Spice Up Your Cookout with Jalapeño Turkey Burgers

Juicy and flavorful, these jalapeño cheddar turkey burgers are incredible! Don’t let the jalapeños scare you. They add tons of flavor (leave out the seeds for less heat!).

Favorite recipe alert! These jalapeño cheddar turkey burgers are at the top, top, top of meals I could eat for the rest of forever.

The flavor is incredible. They are fast and easy to make. And they get rave reviews from my entire family every time they magically appear at dinner.

I’ve actually never met a burger more flavorful and more delicious than these. They are one of a kind and crazy delicious.

Grilling season is here, which means it’s time to fire up the grill and enjoy some juicy burgers in the warm weather. If you’re looking for a burger that packs some heat and flavor, jalapeño turkey burgers are a fantastic option. These burgers take your average turkey burger up a notch with the addition of fresh jalapeños, smoky spices, and pepper jack cheese. I’ve made these jalapeño turkey burgers several times recently and they have officially become my new favorite burger recipe for summer cookouts and parties.

Why Make Jalapeño Turkey Burgers?

There are a few key reasons why these jalapeño turkey burgers are so delicious

Turkey is lean and healthy. Ground turkey is a leaner alternative to beef, making these burgers a bit healthier. The addition of fresh veggies and herbs also boosts the nutritional content.
Jalapeños bring the heat. Fresh jalapeños provide a nice kick of heat and flavor without being overpowering. I like to use 1 whole diced jalapeño which gives medium spice, but you can adjust the amount to suit your tastes.
Smoked paprika and cumin add smoky depth. A blend of earthy cumin and sweet, smoky paprika really punches up the flavor of the ground turkey.
They stay juicy. Turkey burgers can often end up dry, but these stay nice and moist thanks to the cheese and a few key ingredients.
It’s an easy recipe These burgers come together with a quick mix of ingredients and only need 10 minutes on the grill.

How to Make Juicy Jalapeño Turkey Burgers

The ingredient list may look long, but I promise these burgers are really simple to whip up Here’s an overview of the easy steps

Mix the flavorful ingredients. In a large bowl, combine egg, shredded pepper jack cheese, minced onion and garlic, chopped cilantro, diced jalapeño, Worcestershire sauce, and all the spices.
Add the ground turkey. Once the wet and dry ingredients are combined, add in the 2 pounds of ground turkey. Mix everything together well.
Form the patties. Divide the turkey mixture evenly into 6 patties. I like to make them heaping 1/2 cup patties to get nice big burgers.
Chill the patties. This helps them hold their shape better on the grill.
Grill for 10 minutes. That’s it! Grill over high heat for 5 minutes per side until cooked through. Add cheese slices on top if desired.

And that’s all there is to it! Total active time is only about 25 minutes. The herbs, spices, cheese, egg, and Worcestershire all work together to keep the turkey burgers incredibly moist and packed with flavor.

Grilling Tips for Perfect Patties

To get the best results when grilling up these burgers, follow these tips:

Always start with cold patties straight from the fridge. This prevents them from falling apart on the grill.
Use a hot grill and keep the lid closed as much as possible to lock in moisture.
Don’t press down on the patties while they cook. This can cause them to get dry and shriveled.
Cook to an internal temperature of 165°F to ensure they are cooked through.
Watch closely to avoid overcooking. It only takes about 10 minutes total to fully cook them.

Serving Suggestions for Jalapeño Turkey Burgers

The possibilities are endless when it comes to serving up these flavorful patties. Here are some of my favorite ways to serve them:

On a brioche or potato bun with sliced avocado, pepper jack, lettuce, and chipotle mayo.
On a bed of lettuce for a low-carb option.
Sliders on mini potato rolls with guacamole and bacon.
Chopped up in a burrito or taco with rice, beans, cheese, etc.
On a salad instead of grilled chicken.
With grilled veggies like zucchini, bell peppers, and corn on the cob.
Top with pico de gallo and cotija cheese for a Mexican-inspired burger.

However you choose to serve them, these turkey burgers are sure satisfy your craving for big, bold flavor this grilling season. I like to make a double batch and freeze the extra uncooked patties to have jalapeño turkey burgers on hand all summer long.

jalapeno turkey burger recipe

Let’s Talk About Ground Turkey

These are, after all, a turkey burger. BUT, you could also make them with ground chicken or even try ground beef. The flavors won’t be as pronounced if you use ground beef, but they will probably still be pretty delicious.

All ground turkey is not created equal. I highly recommend staying away from the ground turkey in the plastic shrink wrapped tubes. In my unfortunate experience, the texture and consistency are very, very wrong.

I prefer buying ground turkey in the trays, and I like using the 85/15 for this recipe for better flavor (but you can use 90/10, too – just make sure to oil the grates of the grill well so the burgers don’t stick).

The ground turkey mixture for these burgers is stickier and a bit harder to work with than burgers made with ground beef (which is a little sturdier than ground turkey).

Lightly greasing your hands with cooking spray before forming the ground turkey into rounds can help. If the ground turkey mixture is soft that it’s hard to work with, you can add bread crumbs or finely crushed crackers (like saltines) to help bind the meat mixture together.

If it’s just a little bit soft, persevere even if it’s a bit messy. The texture and flavor will be amazing!

Juicy Turkey Burger Recipe

FAQ

What keeps turkey burgers from falling apart?

Just half a beaten egg in the raw meat will work as a binder to hold it all together.

How do you improve the texture of a turkey burger?

Leaner meats like turkey and chicken have less fat to keep the meat moist as it cooks, which can result in tougher, easily overcooked, dry burgers. By adding super finely chopped mushrooms, you are putting back a lot of water content that cooks out of lean meats like turkey.

Are jalapenos good on a burger?

This Jalapeño Burger recipe spices up your burger with jalapeños in the burgers and on top. Diced jalapeños bring on the heat and Worcestershire sauce gives it a subtle savory flavor.