Dry and under-flavored turkey burgers are a thing of the past thanks to my recipe for Juicy Zucchini Turkey Burgers! The ripe, shredded zucchini adds extra moisture and helps to create a light and almost pillowy texture to these turkey burgers, seasoned simply with salt, pepper, and plenty of garlic, Juicy Zucchini Turkey Burgers will become a family favorite!

Prepare the Burger Mix

I find it’s best to prepare the burger mix when everything is at or around room temperature. The ingredients combine easier and your hands won’t freeze while mixing the ingredients!

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, drop in one pound of ground turkey. Using either all white meat or partial dark + white meat is fine, whichever you prefer. Next, shred the zucchini by placing a box grater over a kitchen towel, then run the zucchini over the largest-sized grate. The zucchini will fall into the kitchen towel, making it easy to squeeze out the liquid. Once the liquid is squeezed out of the zucchini, it will be a very tight ball that will have shrunk in size by about half. Add the zucchini to the ground turkey.

Now, add the seasonings of salt, pepper, and grated garlic. The seasonings seem simple, but combined make this burger perfectly delicious and give off all the perfect burger vibes.

The final step is to toss in the breadcrumbs (add about two tablespoons at a time) and the heaping tablespoon of dijon mustard.

Using your hands (they’re simply the best utensil for mixing burgers) combine all the ingredients until the zucchini is evenly shredded and the mustard, bread crumbs, and seasonings are evenly distributed. The mixture should come together and hold its shape. If not, add additional breadcrumbs and mix again.

Make the Juicy Zucchini Turkey Burger Patties

Once your mixture is ready is fully combined, it’s time to form the burger patties. To do so, pat the mixture into an even-ish layer in the bottom of your mixing bowl, using your fingers divide it into four equal parts.

Scoop out one part of the burger mix. Start by rolling it / forming it into a large ball, then gently patting it flat to about 1-inch thickness.

The final step to the perfect burger patty is to make a large indent in the middle. This step is the secret to ensuring the burgers do not turn into a meatball during the grilling process. Using your thumb, push the center of the patty down creating a thumb-sized crater almost to the bottom of the patty.

Repeat until you have four Juicy Zucchini Turkey Burger patties ready to go.

Grill the Burgers

I personally like to put the burgers on the grill, but a perfectly reasonable alternative is a cast iron skillet.

Heat your grill to approximately 425 degrees and brush the grill plate with olive oil. Place the formed patties on the grill and let them sit for 6 minutes, then flip to the other side for another 6 minutes. Do not move the patties once you’ve placed them on the grill – this will help them get beautiful grill marks, but it also helps form a sort of crust on the outside of the burger that is very delicious!

How to Serve the Juicy Zucchini Turkey Burgers

For my family, I create the ultimate burger topping tray with crisp iceberg lettuce, giardiniera, avocados, red onions (plain or pickeled), and pickles along with mayonnaise, yellow mustard, and ketchup. From there, I let everyone choose their own fixings!

If prefer to be on the lower-carb side, these are great burgers to serve up in a lettuce wrap. If you’re full-carb friendly, my favorite bread for Juicy Zucchini Turkey Burgers is a toasted brioche bun. The sweetness of the brioche is a perfect accompaniment to the tenderness of the burger.

Juicy Zucchini Turkey Burgers are healthy, delicious, and make a perfect family meal! Enjoy making these your own with your favorite burger toppings.

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Juicy Zucchini Turkey Burgers

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 Pound Ground Turkey
• 1 Medium Zucchini
• 1 Tbsp Grated Garlic
• 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard I recommend a heaping tablespoon.
• 1 Tsp Salt
• 1/2 Tsp Pepper If you're a super pepper fan up to 3/4 Tsp is ok.
• 1/4 C Seasoned Breadcrumbs You'll add to tablespoons at a time, using up to 1/4 cup as your burger mix requires.
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil For brushing the grill crate.

Optional

• 1 Head Iceberg Lettuce For toppings and for forming "burger lettuce wraps" if desired.
• 4 Brioche Burger Buns
• 1/4 C Red Onion Finely Sliced
• 1/4 C Pickles Finely Sliced
• 1 Avocado Thinly Sliced

Recipe Tips

Serve with your favorite burger toppings. I recommend iceberg lettuce, giardiniera, avocado, red onion, pickles, mayonnaise, yellow mustard, and ketchup.

