turkey Archives - ¡HOLA! JALAPEÑO

Tapatio Turkey Burger Recipe with Spicy Mayo

December 18, 2020 by Kate Ramos 2 Comments

The BEST Turkey Burger recipe! This one is anything but boring, seasoned with Tapatio hot sauce, a simple spice blend, and Worcestershire with a little spicy mayo on top to boot. Serve the turkey burger with sweet potato fries and a simple Cilantro-Lime Slaw for an easy, healthy, and delicious dinner.

As we hunker down with family this holiday season it’s nice to have a simple dinner recipe for those nights when you feel like doing anything but cook dinner.

Burger recipes are always a hit at our house and I like to switch up the beef burgers every once in a while with something different. Chorizo burgers are amazing but sometimes I want something a bit healthier, lighter, and not so heavy.

A turkey burger sitting on a wood table with a jar of Tapatio spice mix sitting behind it along with some sweet potato fries.

That’s where this turkey burger recipe comes in.

Lean ground turkey makes excellent burgers if you season them right (that’s where the Tapatio comes in) and don’t overcook them. They’re also super fast and cook up in time for you to get back to your Christmas movie marathon. My favorite kind of holiday recipe!

Check out these recipes for more easy dinner ideas!

A turkey burger sitting on a bun with the other side of the bun slathered in spicy mayonnaise sitting next to it and a bowl of slaw in the corner.

turkey burger recipe ingredients

These are the basic ingredients to make the BEST (and a little spicy) turkey burgers. If you are sensitive to spice, you can either cut the amount of hot sauce in half or just leave it out. If you LOVE spicy stuff—increase it!

Ground turkey
Tapatio Hot Sauce. Tapatio has the perfect spicy-acidic balance for these burgers but feel free to substitute your favorite hot sauce or leave it out.
Onion powder
Salt and pepper
Worcestershire sauce
Garlic powder
Finely chopped cilantro

how to make the BEST turkey burgers

Making turkey burgers is really pretty easy but here are my tips for getting a flavorful, juicy burger every time.

The first step to making the turkey patties is to combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. You want to mix the ingredients together with wet hands to combine everything evenly but not over mix. If you work the turkey too much they will be tough.

Next, form each burger patty by gently patting into a round just so they hold their shape but not too tightly. Set each patty on a large plate or baking sheet until you are ready to cook them. You can make them in advance at this stage, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Finally, cook the patties by grilling or pan-frying. To pan fry the burgers heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add burgers and cook until browned and cooked through and the internal temperature is at 165 degrees, about 2-3 minutes per side.

Cooking turkey burgers on the grill is also delicious. Fire the grill up to medium high heat, clean and oil the grates then cook until the burgers are cooked all the way through, about 5-6 minutes.

*grilling tip

The Tapatio and Worcestershire make these burger patties a bit more wet than normal. If you’d like a firmer burger for grilling add 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs or unseasoned breadcrumbs.

A small glass bowl with spicy mayonnaise in it. The top is sprinkled with Tapatio Picante seasoning mix and there is a spoon in the bowl.

now for the extras

Get out the mixing bowls because there are a few things that make these burgers complete!

To go with these burgers I love to mix together a spicy mayo to slather on top. In addition to their famous hot sauce, Tapatio also makes a picante seasoning mix with the same zip. Combine a teaspoon or so of the seasoning mix with 1/2 cup of mayonnaise for a quick, easy burger sauce.

If you can’t find the Tapatio seasoning, use Tajín or a few glugs of the same Tapatio hot sauce you used for the burger patties.

Instead of the classic lettuce, tomato, pickle garnish I think these spicy burgers deserve a delicious, crunchy Cilantro-Lime Slaw.

Lastly, sweet potato fries are my jam with burgers. You can buy store-bought fries and season them with more of the spicy picante seasoning or cut peeled sweet potatoes into thin strips, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and bake at 425°F for about 20 minutes.

my favorite burger recipes:

A turkey burger and sweet potato fries sitting on a piece of parchment paper on a wood table with a bottle of Tapatio spice mix next to it.

show me your buns!

