Grilled Jalapeno Turkey Burgers

By Meredith Kimelblatt –

Memorial Day is one of the biggest weekends of the year for eating outside. Whether you’re grilling out in your backyard, heading to a potluck or having a picnic in the park, Memorial Day is known for an excess of hamburgers, hot dogs, cole slaw and potato salads.

The only problem with these delicious foods? Many of them aren’t so great for you. Eating red meat and goopy mayonnaise-based salads may seem like a holiday tradition, but it’s not one that will do anything positive for your health.

Luckily, it’s still absolutely possible to grill out this Memorial Day while still eating in a healthier way. Go ahead and enjoy burgers and hot dogs—just look for leaner turkey burgers or easy chicken recipes to grill up instead of high-cholesterol beef burgers. Likewise, it’s fine to indulge in a creamy pasta salad, but experiment with lighter Greek yogurt in your dressing instead of high-fat mayonnaise. Do a little searching and you’ll find dozens of lighter picnic and easy grilling recipes that taste great while still being good for you!

These grilled jalapeno turkey burgers are the perfect example; they’re made with lean ground turkey and spicy jalapenos to jumpstart your metabolism. Top them with mustard and lots of veggies for a hearty, flavorful spin on a Memorial Day favorite; they taste so good you won’t even feel like you’re being healthy!

Grilled Jalapeno Turkey Burgers

Total Time: 25 min

Serves: 5

Calories per Serving: 275

• PAM® Grilling Spray
• 1 20 oz. package lean ground turkey
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped nacho jalapeno peppers or mild green chilies
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 5 hamburger buns or onion Kaiser rolls, split and warmed on the grill

Spray the cold grate of an outdoor grill with grilling spray. Prepare grill for medium heat.

Combine turkey, green onions, jalapeno peppers, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt and pepper in a medium bowl; mix well. Shape into 5 patties, ½-inch thick.

Grill patties for 6 minutes on each side or until no longer pink in the centers (a meat thermometer should read 165°F). Place patties on buns and top with lettuce, tomato, onions and any other favorite hamburger toppings.

Author Bio: This is a guest post by Meredith K. on behalf of ReadySetEat. For more easy recipes for dinner to grill this Memorial Day weekend, visit www.readyseteat.com.