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These turkey burgers are juicy, cheesy, creamy, and spicy — stuffed with a cream cheese and jalapeño filling and topped with melted cheese and crispy bacon. It’s a kicked-up version of the classic burger and perfect for grilling season or anytime you want serious flavor without beef.
⏱️ Time:
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10–12 minutes
- Total Time: ~30–35 minutes
- Servings: 4 burgers
🍳 Equipment:
- Mixing bowls
- Grill or skillet
- Spatula
- Knife and cutting board
- Optional: meat thermometer
📝 Ingredients:
🦃 For the Turkey Patties:
- 1 pound ground turkey (93% lean recommended)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or melted butter (for moisture)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt & pepper, to taste
🧀 Jalapeño Popper Filling:
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese
- 2–3 jalapeños, finely diced (seeds removed for less heat)
- 2 tablespoons cooked, crumbled bacon (optional but delicious)
- 1 green onion, finely chopped (optional)
🍔 Burger Assembly:
- 4 burger buns (toasted if desired)
- Sliced cheese (cheddar, provolone, or pepper jack)
- Extra bacon strips (optional)
- Lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles (optional)
- Jalapeño slices (for topping, optional)
🧾 Ingredient Notes:
- Ground Turkey: Use 93/7 for a good balance of lean meat and moisture. Avoid extra lean (99%) or the burgers can be dry.
- Cream Cheese: Softened at room temp for easy mixing.
- Jalapeños: Fresh for crunch and flavor. Adjust quantity to your heat preference.
- Cheese: Use melty cheeses like cheddar, Monterey Jack, or pepper jack for best results.
👩🍳 Instructions:
1. Make the Popper Filling:
- In a bowl, mix cream cheese, shredded cheese, diced jalapeños, crumbled bacon, and green onion until smooth.
- Set aside or refrigerate briefly.
2. Mix the Turkey Patties:
- In a large bowl, gently mix ground turkey with garlic, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and olive oil.
- Divide the meat into 8 thin patties (you’ll sandwich the filling between two).
3. Stuff the Burgers:
- Spoon about 1–2 tablespoons of the jalapeño cream cheese filling into the center of 4 patties.
- Top with the remaining patties and seal the edges tightly to form 4 thick, stuffed burgers.
- Press the edges to ensure the filling doesn’t leak during cooking.
4. Cook the Burgers:
- Grill: Preheat grill to medium-high. Cook burgers 5–6 minutes per side until internal temp reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Stovetop: Heat a bit of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook 5–6 minutes per side, covered if needed.
- In the last 1–2 minutes, add sliced cheese on top to melt.
5. Assemble & Serve:
- Place cooked burgers on toasted buns.
- Top with lettuce, tomato, bacon, jalapeño slices, or your favorite burger toppings.
- Serve hot with fries, sweet potato wedges, or a simple salad.
📊 Nutrition (Approx. per burger, without bun or toppings):
- Calories: ~430
- Protein: ~30g
- Fat: ~32g
- Carbs: ~4g
- Sodium: ~500mg
(Add ~150–200 calories for bun + additional toppings.)
💡 Tips & Variations:
Tips:
- Use a light hand when mixing turkey — overmixing = tough burgers.
- Don’t overstuff with filling or it may leak during cooking.
- Let burgers rest a few minutes after cooking to retain juices.
Variations:
- Unstuffed version: Mix the cream cheese filling into the turkey and form regular patties.
- Low-carb: Serve on lettuce wraps or low-carb buns.
- Spicy version: Add hot sauce or diced pickled jalapeños to the filling.
- Bacon-wrapped: Wrap each stuffed patty in a slice or two of bacon before grilling.