I don’t consider myself a trendsetter or even really trendy. However, I’m here to tell you that I was making my Simply Delicious Mashed Cauliflower before it was the trendy thing to do and well before it was the healthy, low-carb, Keto-friendly alternative to mashed potatoes. A trendsetter? Maybe! Regardless, my Simply Delicious Mashed Cauliflower will become a side dish staple in your house in no time and soon you’ll join the trendy, trendsetting club with me.

There are a lot of recipes for mashed cauliflower that include cream cheese, parmesan, butter, and many other ingredients. I’m sure they’re great, but I’ve simplified it even further (and made it healthier) by making cauliflower the star ingredient and using kitchen staples for flavoring and easy prep, which means Simply Delicious Mashed Cauliflower can be made in a pinch any day of the week in a matter of minutes.

How to Make Simply Delicious Mashed Cauliflower

First things first, start by heating a large pot of water and bringing it to a boil.

Meanwhile, prepare the cauliflower by slicing it down the middle, removing the stem, and chopping it into medium-sized florets. The goal is less about the size of the florets, but rather to ensure they are all similar in size so they cook evenly.

Once the water is boiling, add a full tablespoon of coarse sea salt, then add the cauliflower florets. Adding the salt to the boiling water will ensure the cauliflower is seasoned while it’s cooking. Boil the florets for about 10 minutes, or until they are fork-tender.

Meanwhile, chop the garlic and onions (which don’t need to be perfect, since they’ll be blended), and saute them over medium heat in olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper. Once the onions and garlic are fragrant and translucent, turn off the heat and set them aside in a small bowl. This will take about five minutes.

Once the cauliflower is fork-tender, drain it completely and add the florets back to the hot pot they were boiled in. Combine the florets with the onions and garlic mixture, heavy cream, butter, salt, and pepper. Give it a big stir to evenly distribute everything.

At this point, you might be thinking, “How is this possibly enough liquid to blend?” It’s a reasonable question! I’ve found repeatedly that less is more with Simply Delicious Mashed Cauliflower. Surprisingly the cauliflower florets hold a fairly significant amount of water from the boiling process, which means that when you start blending the mixture, some of that will release and combine with the heavy cream and butter to make a very smooth mixture and silky texture.

Using an immersion blender, pulse the mixture and blend until very smooth, or the texture you desire. We like ours with a few calculated chunks of cauliflower, but if you’re not into that, keep blending and mixing until it’s silky smooth! Taste and season with salt and pepper to your liking.

At this point, you can also add some fresh herbs or even a few red pepper flakes, depending on your preferences. We love this with thyme and basil, but fresh parsley is also great. You could also add a bit of Chili Crisp seasoning which would give it a punchy, spicy, Asian flare, too.

What to Serve with Simply Delicious Mashed Cauliflower

Mashed cauliflower is a great replacement or alternative or in-addition-to side for any dish you’d typically serve with mashed potatoes. In our house, we love to have Simply Delicious Mashed Cauliflower with meatloaf and have found that it makes a great base for meatballs or even roasted chicken.

You can’t go wrong with Simply Delicious Mashed Cauliflower! It’s an easy-to-make, adaptable, family favorite.

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Simply Delicious Mashed Cauliflower

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time25 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Equipment

• Immersion Blender Alternative: Regular blender or food processor

Ingredients

• 1 Large head cauliflower
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 tbsp Butter
• 2 tsp Salt This is an approximate measurement to be adjusted based on your taste.
• 1 tsp Pepper This is an approximate measurement to be adjusted based on your taste.
• 2 tbsp Coarse Sea Salt If you do not have coarse sea salt, use 1 tbsp regular salt.
• 1/2 C Onion, Chopped Any onion or onion variety will work.
• 1 tbsp Garlic, Chopped
• 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes Optional
• 1 tbsp Fresh Herbs Optional

  Recommended: Thyme or Basil

• 1/4 C Heavy Cream Plant-based or milk alternative will also work.

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Chop the cauliflower into medium-sized florets by slicing the head of cauliflower down the middle, removing the steam, then separating the florets.
• Chop the onion and garlic, sauteeing them in an a small pan over medium heat with two tablespoons of olive oil. This will take about 5 minutes until they are very fragrant and slighly translucent. Set aside.
• Add the florets to the boiling water, adding the two tablespoons of coarse sea salt to flavor the water. Boil for about 10 minutes or until the florets are fork-tender.
• Once the florets are fork-tender, drain them, then add them straigh back into the hot pot.
• Add the heavy cream, butter, onions, and garlic to the florets.
• Using an immersion blender pulse and blend the mixture until fully combined and smooth to your desired texture.
• Taste the mixture, seasoning with salt and pepper as you desire.
• Add in the fresh herbs, red pepper flakes, or other seasonings if using.

