How do you improve a simple meat patty? Turkey cookies are a caramelized, gooey burger that is more like a cookie than a main course. To retain caramelized goodness, these are better done in a pan than on the grill. Due the natural sugars in the sweet potatoes, these patties tend to brown/burn faster than meat counterparts. Keep a close eye on them until you get the timing down.
Serves 2
1 lb (454 g) ground turkey
½ onion, finely chopped
1 cup (240 ml) yam or Japanese Satsumaimo mash
1 tsp (5 ml) fresh thyme, chopped
¼-½ tsp ground cumin, depending on taste
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tsp (5 ml) unsalted butter
Tomatoes and red onion, sliced
Butter lettuce
- To make mash: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place medium yam or Satsumaimo on baking sheet and bake for 1 hour or until easily pierced with a fork. Cool, scoop out flesh from skin. Discard skin. Purée flesh in food processor. (Mash can be made days ahead and frozen or refrigerated until ready to use.)
- In a large mixing bowl, add turkey, onions, mash, spices, salt, and pepper. Mix gently. Form mixture into patties.
- In a large frying pan, heat butter to medium-low. Place patties in pan and cook for 5 minutes. Flip and cover pan. Watch carefully so they don’t burn.
- Continue cooking until done. Place tomato and onion on top of patty. Wrap in large pieces of lettuce and serve with your favorite aoli or condiments.
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Turkey burger cookies are tender turkey patties held together with sweet potato mash instead of breadcrumbs. A little onion and fresh thyme keep them savory, and they cook gently in butter so they stay juicy inside. Wrapped in crisp lettuce with tomato and onion, they are a burger night with none of the bun.
Pro Tips
- Purée the yam mash completely smooth in the food processor. Chunky mash makes the patties fall apart in the pan instead of holding a crisp edge.
- Mix the turkey gently and briefly. Overworked ground turkey turns rubbery; you want the mixture just combined so the patties stay tender.
- Cook over medium-low and cover the pan after flipping. Turkey browns fast and dries out faster, so the covered finish steams the centers through without burning the bottoms.
- Make the yam mash days ahead — it keeps three days in the refrigerator and freezes well, which makes this a genuinely quick weeknight dinner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I freeze turkey burger cookies?
Yes. Freeze the raw patties between sheets of parchment and cook them straight from frozen over medium-low heat, adding a few minutes per side until cooked through.
Why are my turkey burgers falling apart?
Usually the mash is too coarse or the pan is too hot. Smooth purée binds the meat, and a gentle medium-low heat lets the patty set before you flip it.
What condiments go well with these?
Garlic aioli is the classic partner, and mustard or guacamole both work beautifully with the sweet potato's sweetness inside the patty.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- In a large mixing bowl, add turkey, onions, mash, spices, salt, and pepper.
- Mix gently.
- Form mixture into patties.
- In a large frying pan, heat butter to medium-low.
- Place patties in pan and cook for 5 minutes.
- Flip and cover pan. Watch carefully so they don’t burn.
- Continue cooking until done.
- Place tomato and onion on top of patty.
- Wrap in large pieces of lettuce and serve with your favorite aoli or condiments.
