Grilled Spicy Chorizo Turkey Burgers

My husband loves chorizo with a passion. However, I do not cook with it very often and often wonder why when something delicious comes out of our kitchen. I originally saw a recipe for a chicken chorizo patty melt on Sarah's blog A Taste of Home Cooking.  I thought they sounded right up our ally, but wanted to make a few adjustments to suit our tastes. 

I opted to use ground turkey over chicken because I like how it does on a grill because chicken can be a bit sticky. The original recipe also used a grill pan, but we like to use an open flame in out house so we moved the party outside to the Weber.  I also used a pepper jack cheese over swiss, and doctored up the mayo to create a jalapeno cilantro mayo versus plan mayo for the buns. We also used buns for our sandwiches because that was what we had on hand over the flat bread. 

Ron and I both loved this sandwich! I really like that it incorporates some fresh garden herbs to go along with the spice. The chorizo with the pepper jack and jalapeno mayo provide a fantastic kick of flavor and spice. The smokiness from the grill worked perfectly. I think this burger is perfect next to  a freshly cracked ice cold beer on the patio on a Friday night. 

Today I am out of town in Madison for training for work. my boys are home alone and left to make their own rules..... I wonder what I will come home to??? Just kidding, they always have everything looking nice when I get home.  I imagine that it is an hour scramble right before I get home...hehe....gotta love 'em both!


Ingredients

Patties:
1 lb ground turkey
8 oz fresh chorizo
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbl chopped fresh oregano 
1 tsp salt

Onions:
1 Tbl butter
1 Tbl olive oil
1 large sweet onion, sliced
salt and pepper, to taste

Jalapeno Mayo:
1/4 cup mayo
2-3 sliced pickled jalapenos
1 Tbl chopped fresh cilantro

4-5 slices of pepper jack cheese
4-5 burger buns


Ingredients

Place mayo, jalapenos and cilantro in the food processor and pulse till smooth. Cover and place in fridge till ready to use. If you do not have a food processor you can finely chop the jalapenos and cilantro. 

In a large bowl, gently but thoroughly combine the turkey, chorizo, garlic powder, oregano and salt. Form into equal-sized patties. Depending on how large you like your burger you will get 4-5 patties, but remember you will need to adjust your cooking time on a larger burger. Cover the patties with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

In a medium saute pan on medium-low heat melt the butter with the oil. Add the onion and lightly season salt and pepper. Saute until the onions are golden and caramelized and set aside.

Heat the grill to medium high heat. Cook the patties about 5 minutes per side or until cooked through.  Add cheese to the burgers during the last minute of cooking and allow cheese to melt. To assemble sandwiches, spread jalapeno mayo on both buns. Place burgers on the bun and top with caramelized onions. 

Serve with an ice cold beer. 

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