Here in Georgia, we’re gliding into Spring – the sunny afternoons call you to the outdoors, berries and fruit are in abundance at the supermarkets with a whole new level of vibrancy, and bits of green are showing up on the trees along with the first flowers. Little Gem Salad with Fennel and Orange is a homage to Spring. This time of year is truly my favorite; I always feel inspired and fresh. 

As you know my love for salads runs deep and I’m always thinking about new combinations of flavors and textures that are exciting and aligned to the seasons.

In Little Gem Salad with Fennel and Orange, I incorporate sweet, juicy oranges with crunchy, licorice-y fennel which complement each other so well. The thinly sliced red onion and fennel run throughout the salad and the juicy orange supremes pop as you bite into them bringing just the right amount of sweetness. The slightly sweet White Balsamic Vinaigrette is key to this salad, complimenting all the flavors. 

Little Gem Salad with Fennel and Orange is the perfect exclamation point on any dinner for any occasion – your favorite holiday, Saturday night barbeques, or just Wednesday night. If you’ve got Spring on your mind like I do this one is for you – enjoy sharing this salad with your family and friends. 

How to Prepare Little Gem Salad with Fennel and Orange

The prep for this salad could not be more simple! My go-to methodology for any salad prep is to start by slicing and prepping all of the components, then tossing with the lettuce and dressing right before serving and enjoying. So, for this salad, start by thinly slicing the red onion and fennel and preparing the orange supremes. 

To prepare the red onion, slice it in half through the root, which will leave you with two half-moon-shaped halves. Next, remove the outer skin. With a sharp knife, thinly slice one-half of the red onion. 

Fennel is a beautiful vegetable! It comes topped with delicate green fronds which are equally delicious. Start by removing the fronds and setting them aside – they will be your garnish on the salad. Next, separate the fennel bulb from the steam and slice the bulb in half. Remove the core of the fennel bulb by slicing a triangle shape around it. Finally, with a sharp knife, thinly slice the fennel the same as you did with the red onion.

To supreme an orange simply means to get rid of the skin and white pith of the fruit, using only the interior of the fruit. This sounds fancy and it kind of is – this process will be your new kitchen trick.

To start the process, slice off the top and bottom of the orange and stand it upright. Using a paring knife, slice off the skin of the orange by gliding your knife down the outside of the orange from top to bottom. Once all the skin and white pith are removed, use your paring knife to cut out the orange supremes by slicing just inside the membranes creating an inverted triangle. 

Now that you have all the salad components ready to go, grab a large mixing bowl. To that bowl add the torn butter and little gem lettuce leaves then top with the red onion, fennel, and orange supremes. Next, add the White Balsamic Dressing starting with half, and toss to combine. Continue adding the dressing to your taste. The lettuce leaves should be lightly coated. Turn the salad out onto a large platter or serving bowl of your choice, top with the fennel fronds, and enjoy! 

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Little Gem Salad with Fennel and Orange

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Total Time15 minutes mins

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 5 Oz Butter Lettuce Leaves, Torn
• 5 Oz Little Gem Leaves, Torn If you cannot find Little Gem lettuce, substitute with Red Leaf lettuce.
• 2 Oranges, Peeled and Supremed
• 1 Medium Fennel Bulb, Core Removed and thinly sliced Yields about 3/4 C
• 2 Tbsp Fennel Fronds, roughly chopped or torn Reserved from the stems of the fennel bulb
• 1/2 Small Red Onion, Thinly Sliced Yields about 1/2 C
• 1/4 C Prepared White Balsamic Vinaigrette

Instructions

• Thinly slice the red onion and fennel, then set aside.
• Remove the fronds of the fennel bulb and tare or roughly chop, then set aside.
• Peel the oranges using a sharp paring knife so that the skin and white pith are removed.
• With a sharp paring knife, cut the orange supremes by slicing just inside the membranes creating an inverted triangle. The orange supreme will easily lift out. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, add the torn butter lettuce and little gem lettuce. Gently toss to combine and evenly distribute.
• Add the fennel, red onion, and orange supremes.
• Add the White Balsamic Vinaigrette starting with half, then gently toss to combine. Add the remaining half to taste. The leaves of the lettuce should be lightly coated.
• Turn the tossed salad out onto a large serving tray or bowl. Serve immediately.

Recipe Tips

If you would prefer not to supreme the oranges, simply peel the oranges as instructed and chop them into even, bite-sized pieces.