Ideally with burgers in them :). I hope you love this turkey burger recipe as much as we do. Please let me know if you make them by snapping a pic and tag me on Instagram @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno so I can see or leave me a comment below (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating) !

Tapatio Turkey Burger Recipe with Spicy Mayo

Yield: 4 burgers

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

The BEST Turkey Burger recipe! This one is anything but boring, seasoned with Tapatio hot sauce, a simple spice blend and spicy mayo on top.

Ingredients

1 pound ground turkey
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon Tapatio Hot Sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Tapatio Picante Seasoning or Tajín
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 Burger buns, toasted
1 recipes Cilantro-Lime Slaw

Instructions

Mix the patty ingredients: In a large bowl combine ground turkey, cilantro, Tapatio hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Using wet hands mix ingredients until evenly combined but don't over mix.
Form into patties. Gently form mixture into 4 equal-sized patties. Don't press together too tightly. Lay on a large plate or baking sheet until you are ready to cook. You can cover and refrigerate the patties up to 2 days at this point.
Combine spicy mayo. In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise with the Tapatio Picante Seasoning or Tajín.
Cook the burgers. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once shimmering add patties and cook, undisturbed until evenly browned on the bottom, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and continue cooking on the other side until burgers are cooked all the way through and the internal temperature reads 165°F on an instant read thermometer.
Assemble and serve. Slather mayo on both sides of the buns, top with burgers and slaw and serve immediately with sweet potato fries.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 428Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 120mgSodium: 513mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 33g

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Mexican Torta with Turkey and Black Beans

June 14, 2019 by Kate Ramos 13 Comments

Well, it’s officially summer and once again I am taking any and every opportunity to picnic with my babes. Whether it’s to the park or to the beach, a Mexican Torta piled high with turkey is just the sandwich our picnic basket needs!

There are as many traditional Mexican sandwiches (or tortas) as there are stars in the sky.

Tortas in Mexico are as beloved as tacos and throughout the country they reign supreme among the street food scene.

From a Torta Ahogada (covered in chili sauce) to a Torta de Camarón (shrimp Torta) Mexican cuisine has taken the sandwich to new heights.

This sandwich layered with thinly sliced roast turkey, garlic and oregano-marinated tomatoes, refried beans, and avocado is perfect for this time of year.

5 Essentials to a Traditional Mexican Torta

The bread: Always a soft roll, here I’m using a long bun called a bolillo or you could use the flatter bread called telera rolls.
Smashed avocado smeared on one side of the roll.
Smashed, flavorful beans on the bottom half of each roll.
Meat: Here we use roasted turkey but shredded pork would also be good.
Vegetables: Typically lettuce, tomato, sliced onion, and/or pickled jalapeños.

What sets this torta apart is the oregano-scented chopped tomatoes.

Find the juciest, ripe tomatoes, chop them up and add a bit of black pepper, a clove or two of chopped garlic, some dried oregano, and a good pinch of salt.

I can promise it will make all your sandwich dreams come true. Just one more thing to love about Mexican food!

How To Pack These Tortas For A Picnic

To take your torta on the go, be sure to toast the bread before assembling the sandwich. This will keep the soft roll from getting soggy if you aren’t going to eat it right away.

Wrap the tortas tightly in plastic wrap and pack them in your cooler or lunch sack.

These tortas are a meal on their own but a picnic of watermelon, fresh sliced tomatoes, and homemade fig bars makes for a delightful afternoon.

Look At You And Your Divine Mexican Torta!

If you make this Torta recipe, I want to hear about it! Snap a photo of your Mexican Torta. Tag me on Instagram using @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno. Happy eating!

Mexican Torta with Turkey

This simple Cold Mexican Turkey Torta with thinly sliced roast turkey, avocado, and garlic, oregano-marinated tomatoes is perfect for this time of year. #torta #turkeytorta #Mexicantorta #Mexicansandwich

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 8 reviews

This simple Cold Mexican Turkey Torta with thinly sliced roast turkey, avocado, and garlic, oregano-marinated tomatoes is perfect for this time of year.

