Introducing… Christmas Turkey Burgers! Easy homemade turkey burgers, flavoured with sage, onions and bacon and topped with cranberry relish and sproutslaw – all the flavours of Christmas in burger form!
I am always full of ideas and especially at Christmas. One of my more crazy ones this year was the idea of creating a Christmas Turkey Burger.
As I often do when I have an idea, I googled ‘Christmas Burger’ to see what others had done with it and was utterly amazed at how few recipes came up and nothing like the ideas in my head. Clearly there is a gap in the market!
So I set about inventing!! I started with the burger – it had to be turkey, of course, and then I wanted to add in onions and sage, as I just love sage and onion stuffing, and I added bacon too as a nod towards pigs in blankets and also to stop the burgers getting too dry.
I felt the absolute best accompaniment to a turkey burger would be cranberry sauce – a much better choice here than tomato sauce – and another nod towards the traditional Christmas dinner, but I often find commercially available cranberry sauces too sweet and so I created my own slightly sharper ‘Cranberry Relish’ to accompany my burger.
Finally I wanted to include sprouts somehow – I’m mad about sprouts and it just wouldn’t be Christmas dinner without them. Coleslaw is a common accompaniment to burgers, so I figured creating a version of coleslaw using sprouts instead of cabbage could be the answer.
Armed with my slightly crazy ideas, I headed to the kitchen to test them out and I am pleased to report back that they all worked – really well, in fact! The burgers really do taste like a Christmas roast dinner, the cranberry relish is a really great accompaniment and the biggest surprise of all – sproutslaw actually works!!
This would be a really fun idea for a pre-Christmas taster of the big day, or for a party, but they would also be a fabulous alternative to the traditional Christmas dinner itself, if you are just a bit fed up with all the cooking and washing up and would just like a simple meal but with all the flavours of a traditional turkey roast dinner.
Normally I use brown rolls for burgers for a slightly more heathy twist but, being as it was for Christmas, I thought I would push the boat out and serve these in brioche buns, which do taste lovely, especially when lightly toasted.
I found one of these burgers topped with cranberry relish and a generous serving of sproutslaw plenty filling enough, but if you have a bigger appetite than me, these would be great served with some homemade oven chips or sweet potato wedges for that roast potato element!
Being as these burgers are full of the flavours of Christmas, a wine you would enjoy with your Christmas dinner would work well here. Though maybe a cheaper version, unless you are serving this on Christmas Day! One very popular wine choice for the big day is Chateauneuf du Pape, so why not serve a Cotes du Rhone with these burgers: similar grape varieties and from the same region of France, but for a fraction of the price.
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Christmas Turkey Burgers with Cranberry Relish and Sproutslaw
Ingredients
Cranberry Relish
- 200 g cranberries fresh or frozen
- Juice of 1 orange (or 2 clementines)
- 50 g caster sugar
Sproutslaw
- ½ small red onion finely sliced
- Juice of quarter of a lemon
- Salt and pepper
- 1 small carrot grated
- 100 g brussels sprouts grated
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
Turkey Burgers
- 1 small red onion
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 100 g diced bacon or lardons
- 500 g turkey breast mince
- 2 teaspoons dried sage
- Salt and pepper
To serve
- Lightly toasted brioche buns
- Oven chips or sweet potato wedges (optional)
Instructions
Cranberry Relish
- Mix the orange juice and sugar together in a small saucepan, then cook over a gentle heat until the sugar is dissolved.
- Add the cranberries and bring to the boil, simmer for 10 minutes until all the cranberries have collapsed and the sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally and squishing any particularly persistent ones.
- Remove from the heat and pour into a small serving bowl.
Sproutslaw
- While the cranberry relish is cooking, make the sproutslaw.
- Mix the sliced onion with the lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl, then add all the other ingredients and stir thoroughly.
- Transfer to a serving bowl
Turkey Burgers
- Fry the diced onions in the olive oil for 3 minutes. Add the diced bacon and cook for 2 more minutes until the onions and bacon are slightly browned.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
- Place the turkey mince in a large bowl along with the sage and plenty of salt and pepper. Add in the cooled onions and bacon and mix everything together with your hands.
- Shape into 4 burgers and grill (US - broil) on medium/high for 4-5 mins on each side.
- While the burgers are cooking, lightly toast your brioche buns in the toaster or in a griddle pan on the hob.
- Serve the burgers in buns, with the cranberry relish and sproutslaw in bowls on the table for everyone to help themselves.
Notes
- Not suitable for freezing (except the burgers on their own ARE suitable for freezing).
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
Get More Easy Peasy Christmas Recipes Here…
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Twin Pickle says
I saw this on #brilliantblogposts and thought ‘I bet that’s an easypeasyfoodie link’ because I always love your recipes! Yum 🙂
Eb Gargano says
Aw, thanks – that’s so kind of you! So glad you like the recipes 🙂 Don’t worry, I’ll keep ’em coming!! Eb x
Charlotte Oates says
I love everything about these, they sounds absolutely delicious.
Eb Gargano says
Aw, thanks Charlotte 🙂 Xx
Angela / Only Crumbs Remain says
What a great idea Eb, I don’t think it’s a crazy idea at all but genius (though don’t they say that genius is next to madness 😉 xx). The sprout-slaw is a great idea and that cranberry sauce has such a wonderful pop of colour to it – so much more appropriate than ketchup.
Angela x
Eb Gargano says
Hahaha – yes genius next to madness, that sounds about right!! I certainly do think I’ve gone quite mad these last few weeks!! I do love my sproutslaw though – tastes delicious and a lovely festive twist on a classic 🙂 Eb x
Kirsty Hijacked By Twins says
Love this! We always have good old leftover turkey and cranberry sandwiches but love the idea of burgers. Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x
Eb Gargano says
The burgers are so delicious. All the flavours of Christmas, but in burger form!! Eb x
Kate - gluten free alchemist says
I love to put different twists on things….. your burger is a really fun twist on Christmas dinner. Love it! xx
Eb Gargano says
Me too – it’s so much fun dreaming up twists on the classics. Thanks for your kind comments 🙂 Eb x