Ever since Kerstin posted these Indian Saag Naanburgers about a month ago, they’ve been lurking in the back of my mind. I had some ground turkey in the fridge that was ready to be used today, so I started brainstorming.
I thought about an Indian Turkey & Lentils dish that I made a few weeks ago and thought it might be fun to use 1/2 the package of turkey and then add some lentils to the burgers.
Then I remembered these Sweet Potato & Pecan Burgers that I also had bookmarked from Cooking Light. I pulled them up to refresh my memory and realized that they actually got pretty bad reviews, especially for a Cooking Light recipe! But still, I believed I could incorporate some sweet potatoes into my burgers. I mean, curried roasted sweet potatoes are one of my favorite things after all!
So off I went to the kitchen to attempt to combine those three recipes!
I started by cooking the lentils. While they were simmering, I put the turkey in a large bowl with some garlic. I microwaved a large sweet potato and scooped half of it into the bowl. I added some spices, panko, onion and some Chobani. Finally, I threw in the lentils. Then I dug in, mixed everything together and formed some patties!
I stuck them in the freezer for about 45 minutes, pan seared them on both sides and popped them in the oven. See my handy dandy thermometer?!
I topped the burgers with some pepperjack cheese and a tomato slice.
The results?! Good! After reading the reviews of the sweet potato burgers, I was worried that these would be soft and mushy. If you’re comparing them to straight meat burgers they are definitely softer, but considering the ingredients, they turned out better than I expected. The pan searing gave them a nice brown outside. I baked them because I was worried they would fall apart if I flipped them too often in the pan, but I think they would have been fine. Next time I’m going to try pan searing them the whole way….or maybe grilling them if I get brave!
I thought about making the saag topping, but got lazy. However, I told the hubby about it and he thought he would enjoy it so I’ll definitely add that next time! You could also add more spices to the burgers, perhaps some paprika or even some bbq sauce?!
Curried Turkey & Lentil Burgers
Prep Time: 45 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Keywords: bake pan sear sandwich entree burger healthy lentils turkey Indian
Ingredients (6-8 burgers)
- 1/2 lb ground turkey
- 1/2 large sweet potato
- 1/2 c cooked lentils
- 1/4 c onion, diced
- 1/2 c panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 c Chobani non-fat Greek yogurt
- 3 cloves garlic, diced
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
1. Stab sweet potato with a fork all over. Microwave on high for 5-6 minutes. Cut in half length-wise and let cool.
2. Add turkey, lentils, onion, garlic & half the sweet potato to a large bowl.
3. Add spices, panko and yogurt.
4. Using your hands, mix everything together and form into patties.
5. Place in the freezer for 30-45 minutes.
6. Choose desired cooking method. Pan sear or grill until turkey is cooked through, or pan sear on both sides and bake at 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes, or until cooked through.
Best part? Leftovers for lunch!
What’s the most creative burger you’ve ever made?!
Enjoy!
–Lindsay–
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These look so good! I haven’t ever worked with lentils, but am not opposed to it – thanks for some recipes to try them out!
no problem!!! definitely give them a try. i won’t say i’m in love with lentils 🙂 but they’re not bad when they’re mixed with other things!
Wow those look awesome!! I love using lentils in place of meat because they’re so hearty. My favorite burgers I’ve ever made are the quinoa burgers. The texture is so good!
i need to try adding quinoa to my burgers! do you have a good recipe?!
these look great! you know i’ve been loving my black bean burgers lately – i definitely want to try mixing it up with other ingredients next time. i’m imagining a spicy burger with diced jalapeño or chilis and then stuffing them with cheese. 🙂
omg…that sounds amazing!
I made a sweet potato, brussel sprout and lentil burger that was amazing. Now I want to try this! Curried sweet potatoes are a winner hands down.
good one! i never in a million years would have thought to put brussel sprouts in a burger!
These are perfect for sweet potato month…if only the month were longer.
Good thing I celebrate sweet potatoes ALL YEAR 🙂
very true…sweet potatoes are definitely a year long celebration for me 🙂
My go to burger recipe is black bean and quinoa with bbq sauce and garlic. I can’t get enough! I’ll have to try a lentil spin-off though. I love lentils :).
ooooh that sounds really good!! do you have a recipe?!
This recipe looks great. I loved your idea of using turkey and lentils together for burger.
ooooh, very creative!
Way to get creative! Those look yummy. I like combining beans or lentils and meat- interesting texture and taste! I’ve made Asian burgers before (using water chestnuts) that were pretty yummy!
now there’s a kind i’ve never made before! sounds delightful 🙂
Yum, these look fabulous – love your creativity!
thanks! and thanks for the inspiration 🙂