Duration
45 minutes
Skill level
Beginner
Season
Spring, Summer
What makes a “California burger” Californian? Thanks to refrigeration and shipping, fresh produce is accessible 365 days a year, but this wasn’t always the case. The original California burger, invented in the early 1900s, included lettuce, tomato, and onion—a nod to the Golden State’s abundance of sunshine, mild weather, and year-round production of fresh vegetables.
Today, lettuce, tomato, and onion are the standard garnish for most burgers, so the California burger has evolved to include sliced avocado or guacamole—a homage to California’s rich Hispanic heritage. My version of this burger uses ground wild turkey thighs and legs and a topper of crispy bacon.
For the best results, grind turkey meat right before you plan on making the burgers. Grinding wild game, freezing it, and then thawing can result in overly wet, even mealy, ground meat. This will affect its ability to bind, resulting in your burgers falling apart. That extra moisture will force you to add fillers, such as breadcrumbs, but remember that we’re making burgers here, not meatloaf.
Lastly, don’t overcook the turkey burgers, and refrain from pushing down on the patties with your spatula. All this does is squeezes out precious moisture.
Ingredients
- 1¼ lb. of ground wild turkey
- 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, to taste
- 8 slices bacon
- Sliced red onion
- Butter lettuce
- 4 slices cheddar cheese
- Mayonnaise
- 4 hamburger buns
Guacamole
- 2 to 3 avocados
- Small bunch of cilantro, chopped (about 2 tbsp.)
- ½ cup tomato, diced (no seeds)
- ¼ cup finely diced onion
- Minced jalapeno, to taste
- Juice of half a lime
- 1 tbsp. of bacon grease
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Also works with
Preparation
- In a large skillet, render bacon and drain on paper towels. Be sure to reserve a tablespoon or so of grease. In a bowl, lightly mash avocados and combine with remaining guacamole ingredients. Season to taste, cover and chill until ready to serve.
- In a medium bowl, combine ground turkey with Worcestershire sauce. Knead the meat until it becomes a cohesive paste and no longer crumbly-looking—this will make the meat bind. Form into four patties.
- Pour out excess bacon grease from the pan, leaving just enough to cook the patties. Heat pan over medium-low to medium, and cook patties until browned on both sides and the internal temperature reaches 160°F. Season patties with seasoned salt. Place a slice of cheese on top of each patty, and cover the pan for a few seconds to melt cheese.
- Assemble burgers with buns, mayonnaise, bacon, lettuce, guacamole, and sliced red onion.
What makes a “California burger” Californian? Thanks to refrigeration and shipping, fresh produce is accessible 365 days a year, but this wasn’t always the case. The original California burger, invented in the early 1900s, included lettuce, tomato, and onion—a nod to the Golden State’s abundance of sunshine, mild weather, and year-round production of fresh vegetables.
Today, lettuce, tomato, and onion are the standard garnish for most burgers, so the California burger has evolved to include sliced avocado or guacamole—a homage to California’s rich Hispanic heritage. My version of this burger uses ground wild turkey thighs and legs and a topper of crispy bacon.
For the best results, grind turkey meat right before you plan on making the burgers. Grinding wild game, freezing it, and then thawing can result in overly wet, even mealy, ground meat. This will affect its ability to bind, resulting in your burgers falling apart. That extra moisture will force you to add fillers, such as breadcrumbs, but remember that we’re making burgers here, not meatloaf.
Lastly, don’t overcook the turkey burgers, and refrain from pushing down on the patties with your spatula. All this does is squeezes out precious moisture.
Ingredients
- 1¼ lb. of ground wild turkey
- 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, to taste
- 8 slices bacon
- Sliced red onion
- Butter lettuce
- 4 slices cheddar cheese
- Mayonnaise
- 4 hamburger buns
Guacamole
- 2 to 3 avocados
- Small bunch of cilantro, chopped (about 2 tbsp.)
- ½ cup tomato, diced (no seeds)
- ¼ cup finely diced onion
- Minced jalapeno, to taste
- Juice of half a lime
- 1 tbsp. of bacon grease
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Also works with
Preparation
- In a large skillet, render bacon and drain on paper towels. Be sure to reserve a tablespoon or so of grease. In a bowl, lightly mash avocados and combine with remaining guacamole ingredients. Season to taste, cover and chill until ready to serve.
- In a medium bowl, combine ground turkey with Worcestershire sauce. Knead the meat until it becomes a cohesive paste and no longer crumbly-looking—this will make the meat bind. Form into four patties.
- Pour out excess bacon grease from the pan, leaving just enough to cook the patties. Heat pan over medium-low to medium, and cook patties until browned on both sides and the internal temperature reaches 160°F. Season patties with seasoned salt. Place a slice of cheese on top of each patty, and cover the pan for a few seconds to melt cheese.
- Assemble burgers with buns, mayonnaise, bacon, lettuce, guacamole, and sliced red onion.