• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Vindulge

BBQ and Grilling Recipes with Wine Pairings

  • Home
  • About
    • About Mary
    • Portfolio
    • TV Appearances
    • Work With Me
  • Cookbook
  • Wine
    • Food and Wine Pairing
  • All Recipes
  • Travel
  • Resources
    • Fundamentals For Learning How to Grill
    • Guide to Pellet Grills – Common Q and A
    • Best Pellet Grill – MAK Two Star General – Versatile American Made Pellet Smoker
    • Blogger Resources
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Shop Wines
  • Cookbook
  • All Recipes
  • Travel
  • Wine Guides
  • Blogging Resources
  • Connect with us!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    You are here: Home » Food » Poultry » Turkey Burgers with Bacon Paste — Jazzing up Turkey Burgers

    Turkey Burgers with Bacon Paste — Jazzing up Turkey Burgers

    March 8, 2018 By Mary 10 Comments

    Sharing is caring!

    306 shares
    • Facebook20
    • Twitter
    Jump to Recipe
    Turkey Burger Pin
    Turkey Burger Pin
    Turkey Burger Pin
    Turkey Burger Pin

    How to add incredible flavor to Grilled Turkey Burgers by adding bacon paste.

    Turkey burgers can tend to come out dry and flavorless. Adding bacon paste to ground turkey adds not only flavor but great moisture lacking in most turkey burgers.

    Turkey Burger made with Bacon Paste on a platter

    I’ll be the first to admit, when I transitioned from a vegetarian back into a meat eater it was a slow process. I went through a phase where I was shy on beef and friendly with poultry. We ate a lot of chicken and turkey during those days!

    Granted we still eat our fair share of poultry and I especially like to change it up in our family, providing a variety of proteins throughout the week.

    And since one of our kids has proclaimed he’s a pesca-bacon-tarian  we’ve been cooking less beef around here. Hence turkey (also see smoked turkey).

    But turkey burgers can be so boring and often lack moisture and tenderness. We discovered years ago a magic ingredient that revolutionizes the boring turkey. Okay so it might not revolutionize it, but it jazzes it up for damn sure (can I see some jazz hands?!?!?!)

    Bacon Paste

    This ain’t your typical slice of bacon added to the top of a turkey burger to compensate for the lack of flavor found within the patty. Nor is it some expensive ingredient you have to buy at a specialty food store.

    Nope.

    Bacon paste can be made easily, right at home in your food processor.

    You just take uncooked bacon and mix it in a food processor until it becomes a paste, and then mix the paste into your ground turkey.

    A side by side image of bacon going into the food processor to turn into a paste
    • Our favorite ratio is 2 pieces of thick cut, uncooked bacon, for every 1 pound of ground meat. That’s all you need to add a boatload of delicious flavor to your burgers. Seriously… a boatload.
    • Bacon paste becomes the binder and fat that not only keeps the burgers together, but also elevates the flavor of burger beyond your typical boring patty you may buy at the store.

    The Best Meat for Burgers

    With any kind of ground meat intended for burgers you want some fat. Ground beef is purchased typically by its fat content, so you’ll see things like 85/15 or 90/10. That means the ratio of meat to fat. And fat is flavor. For more flavor try out 80/20 for best results.

    Ground Turkey

    When buying ground turkey the same ratio rules apply, however something to consider is going to your local butcher and mixing up some white and dark meat ground to the same ratio’s you would expect from a beef burger. 75/25 or 85/15 is fantastic. If you go too lean on a burger, regardless of turkey or beef, the flavor will be muted and it is much more likely to fall apart even with added binding agents.

    Even with a good amount of fat in ground turkey it can still be dull tasting and dry. Which brings us to the bacon paste.

    Just add the bacon paste into the ground turkey mixture and then form your patties. 

    And as opposed to adding cooked bacon on top (which you can still do as well. I won’t ever judge for overdoing it on the bacon), adding the raw bacon paste to your burgers adds incredible flavor as well as fat (moisture) to ensure your burgers don’t dry out.

    Bacon and Nutrition 

    Did I mention the nutritional value of adding bacon paste? Did you know pork fat was named the #8 most nutritious food in the world by the BBC. Not lying! They claim Pork fat is more unsaturated and healthier than beef fat. So go add your bacon fat and feel no regret!

    (Reminder, I am neither a nutritionist nor doctor, so take this information with a grain of bacon salt).

    Mix & Grill Turkey Burgers

    Add the rest of your ingredients to the ground meat, and mix to combine everything into patties.

    Turkey patties cooking on the grill


    If you want to add cheese to your turkey burgers add it in the final minutes of cooking (see notes).

    The Video 

    Turkey Burgers with Bacon Paste Recipe

    Turkey Burger made with Bacon Paste on a plate

    Turkey Burgers with Bacon Paste

    Discover the magic of bacon paste and how it can add incredible flavor to boring turkey burgers. These turkey burgers have are full of great flavor and moisture. There’s nothing boring about these turkey burgers!
    4.72 from 7 votes
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Author: Mary Cressler | Vindulge

    Ingredients

    • 2 pieces thick cut uncooked bacon
    • 1 pound ground turkey (a mix of white and dark meat works great)
    • ⅓ cup onion, diced
    • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper (just a few twists from your grinder)
    • 4 burger buns
    • Optional toppings
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat your grill for indirect method (see instructions on direct vs. indirect here).
    • Place two pieces of uncooked bacon in a food processor and pulse until it turns into a paste (should only take about 3-4 pulses).
    • In a large mixing bowl, mix ground turkey with the bacon paste, onion, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika in a large bowl with your hands being careful to not over mix.
    • Form the burgers into four equal sized patties.
    • Place on grill over direct heat. Cook about 4-6 minutes per side for grill marks and a nice char, then transfer to indirect heat. *If you’re adding cheese do it here, when you add it to indirect heat. And then cover until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. 
    • Remove burgers from heat and build your burgers. 

