Chicken parmesan is one of my favorites meals. I was getting ready to make one of my lightened versions and I realized I hadn’t defrosted the chicken.
So plan B. These turkey burgers with an Italian flare. I love a good turkey burger. These are super moist and flavorful and can be enjoyed with a bun, over pasta or bun-less over veggies.
I am pretty picky about what jarred marinara I use. They are often either too high in sodium or too high in sugar. Go check yours! Seriously even the ones that don’t taste sweet have more sugar than you’d expect.
But then I found this gem at Costco. A double pack of the best jarred marinara that isn’t insanely high in either and that tastes amazing. It’s the closet thing I’ve found to homemade. Soooooo good.
Of course by the time I realized I loved the stuff, I made a plan to stock up and I could no longer find it. 🙁 I am sure, like most things at Costco, it will make its way back to the store. Hopefully you can find it at your store and if you do, please let me know!
So basically you’re going to cook your turkey burgers on the stove top. Place them in a baking dish, layer on some sauce and a piece of fresh mozzarella (or you could use regular mozzarella or provolone). Then broil until the cheese is melted.
I really, really wanted to eat this as a sandwich, but unfortunately I didn’t have any hamburger buns so I had to go the lo-carb version. You could wilt the spinach if you want, but I was too lazy and I figured the heat of the burger would work it.
These taste like a giant meatball and a good way to use otherwise bland ground turkey.
[Tweet “Italian-Style Turkey Burgers- a great way to jazz up that ground turkey! via @nutritiouseats”]
- 1.25 lb ground lean turkey
- 1 egg beaten
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons grated onion (using ¼ of an onion)
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1⅔ cup marinara sauce
- 5 ounces, or slices of fresh mozzerella
- 3 teaspoons olive oil
- Mix egg through black pepper. Stir in ground turkey and gently stir until combined. Form into 5-6 ounce patties (you should get 5).
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil, add 3 of the turkey patties and cook ~5 minutes, flip and cook another 5-6 minutes. Remove burgers from pan and place in a 13x9 baking dish, using a spatula, scrap off the residue from the first batch of burgers, add another teaspoon of oil to the skillet and the remaining 2 burgers. Cook those the same as the first, removing to baking dish when done.
- Spoon ⅓ cup marinara sauce over burgers. Top with one slice of fresh mozzarella cheese. Broil for ~3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve in a hamburger bun or over baby spinach for a lo-carb version.
What have you been cooking lately?
Have a great weekend everyone!
Angela @ Happy Fit Mama says
Oh my hubs would love this! Looks delish as usual. Do you deliver??? 😉
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Melanie says
I would love to deliver to you! Why don’t we live cloooooooser!?
Katie @ Mom to Mom Nutrition says
I love that you placed your burgers on a bed of spinach vs. a bun! Low-carb and delicious!
Melanie says
Thanks Katie, I’ll admit I really wanted the bun! ha
lindsay says
you know I love me some meat! turkey included (well in burger form that is!).
lindsay recently posted..What I learned After Realizing I Wasn’t Going to Meet My Goals
Melanie says
Yes! I love my veggies but sometimes the meat hits the spot.
Jessica H. says
These look so good! I love that your served your burgers on lettuce as a low-carb option. This is a nice alternative to ground beef as well. Saving the recipe!
Melanie says
Thanks Jessica! Have a great weekend!
Kierston says
Looks yummy!
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Melanie says
Thank you! Have a great weekend Kierston!
Farrah says
These look awesome! <3 Mozzarella is my favorite type of cheese, and I love turkey burgers! :]!
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Melanie says
Thanks so much Farrah!