Avocado stuffed turkey burgers with chipotle aioli are the perfect way to kick off burger season! These flavorful burgers are served with my gluten-free hamburger buns!
This post is sponsored by Thrive Algae Oil.
While I eat burgers year-round, there is something about warm weather that makes me crave them in higher frequency. Gathering up some friends for a cook out when the days are longer and the weather is warm enough to eat outside is one of my favorite ways to consume all the foods.
And what better food to share than nutritious, filling avocado-stuffed turkey burgers with a fabulous homemade chipotle aioli?
These turkey burgers are straightforward and easy to make, yet seemingly fancy, because: avocado and aioli. Style points!
How to Make Flavorful Turkey Burgers:
Turkey burgers require a little additional help in the flavor and texture department unless you’re using a higher fat grind.
They also don’t hold together quite as well as beef burgers and tend to dry out unless you add some fat.
I use Thrive Algae Oil in the burger patties to enhance the flavor, keep them moist, and ensure they don’t crumble while cooking.
If you prefer using avocado oil or olive oil, either of those work too!
Many people choose ground turkey over ground beef for hamburgers due to turkey’s lower cholesterol content. Ramping up the healthy fat ensures you’re pleasing your palate while still adding a needed macronutrient to your diet.
I also love adding a diced avocado to the meat because it lends a unique melt-in-your mouth creaminess.
Finally, I add finely chopped onion, garlic, and sea salt to make these burger patties SING! When I’m under a time crunch or don’t feel like chopping onions or garlic, I swap them out for onion and garlic powder. I often add paprika and oregano to turkey burger patties as well.
How to Make Avocado Stuffed Turkey Burgers:
Preparing these avocado stuffed turkey burgers is a breeze! Simply add the ground turkey to a large mixing bowl, followed by the oil, chopped onion, garlic, and sea salt. Use your hands to mash everything together very well.
Add in the diced avocado and gently fold it into the meat. It’s okay if the avocado gets all mashed up, and it’s also okay for it to stay chunky! Either way works like a charm.
Once your meat is mashed, form burger patties. I like making ⅓-pound burgers by dividing the meat into thirds, but you can make any size you like.
From here, you can cook the burgers on a grill or in a cast iron skillet. Truthfully, unless I’m grilling a lot of other items, I cook my burgers in a skillet.
How to Cook Turkey Burgers in a Skillet:
Place a cast iron or non-stick skillet on your stove top. Add enough cooking oil to lightly coat the surface and heat to medium.
Test the skillet by carefully flicking water onto the surface. If the oil sizzles and pops, it is ready for cooking.
Carefully place the burger patties on the hot skillet, giving them at least 1 inch of space between for even cooking. Note: To avoid fat and oil splatter, place a fine mesh splatter screen over the skillet.
Cook 5 minutes, or until the first side is browned and crispy. Carefully flip and cook another 5 minutes, or until the turkey burger is cooked through and shows no pink in the center. To help the process along, you can add a tiny amount of water and cover the skillet if need be.
Add the cheese after you’ve finished flipping the meat. Cover the pan with a lid until cheese has melted.
Transfer the burgers to a plate or cutting board and allow them to sit 2 to 5 minutes before serving. This allows the juices to distribute throughout the meat and collect on the plate rather than causing the bun to get soggy.
How to Grill Avocado Stuffed Turkey Burgers:
Preheat grill to medium-high and brush off any food particles with a wire brush. If necessary, spray or coat with a high-temperature cooking oil (like algae oil – which even comes in a spray! You can find the spray as well as the oil at stores).
Place patties on the hot grill and cover. Cook until grill marks appear, about 5 minutes. Flip burgers and continue grilling until cooked through, about another 3 to 5 minutes.
Turn off the heat of the grill and add cheese slices to the burger patties. Cover the grill and let burgers sit until cheese has melted, about 1 minute.
Remove burgers from grill and allow them to rest 3 to 5 minutes before serving.
Now that we have covered the burger portion of this recipe, let us move on to something very, very important: The chipotle aioli.
How to Make Chipotle Aioli:
Making chipotle aioli is the same process as regular aioli.
Aioli is similar to mayonnaise in the sense that the two use egg and oil, although in my opinion, aioli is about a million times better than mayonnaise.
It’s creamier, more flavorful, less jiggly. No one likes a sauce that jiggles.
