Turkey Fajita Burgers with Grilled Tomatillo Salsa

Happy Monday!

I’m on a grilling kick. And by “grilling kick”, I mean I grilled turkey burgers and salsa on Saturday and now am wondering why I’ve had this nice grill out on my patio for the past two years and this is only the second time I’ve ever used it. It’s kind of like that ice cream maker that I COULDN’T LIVE WITHOUT…and then once I actually got it, it sat and collected dust for months before I left it at my parent’s house and moved West. I like the idea of grilling…and every time (okay, all two times) I’ve grilled, it’s been delicious but I then I go back inside and promptly forget about it for the next six months. Oops.

My boyfriend? Now he’s a grilling freak. And really good at it, too! I don’t know why I couldn’t just bake a batch of cookies and wait on him, but wouldn’t you know the weekend he goes out of town I get a major craving for some nice.charred.meat.

Before we talk meat, let’s talk salsa. Have you ever made grilled salsa before? I’m in love.

This grilled salsa is super easy (yes, YOU can totally do this!!) and tastes just like my favorite salsa verde from Trader Joe’s. Speaking of Trader Joe’s, mine had these cute little bags of tomatillos last week.

I bought them for the cuteness factor (you know you’re in the right profession when you describe green tomatoes as “cute”), naturally, and then decided to throw them on the grill with some jalapenos to make delicious grilled salsa.

If you don’t have access to a grill, you could totally make this in the oven by roasting your tomatillos and peppers! I love the flavor they get from the grill though—it reminds me of sundresses, pool parties and pink toenails.

I mean, who doesn’t think of pink toenails when looking at these?

(Okay, I really am weird. Please excuse me)

I loved the burgers, too. I’ve always preferred turkey burgers over beef and these are stuffed with bell peppers and spices. I topped my burger with pepperjack cheese and avocado and it was fabulous.

You guys really need to get on this.

Of course, you could make the burgers and the salsa independently of each other—try these enchiladas with this grilled salsa…fab!

Turkey Fajita Burgers with Grilled Tomatillo Salsa

makes about 4-5 burgers and makes about 2 cups salsa verde

Print this recipe!

Ingredients:

for burgers—

1/2 red bell pepper, small diced

1/2 yellow bell pepper, small diced

1/2 orange bell pepper, small diced

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 1/2 lbs ground turkey

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp Tabasco sauce

for salsa verde—

1 lb tomatillos, husks off

2 whole jalapeno peppers

juice of 1 lime

2 tsp Tabasco green pepper sauce

1 bunch cilantro

Directions:

Make the salsa first so you can chill it prior to use. I recommend making the salsa a day ahead of time!

Heat grill to medium/high. Once hot, place whole tomatillos and jalapenos on the grates, close the top and grill for about 10 minutes, watching and flipping occasionally with tongs. You want everything to have charred marks and get really soft and mushy. Depending on your grill, this could take anywhere from 5 minutes to 15 minutes.

Remove peppers and tomatillos from grill and place in either a food processor or high-speed blender (make sure to remove the jalapeno stems first) with the lime juice, cilantro and Tabasco. Process until smooth.

Chill salsa thoroughly before serving. You may want to add a small pinch of sea salt at the end, but I thought it tasted perfect without it!

For burgers, mix together the diced bell peppers, ground turkey, beaten egg, Tabasco and spices in a large bowl. Form into 4-6 patties (depending on how large you like your burgers). Grill burgers for about 10 minutes until done, or cook on the stove in a grill-pan for about 6 minutes per side, until juices run clear. Serve on buns with salsa verde.

Time:

1 hr active time

You can also make this salsa in the oven by roasting the jalapenos and tomatillos. To do this, roast at 400 degrees for about 20-30 minutes the proceed with recipe instructions.