Caprese Turkey Burgers

The traditional Caprese Salad is a flavor inspiration for so many dishes in our house. The trio of vine ripe summer tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil simply can’t be beat! And while I’m not sure that anything can come close to the original classic, this burger really is outrageously good.

Chopped fresh basil infuses the burger which sits perched atop a grilled portabello and sliced red onion. The mozzarella gets all melty delicious in the last few minutes of grilling, and the whole thing is topped off with fresh tomatoes and basil, with a drizzle of reduced balsamic vinegar.

So… in the words of my husband – ‘is there more?’

One of the things I love the most about late summer is the abundance of amazing tomatoes. Just look at that color, brilliant deep color is almost always a sign of great flavor to come.

This tomato basil topping makes an appearance on the dinner table often, sometimes just how it is as a side salad.

These burgers have so much flavor going on, that you could easily leave off the mozzarella if you’re dairy free. Try subbing in a few slices of fresh avocado, or add it all cubed up into the tomato basil mixture. If you can have cheese, we’ll celebrate the melty amazingness that is a cheeseburger together.

If you can’t tell, I’m one of those people who barely considers it a burger if there isn’t cheese on it! However I know a few people who simply can’t have dairy, so I like to suggest alternatives when I can.

If you’d like to make your own balsamic reduction, it’s really easy and a good way to ensure you don’t have any weird additives in there. I gave a quick run down in the last paragraph of my Watermelon Feta Spinach Salad post.

For more summer tomato inspiration I’m leaving you with a few of my personal favorites!

Rosemary Garlic Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Creme Fraiche Risotto with Heirloom Tomatoes and Basil

Blender Fresh Tomato Checca Sauce

Paleo Power Breakfast

Balsamic Grilled Chicken topped with Caprese Salad

Caprese Turkey Burgers

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• Author: Get Inspired Everyday!
• Total Time: 35 mins
• Yield: 4 burgers 1x

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Ingredients

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Turkey Burgers:

• 1 pound ground turkey chub
• sea salt and pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 4 portabello mushrooms, 8-12 ounces total
• 1 large red onion, 12 ounces
• 4 slices of fresh mozzarella, 4 ounces

Tomato Basil Topping:

• 1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved
• 12 basil leaves, thinly sliced (chiffonade) 1/8 ounce
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Reduced Balsamic Vinegar for drizzling

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Instructions

1. Preheat the grill over high heat. Make sure the grill is well cleaned before you begin grilling because turkey burgers have a tendency to stick. Right before grilling you can spray the grill with an oil spray, or pour a small amount of oil onto a paper towel and carefully (you don’t want to burn yourself) oil the grill slats.
2. Mix together the ground turkey with a sprinkling of salt and pepper, minced garlic, and chopped basil. Form the mixture into 4 equal sized patties.
3. Clean the portabello mushrooms under running water, remove the stem and scrape out the gills (I use a spoon for this). Slice both ends off the onion and peel away the tough outer layer. Make 4 – 1/2″ slices from the middle of the onion, and refrigerate any leftover onion for a future use.
4. Place the cleaned mushrooms, onion slices, and turkey burgers on the cleaned and oiled grill. Immediately reduce the heat to medium and maintain a temperature between 350ºF – 400ºF during the cooking time. Cook the burgers for about 6-8 minutes until they loosen from the grill and are easy to turn over. Top each burger with 1 slice of mozzerella cheese. Continue cooking an additional 6-8 minutes or until the burgers are no longer pink in the center.
5. While the burgers are cooking prepare the tomato basil topping by mixing together the cherry tomatoes and sliced basil. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set the topping aside until you’re ready to serve.
6. To serve the burgers, layer starting with 1 portabello each, then place 1 onion slice on top of each mushroom. Top the onion slice with a burger patty, and finally spoon the tomato basil topping over each burger and drizzle with reduced balsamic vinegar.

• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins