A lot of my family and friends are starting to cut red meat from their diets. With all of the literature going around about the environmental and health impacts that red meat has, I can completely understand why! So when I was thinking up the perfect burger for July 4th festivities, I decided to test out some turkey burger options. When I came up with these basil lemon turkey burgers I knew I had a big winner on my hands! They had loads of bright and fresh flavor from the basil and lemon for that Italian flair that I love so much.
Then I just assembled the burgers on toasty potato rolls with the gorgeous mayo and peppery arugula on top! Oh my goodness, it was the perfect combination. The basil lemon turkey burgers were so juicy with that luscious mayo and melty mozzarella. The arugula gave it that needed green freshness to bring it all together. I loved how summery they tasted with all of that amazing basil and lemon flavor. I can’t wait to serve these babies on the Fourth!! Enjoy! xoxo
These basil lemon turkey burgers are incredibly juicy and flavorful with a homemade mayo, fresh smoked mozzarella and peppery arugula on top!
- 1 whole lemon zested and juiced
- 1 whole egg
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 whole basil leaves finely chopped
- 1 pinch truffle salt
- 1 cup canola oil
- 1/3 cup fresh basil packed and finely chopped
- 1 whole egg
- 1 whole lemon zested
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 4 thin slices fresh smoked mozzarella
- 4 whole hamburger buns
- baby arugula as needed
- First, make the homemade mayo. Wrap a large bowl in a cold, wet towel to help it emulsify. Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, egg, Dijon, basil and salt in the bowl and whisk them together well. Continue to whisk while you slowly pour in the canola oil. Keep whisking until it is a creamy, pale mayonnaise! Set the bowl aside while you make the turkey burgers. There will be lots leftover and this stuff will keep for days in a sealed container to put on sandwiches and other yummy things!
- For the burgers, combine the basil, egg, lemon zest, Dijon, salt and pepper in a bowl. Stir it all together. Add in the ground turkey and mix it thoroughly with your clean hands. Then pre-heat an electric griddle to 350 or heat up a grill pan or griddle pan over medium high heat. Divide the burger mixture equally into quarters and form each of them into patties. Make a little thumb indentation in the middle of each of them so that they are even when they puff up as they cook.
- Grease the griddle with the butter and cook the patties for 5-6 minutes on the first side. Flip them over to be close together and top each of them with the slice of mozzarella. Place a large stainless steel bowl over the patties on the griddle like a dome to steam them and really melt the cheese while they cook for another 5-6 minutes. While they cook, toast the buns. When they're done place each burger on a bun, top them with a spoonful of the mayo and a small handful of the arugula. Serve immediately with sides and enjoy!
I’m loving the flavors you’ve incorporated, especially that smoked mozzarella!
I really appreciate that, Marta! Thank you :-).
I’m so excited I found this recipe! I am free of dairy, grain, and soy so it’s often hard to find recipes that work for me. This is perfect! I can’t wait to try it and grill it up.
Awesome, so happy to hear that!! Let me know what you think when you try it :-).
This is a great twist! Love it!
Thank you so much!!
You had me at basil. I’ll have to try and make these for my family. They sound delicious.
Thank you so much!!
Thanks for the tip about adding mustard! I’ll have to try that. The mayonnaise looks so good! I have never made homemade mayonnaise, but this makes me want to try it!
Oh, homemade mayo is so easy and yummy! I haven’t bought store bought mayo in ages. Thanks very much for the kind words, I hope you give the recipe a try :-).