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Thanks to Stubb's Legendary Bar-B-Q for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.
Grilled pineapple-studded guacamole is piled on top of these turkey burgers that have been brushed with a sweet-and-spicy bar-b-q sauce.
Grilling season is in full swing, and what better way to celebrate than with burgers!?
Not just any burgers. I'm talking about turkey burgers that have been topped with a sweet, spicy, cool guacamole that's bursting with grilled pineapple flavor.
And let's not forget to mention the totally rockin' flavor of Stubb's Sweet Heat Bar-B-Q Sauce. This stuff is delicious! It has a sweet, molasses and brown sugar base that finishes with the smoky heat of chipotle peppers.
And, as always, this sauce is bursting with flavor without containing any artificial preservatives, flavors, colors, MSG or high fructose corn syrup.
Because real food doesn't need any of that added... junk.
For these burgers, I wanted to get a nice crust on the outside of burgers, which is why a good layer of salt on both sides of each patty is key. I had my husband grill them, and he seared them over the coals before moving them over to indirect heat to finish cooking. If you're using gas, just be sure to watch them so they don't overcook.
Turkey burger patties can be a little less firm than beef, so grilling them on top of a non-stick BBQ vegetable grill tray can be a nice little insurance policy. If you have one on hand, I definitely recommend using it. Because there's nothing worse than having a burger fall through the grill grates!
Except maybe having your entire grill roll off the porch, tossing all of its contents onto your freshly mowed lawn. Not that that ever happened to us.
Once.
Yeeeears ago.
Ahem.
Anyhow, I had my husband brush each patty with some of the bar-b-q sauce after he flipped them. The sauce cooked down into that beautiful crust and got nice and golden.
After the burgers come off the grill, either brush them with more sauce, or make a little pile to dip your burger in before each bite.
Or do both. This is a judgement free zone.
The charred pineapple adds a whole new dimension to the guacamole on top of these burgers. I cut everything pretty small to make sure it would hold together on top of the burgers, and it worked out really well.
We had some leftover guacamole, which was great on top of some baby arugula for lunch the next day - no dressing required!
These burgers were bold, bright and bursting with flavor. It can be hard for a turkey burger to really pack a punch, but in this instance, it was a total knockout!
Looking for more ways to use ground turkey? Check out some of our favorite recipes:
Print📖 Recipe
Bar-B-Q Turkey Burgers with Grilled Pineapple Guacamole
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 burgers 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: American
Description
Grilled pineapple-studded guacamole is piled on top of these turkey burgers that have been brushed with a sweet-and-spicy bar-b-q sauce.
Ingredients
For guacamole:
- ½ large pineapple (about 2 cups)
- A few tablespoons grapeseed or peanut oil
- 2 large (or 4 small) ripe avocados
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon jalapeño pepper, seeds removed, minced
- 2 tablespoons shallot, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
For burgers:
- 1 pound lean ground turkey*
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- ¼ cup plain bread crumbs
- 3-5 drops of liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Stubb's Sweet Heat Bar-B-Q Sauce
- 4 ciabatta rolls, split horizontally
Instructions
- Prepare outdoor grill. If using charcoal, set it up for indirect heat. While it's heating up, peel the pineapple and slice into 1-inch thick discs. Spray or brush each slice of pineapple with oil on both sides and place each on the grill for a few minutes per side, until grill marks appear and some nice blackened bits start popping up (this is what mine looked like). Remove pineapple to a bowl and let cool.
- In a large bowl, mash avocados with a fork. Add lime zest and juice, cilantro, jalapeño, shallot, garlic, salt, cumin and coriander and stir to combine. Once pineapple is cool, remove core from each slice and chop the rest into small pieces. Fold into guacamole. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt or lime juice if necessary, and refrigerate until ready to use.
- For burgers, gently break up the turkey into a medium bowl. Add egg, bread crumbs and liquid smoke. Using your hands, mix the ingredients together and divide into 4 equal-sized patties (they should be approximately the size of the palm of your hand). Press down with your thumb lightly in the center of each patty to get an indentation that's about 1 ½-inches wide. Season each patty generously on both sides with kosher salt (I used ⅛ teaspoon per side).
- To cook the burgers, sear right over the coals until a nice crust forms, flip and repeat on the other side and then move over to finish cooking over indirect heat. Once you first flip the burgers, brush each patty with about a tablespoon of Sweet Heat Bar-B-Q Sauce.
- When the patties are cooked completely through (internal temperature should be 165°F), place each on the bottom half of a ciabatta roll. Brush the top of each burger with more Bar-B-Q sauce, pile on some of the grilled pineapple guacamole and finish each with a ciabatta roll top. Enjoy!
Notes
*I recommend using lean ground turkey, not the 100% white meat variety, as that tends to dry out easily.
If the turkey burger mixture feels loose when forming patties, add some more bread crumbs to help bind them together better. It may also be helpful to grill them on top of a non-stick BBQ vegetable grill tray, if you have one.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 1010
- Sugar: 11.4 g
- Sodium: 1080.5 mg
- Fat: 70.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 39.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 66.1 g
- Fiber: 8.4 g
- Protein: 38.2 g
- Cholesterol: 130.6 mg
Kristen (amindfullmom) says
Ashley, pineapple and avocado and burgers with BBQ sauce is SO SO good! And we love stubs sauce!
BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen says
It's a killer combo! 🙂
Christine Siracusa says
Stubbs is VERY popular in my home and this guac! Oh this guac is happening!
BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen says
Glad you approve! The guac was pretty stellar if I do say so myself 🙂
Kacey @ The Cookie Writer says
Stubbs popped up into our household last year and has had great results! Loving the guacamole!
BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen says
Aren't they great? So many varieties and all of them are SO tasty!
Olivia @ livforcake says
Oh man, these look delicious! I think you sold me with that pineapple guac, definitely going to try that! That BBQ sauce sounds amazing too. I don't think we have that here! 🙁
BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen says
Thanks 🙂 I'm not sure if they sell it outside the U.S. - it's definitely worth seeking out if you ever visit!
Aly ~ Cooking In Stilettos says
This looks divine - I love Stubbs sauce. This is definitely happening this summer 🙂
BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen says
Thanks so much! I hope you enjoy!
Lauren says
I love grilled pineapple in guacamole!
From Valerie's Kitchen says
Love that guac! Looks amazing!
Susan S. Bradley says
Ahhh... thank goodness for summer. I's finally arrived. These turkey burgers look delicious. Please send one right over. 🙂
Kate@Diethood says
Pineapple guac served over turkey burgers sounds sooooo awesome!!
Hannah Flack says
Pizza is my favorite thing to cook with the kids. It is one food that their “help” can actually be help. You can’t really screw up putting toppings on, and they love to customize their own little pizzas.
Ashley says
Yes absolutely! My son loves to hep make pizza, too