Turkey And Cranberry Burgers Are A Thanksgiving Feast On A Bun

Why wait for the fourth Thursday in November to enjoy Thanksgiving food? While it may be hard to find whole turkeys and cranberries year-round, there are still ways to enjoy the classic holiday flavors. If you love turkey and cranberries (who doesn't?), you need to make a turkey cranberry burger. Instead of worrying about using a last-minute Thanksgiving dinner hack to defrost your bird, a turkey burger only requires ground turkey.

Not only is ground turkey easily found all year long, but it's also an excellent base for lots of flavor. To make it truly taste like a Thanksgiving meal, add poultry seasoning. Add herbs such as sage and use breadcrumbs as a binder to enhance the burger's festive fall flavors. Forget traditional burger toppings like lettuce and tomato, and add cranberries. If fresh cranberries aren't in season, you can make a cranberry topping with frozen or canned berries. Cranberries can make you seriously pucker, so a tart but sweet cranberry sauce recipe is essential for turkey burgers.

Do you love mixing all your Thanksgiving foods on a plate for the ultimate savory bite? It turns out that turkey and cranberry are a perfect match due to the mashup of salty and sweet. Turkey can be bland and salty, while cranberries are tart and acidic. Pair the two, and you have a bite that makes your tastebuds sing. If you made a cooking mistake and your bird is dry, a dollop of cranberry sauce can save the day and add needed moisture.

If you're stuck with a surplus of Thanksgiving leftovers, you can make a turkey cranberry burger using fresh turkey. While the bird won't be ground like hamburger meat, mashed-up bits can be mixed with leftover cranberry sauce and placed on buns. Like any good burger, customization is essential. Some people prefer to add cheese to their cranberry turkey burger, with brie a popular choice. Just as cranberries and turkey go well together, cranberries and brie are another great match. Brie is rich and gooey. Cranberries balance the flavor with its sweet and tart acidity. Whatever else you put on your burger is up to you. However, we suggest adding nothing that will overpower the traditional Thanksgiving flavors.