soy sauce, ½ teaspoon dried parsley, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon ground sage
- Combine well
- Form into 2 patties and pan fry about 4 minutes a side until cooked through.
Pear Yogurt
- To make the Pear Yogurt Spread I pureed the other half of the pear (minus a few nibbles) with a tablespoon of non-fat greek yogurt, then mixed in a dash of soy sauce. The result was a bit much for my two burgers, but it would have been perfect for about 4.½ pear diced with skin
- I used a whole wheat English muffin as my bun. Added some baby spinach and topped my burger with the spread. It was a great lunch!
Living the sweet life
This sounds delicious, I've never tried adding the pear to the patty - but that sounds lovely. I normally just top my burger with slices of pear.
I love the combination of meat and fruits. Have you ever tried turkey and fresh figs? I LOVE it!!
Liz
This looks fantastic and NOT at all gross in my opinion. Pears go well with poultry - and when you break down the component flavors in ketchup (tomato - vinegar - sweetness - saltiness) and compare it to Roni's sauce it really is quite similar in terms of flavor balance and texture. Sounds awesome, can't wait to try it.
Julie
A chef friend of mine swears by ground dark meat turkey for turkey burgers. The higher fat content of dark meat I guess makes it more moist and flavorful. And since it's ground there's otherwise not much difference. I know it can be purchased at the meat counter at places like Whole Foods. Have not looked at a regular grocery but it is something he uses exclusively and I never even knew about!
Mireya Merritt
I just had to come back and comment because the comment #1 was bothering me. Why was this person being so rude? If she doesn't like healthy food she should be looking at other sites; that's what I was thinking. Later, I remembered reading somewhere that one tricky way to get a link is to get the blogger mad so they respond to the comment. Well, I think this commenter, if she wants links, should work post interesting and relevant comments, and be sincere. Rudeness is unacceptable!
Mireya Merritt
I've been craving turkey burgers this week. This one sounds pretty creative and interesting.
Sabrina
I just purchased mango/habanero preserve from a farmers market vendor to spread on wings and cook. People put pineapple on hams. I made a pumpkin soup - has coconut cream in it - and it turned out to be a lovely gravy for turkey last year. Plus, pears are a great holiday food add-in. I don't see anything unappealing about it at all. Sounds great! Plus, I am a recent fan of Greek yogurt, yummy. I love how creamy and thick it is compared to regular yogurt.
Dorene
The burger sounds yummy. Just tried a mixture of fig jam and dijon mustard, I think that would be wonderful on it. Hubby wouldn't touch yogurt if it was the last thing on earth to eat 🙂
Jan
Sound fantastic Roni.
Geesh Kelly, if it doesn't appeal to you just pass on by!
Laura
Seems fine to me. I like meat with fruit so I could see how this would work.
roni
To each their own Kelly. It totally rocked in my opinion but I'm into trying to new things that's why I have the blog. My husband would gawk at this too.
Kelly Ashby
That is just down right gross!!! Sorry!!