I use Thrive Algae Oil for the chipotle aioli too. It turns out so dreamy! Again, if you prefer using avocado or olive oil, either of those options work as well.
A cautionary word: Aioli is made with raw egg yolk. If you’re feeding children, pregnant, or are simply afraid of raw egg yolks, avoid making aioli.
The aioli gives these burgers amazing creamy spicy flavor! You can adjust the heat according to your spice tolerance, and you can also make the aioli without the chipotle chilies if you’re spice-averse.
If you have never made aioli at home, no sweat. It’s super easy, but does require a little time and elbow grease.
Add the minced garlic, egg yolk, and lemon juice to a mixing bowl and whisk together until smooth.
Slowly incorporate the algae oil into the mixture, whisking small amounts of it in at a time until it is completely incorporated. Whisk vigorously until mixture is thick and creamy.
Add in the chopped chipotle chilis and continue whisking until well-incorporated.
Taste the aioli for flavor and add more sea salt to taste. You can also add some lime juice for an acidic tang.
And that’s it! I serve up my burgers on homemade gluten-free hamburger buns, but you can use store-bought buns or go for a lettuce wrap to keep it low-carb.
Top your turkey burgers with the chipotle aioli, cheese, bacon, sliced tomato, lettuce, red onion, or any of your favorite toppings.
Sink your teeth in!
More Burger Recipes:
- Asian Turkey Burgers with Zucchini Noodles
- Baked Salmon Burgers
- Pesto Burgers with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms
- Skillet-Cooked Bison Burgers with Havarti and Pesto
My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your all your support!
If you make these Avocado Stuffed Turkey Burgers, please feel free to share a photo and tag @The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!
Avocado Stuffed Turkey Burgers with Chipotle Aioli
Ingredients
Chipotle Aioli
- 1 small clove garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp stone ground mustard
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup Algae Oil*
- 3 chipotle chilis in adobo sauce chopped
- 1 pinch sea salt to taste
Avocado Stuffed Turkey Burgers:
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 3 Tbsp Algae Oil*
- 1/4 cup yellow onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 ripe avocado peeled and diced
Burger Toppings:
- 3 Gluten-Free Hamburger Buns
- 3 slices Pepper Jack Cheese
- 1 large tomato sliced
- 3 large leaves butter lettuce
- 3 slices red onion
Instructions
Make the Chipotle Aioli
- Add the minced garlic, mustard, egg yolk, and lemon juice to a mixing bowl and whisktogether until smooth.
- Slowly incorporate the algae oil into the mixture, whisking small amounts of it in at a time until it is completely incorporated. Whisk vigorously until mixture is thick and creamy. Add he chipotle chilis and whisk well until combined.
- Taste for flavor and add more sea salt to taste. Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Make the Turkey Burgers
- Add the ground turkey to a large mixing bowl, followed by the algae oil, chopped onion, garlic, and sea salt. Use your hands to mash everything together very well.
- Add in the diced avocado and gently fold it into the meat.
- Form burger patties. I like making ⅓-pound burgers by dividing the meat into thirds, but you can make any size you like.
- Place a cast iron or non-stick skillet on your stove top and add enough algae oil to lightly coat the surface. Heat to medium.
- Once the skillet it all the way hot, carefully place the burger patties on the surface, giving them at least 1 inch of space between for even cooking.
- Cook 5 minutes, or until the first side is browned and crispy. Carefully flip and cook another 5minutes, or until the turkey burger is cooked through and shows no pink in the center. To help the process along, you can add a tiny amount of water and cover the skillet if need be.
- Add the cheese after you've finished flipping the meat. Cover the pan with a lid until cheese has melted.
- Transfer the burgers to a plate or cutting board and allow them to sit 2 to 5 minutes before serving on a toasted bun with chipotle aioli and choice of toppings.
It’s like having Kibbeh between a bun. I made the turkey patty in such a way where I was able to put the cheese, onion, garlic, avocado, and bacon in the middle of the patty and seal it up. Little extra work but fun experiment.
Oooh, I love the idea of adding cheese and bacon to the turkey patty…brilliant! xo
You are right, sauces that jiggle are more jello! LOL The photos made my mouth water and my stomach say YES PLEASE!
They’re such amazing burgers!! I have a lot of love for them. 😀