Crunchy Quinoa Grilled Turkey Burger (low-fat)

Grilled Crunchy Quinoa Turkey Burgers

When you hear the word BBQ do you start to salivate like I do?  I love to grill for so many different reasons. First of all it’s delicious, there is something to say for food cooked over a flame…the char flavor is just addicting. Not to mention grilled good is healthy, quick, easy and the clean up is a cinch- no pans or pots to wash. This is probably why every time we have a BBQ you will almost always find me “manning” the grill.  What can I say, I am a girl who loves my grill

With grilling season right around the corner, or if you live in sunny Los Angeles well under way—I am always experimenting with new recipes.  I love a good beef burger any day of the week, but the husby and I can only eat so much red meat. So I thought I would give turkey a try but give it a little twist. The classic turkey burger is always a delicious option, but my Grilled Crunchy Quinoa Turkey Burger is a nice twist on a classic. The breadcrumbs add a nice crunchy element and the quinoa keeps the lean turkey meat moist. I even re-heated last night’s patty for today’s lunch is it did not disappoint.   But best of all I grill these burger on the BBQ, but put a sheet of aluminum foil between the grill and the burgers to make sure they wont stick making clean up a super cinch. It’s a win win- I hope you enjoy these burgers as much as I did!

Beauty Bonus: Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is not a grain; it is actually a seed and related to the spinach family. Quinoa contains all 9 essential amino acids that are required by the body as building blocks for muscles.  It is also a good source of magnesium and copper that act as antioxidants in your body to get rid of dangerous cancer and disease-causing substances.

Enjoy!

Xo

Mimi

Grilled Crunchy Quinoa Turkey Burgers

• 1/2 cup quinoa, cooked
• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• 1 egg beaten
• ·Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
• ½ Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
• ½ Cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs

Mix turkey, egg, salt pepper, garlic powder, red pepper flakes and to the quinoa and use your fingers to combine. Form into four patties. Drizzle each patty with a little olive oil and coat with breadcrumbs on each side. Refrigerate while you heat up the grill. Just before grilling drizzle each side of the burger with a little more olive oil- this will help the breadcrumbs really crisp up. Place a sheet of aluminum foil on top of the grill, racks and cook turkey burgers for about 5 minutes per side, until well done.

 Serve on a whole grain bun or enjoy open-faced topped your favorite burger fixings.