Author: Kate Ramos
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: sandwich
Method: no cook
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

Scale

For the Oregano-Marinated Tomatoes:

2 cups chopped, ripe tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cloves garlic, chopped

For the Torta:

2 Bolillo rolls

1 recipe Best Ever Canned Black Beans, mashed and cooled slightly

1 ripe avocado

2 cups shredded red leaf lettuce

1/2 pound thinly sliced roasted turkey

4–6 pickled jalapeños, sliced into rings

Instructions

For the Oregano Tomatoes:

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside

For the Torta:

Slice bolillo rolls in half and toast lightly. Spread one side with mashed black beans. Mash 1/2 of the ripe avocado on the other side. Season avocado with salt and pepper. Repeat with remaining bolillo roll.

Divide turkey, lettuce, oregano tomatoes, and jalapeño slices between the two sandwiches. Top with the other side of the roll and cut each sandwich in half.

Enjoy right away or wrap each half tightly in plastic wrap and take with you on a picnic or desk lunch.

Keywords: Mexican Torta

Smoky Chipotle Turkey Tortas

April 3, 2018 by Kate Ramos Leave a Comment

I don’t know about you, but it’s after Easter and I’m ready for a change. The problem most of us face is we have TONS of leftovers; turkey or ham, scalloped potatoes, and fruit salad for days. These Smoky Chipotle Turkey Tortas are my answer to this double dilemma—a spicy, cheesy sandwich that cures the Easter doldrums but still knocks out some leftovers at the same time.

This Mexican-style sandwich takes shredded leftover turkey and mixes it with garlic and lime juice and spicy, minced chipotle en adobo. This smoky mixture gets piled on a soft bolillo roll that has been slathered with creamy black beans.

Now if this sounds to good to be true, just wait— cover all this with melty Oaxaca cheese and pop that bad boy under the broiler. After a couple minutes the bread will be golden and toasted on the edges and the cheese will be bubbly and melted.

The final touches are something crunchy and fresh. I think a balance of soft and crisp is essential to a good torta. So on goes fresh baby arugula, sharp slices of red onion, and thin wafers of radish, also a hefty drizzle of Mexican Crema, giving the sandwich a sour tang that makes this torta completely irresistible.

The Oaxaca cheese and crema absolutely make this torta. The cheese melts beautifully and covers the turkey and beans in a luscious blanket of rich cheese and the Crema Mexicana is nice and thick with a gentle brightness that is a relief from the spiciness of the chipotle chiles.

These tortas are so good you might find yourself making Easter dinner all over again just to have the turkey for tortas the next day.

Smoky Chipotle Turkey Tortas

Print Recipe

Easy as can be, this recipe for Smoky Chipotle Turkey Tortas uses leftover holiday turkey or rotisserie chicken and is ready in 30 minutes. With refried black beans, Oaxaca cheese, and a fresh sprinkle of arugula and radishes this Mexican-style sandwich is the prefect weeknight meal.

Author: Kate
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 30 mins
Yield: 4 sandwiches 1x

Ingredients

Scale

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
3 chipotles en adobo, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 ½ pounds cooked turkey or rotisserie chicken, shredded
1 tablespoon chicken broth or leftover turkey stock
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Juice of 1 lime
4 bolillos or French rolls
1 (15-ounce) can refried black beans, warmed
1 (10-ounce) package Oaxaca cheese, grated
½ cup Crema Mexicana
½ bunch radishes, thinly sliced
2 cups baby arugula
½ red onion, thinly sliced

Instructions

Heat broiler to high and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Heat oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic and chipotles and season with salt. Let cook 1 minute then add turkey, broth, and paprika. Cook until combined and warmed through.
Stir in lime juice and taste. Add more salt if needed.
Slice bolillos in half, horizontally and place them cut side up on the prepared baking sheet (you may have to broil tortas in two batches depending on the size of the bread).
Divide beans between the pieces of bread and spread to cover. Top one side of each torta with turkey then divided cheese between each piece of bread.
Broil tortas until bread is toasted and cheese is melted, about 2 minutes.
Top each torta with a tablespoon or so of crema, radishes, arugula, and onions. Close each torta, slice in half and serve.