    Video

    Notes

    Flavor tip: If using a charcoal grill, add wood chunks to the charcoal mix. This will add some smoke and most importantly natural flavor from the wood. Yum.
    Find the perfect wine pairing at the Vindulge Wine Shop
    Tried this recipe? We would love to see!Mention @vindulge or use the hashtag #vindulge

    Wine Pairing for Turkey Burgers

    I’ve written at length on what it means to be a good “burger wine”.  For these turkey burgers, we kept them simple with basic toppings (tomato, onion, pickle). The bacon adds a great smokiness and savoriness that lends itself to several styles of wine. If you want something big and powerful look to New World Syrah (California and Washington make excellent examples). For something medium bodied, try Côtes du Rhône (Syrah and Grenache based blends from France). For a refreshing lighter bodied alternative, Spanish Rosé is a nice choice with its bright fresh flavors and strong acidity.


    More Recipes using Bacon Paste

    • Smoked Meatball Sandwiches
    • Turkey Meatballs with Bacon Paste

    If you like this recipe we’d truly appreciate it if you would give this recipe a star review! And if you share any of your pics on Instagram use the hashtag #vindulge. We LOVE to see it when you cook our recipes.


    « February Wine Favorites
    Classic Grilled Cheeseburger — Reverse Seared and Grilled »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lindsay says

      November 11, 2020 at 5:36 am

      5 stars
      How many days will these last in the fridge after cooking?

      Reply
      • Sean Martin says

        November 14, 2020 at 11:49 am

        Lindsay, I would say 3 days at most. If you want longer, I would freeze them with some type of vacuum sealing option.

        Reply
    2. Garrett says

      February 16, 2019 at 12:33 pm

      4 stars
      Just in case anyone else runs into this issue, don’t skip the bacon! I didn’t have any bacon and tried to use an egg as the binding agent, but my raw patties turned out as piles of meat paste. Luckily I was using a skillet so I didn’t have to worry about them falling through the grate, otherwise they would have just dripped through! Next time I try these I’ll definitely be adding bacon for some more flavor and firmness. I’ll definitely be trying these with bacon next!

      Reply
      • Sean Martin says

        February 16, 2019 at 4:57 pm

        Garrett great point, we will update the post, and also it will depend on how lean the turkey is you bought. Thanks for sharing!

        Reply
    3. Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

      March 09, 2018 at 2:39 am

      5 stars
      We LOVE turkey burgers in our house, and they’re the only burgers we ever make at home! They’re so flavorful and juicy – if you know how to add that flavor in and moisture like you did here. We have our own “secret sauces” to get that effect but I love your use of bacon paste here! I bet it’s so yummy!

      Reply
      • Mary says

        March 14, 2018 at 11:03 pm

        Thank you!!! Are you willing to divulge your secret sauce?? 😉

        Reply
    4. Jenni says

      March 09, 2018 at 12:26 am

      5 stars
      The addition of bacon paste is so smart! This burger looks so good. I don’t even think I’d miss beef here.

      Reply
    5. Erin @ Platings and Pairngs says

      March 08, 2018 at 5:59 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my gosh – What yumminess!!! Love the idea to mix in some bacon with the ground turkey to make them extra flavorful and juicy!

      Reply
    6. Natasha says

      March 08, 2018 at 5:02 pm

      4 stars
      This burger looks and sounds amazing! Perfect for spring and summer barbecues. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    7. Megan Joy says

      March 08, 2018 at 3:42 pm

      You can never go wrong adding bacon 🙂 This looks so good. And I didn’t know bacon paste was so easy to make!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Mary-Cressler-Sept-2015-smI'm Mary, a wine/food/travel writer, Certified Sommelier, mom of twins, former vegetarian turned BBQ fanatic, runner, and founder of Vindulge and author of Fire + Wine cookbook.  Thanks for stopping by!

    Learn More...

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

    Fire and Wine Cookbook Cover.

    Get Ready for Summer

    Smoked Brisket

    What’s on our Grill

    The Best Gluten Free Drop Biscuits – 5 Ingredients

    Smoked Hot Honey Ribs Recipe

    Vegetarian Chorizo Recipe with Cauliflower

    Hot Honey Pizza on a serving dish

    Hot Honey Pizza with Prosciutto and Ricotta

    More

    As Seen On

    Products we love

    taking the temperature of a porchetta roast on the grill
    We use Thermoworks Signals BBQ Alarm to monitor the internal temperature of the meat while it’s cooking, then double check with an instant read thermometer, like the Thermapen One.

    Vindulge Wine Club

    join the wine club side bar

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Portfolio
    • TV Appearances
    • Work with Me

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021 Vindulge

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
    Cookie SettingsAccept All
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
    viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    SAVE & ACCEPT
    306 shares
    • 20