Notes

Makes these tortas any time with shredded rotisserie chicken instead of turkey or broil a few turkey breasts for 8-10 minutes, then shred. You can even use leftover ham or roast beef.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

I’d love to hear your thoughts. What do you make with your Easter leftovers?

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Mexican Lime-Poached and Roasted Turkey

November 12, 2015 by Kate Ramos 11 Comments

Behold! I give you quite possibly the easiest Thanksgiving turkey recipe ever.

Keep in mind I did not say the fastest but the easiest one I’ve ever made, and I’ve made my fair share of turkeys like this one, and this one, and even this one. They were all good but they all took the kind of effort you’d expect for the centerpiece of the year’s most important meal.

Let’s go back to one year ago today when I was eternally washing dishes and listening to turkey roasting tips from Ariane Daguin when she said she poached her turkey before roasting it. What the what?!!! In her beautiful French accent she explained how briefly poaching the turkey the night before in a rich broth infuses the turkey with loads of flavor and not only that, you are pre-cooking it ever so slightly which cuts down significantly on the roasting time, resulting in a juicier bird.

Well, I knew that was the turkey for me. I was willing to go the extra mile for such a glorious-sounding bird but to my pleasant surprise it turned out to be so much easier than your average Thanksgiving roasting affair.

There are no special bags, no brining, no basting, it takes about a quarter of the time and bonus, you are left with boatloads of delicious turkey broth that you can use to make soup with the leftovers! The only, ever-so-slightly, annoying thing is that you do have to let it sit in the broth overnight. So you will need to A: Have a lidded pot big enough to fit the turkey in. And B: Have enough room in your refrigerator for the pot. Or if you live in a cold enough climate (like me) you can put it on your front porch or non-heated garage, as long as it is 30°F or colder outside.

Then the next day you place that baby in a roasting pan and roast it at a pretty high heat for only—get this— 30 Minutes! That’s it! And then turn your oven off and leave the turkey to finish gently cooking from the residual heat.

I tell you that skin was so shatteringly crisp and gorgeous I think I shed a tear. And the meat was tender and soaked with lime and garlic and pepper and bay. I went with Mexican-inspired flavors but you could add anything you want to the broth. Basic carrots, onion, celery are gorgeous or you can go really exotic and add cinnamon stick, dried chiles, or saffron. Have fun with it but just remember, no recipe will make up for a crappy turkey so make sure you buy one that hasn’t been jacked up with saline solution or any other weirdness. In my opinion, organic, free-range is best.

Mexican Lime-Poached and Roasted Turkey Recipe

Print Recipe

★★★

3 from 1 reviews

Recipe inspired by D’Artagnan This recipe works best, logistically, for smaller birds. Anything bigger than 14 pounds becomes a bit cumbersome unless you are blessed with an enormous fridge. If you’d like to make the roasted butternut squash and charred scallions as seen in the pictures, lay thick slices of squash on a baking sheet, toss with oil and salt and roast at 425°F for 20 minutes then place under the broiler for a minute or two to brown. For the scallions, toss with oil, salt, and pepper and lay in a single layer on a baking sheet. Broil for 3-4 minutes or until lightly charred.

Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 30 mins
Yield: 8 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale

3 onions, sliced
3 jalapeños, stemmed and cut in half
2 heads garlic, cut in half
2 tomatoes, cut in half
1 bunch cilantro
Juice of 4 limes
10 fresh sprigs oregano
4 bay leaves
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
1/4 cup kosher salt
1 (10-12 pound) whole fresh or defrosted turkey, neck and giblets removed

Instructions

Combine all ingredients except the turkey in a pot large enough to hold the turkey. Fill halfway with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Add the turkey and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer 30 minutes, then remove pot from heat and let turkey cool to room temperature (about 4 hours). Refrigerate turkey in broth overnight.
Heat oven to 400°F. Take bird out of the pot and place on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast for 30 minutes then turn oven off and leave turkey inside for 1 hour.
Remove turkey, let rest for about 15-20 minutes, slice and serve.

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Tapatio Turkey Burger Recipe with Spicy Mayo

turkey burger recipe ingredients