Aloha Turkey Burgers

These Aloha Turkey Burgers are everything you love about a big juicy burger, and the fact that they're made with ground turkey is a deliciously pleasant surprise!

*Disclaimer - This recipe was originally published in 2014. I'm working hard to update all my older recipes with recipe cards and additional recipe information, but getting to all of them will take time. Please bear with me. In the meantime let me assure you that this recipe is still a winner and one I'm sure you'll be well pleased with when you make it at home.

We love this Aloha Turkey Burger so much that the first time I made them, we gobbled them up so fast that there weren't any leftovers for pictures.

This time, I made sure to put one aside before we sat down to eat, and I hid it in the back fridge along with a note saying "save me" on the container just to be sure.

If you're of the mindset that turkey burgers are bland, dull, and dry...get over it! This Aloha turkey burger is wonderfully moist and packed with the big bold flavors of red bell peppers, cilantro paste, ground ginger, and those wonderfully crunchy, French fried onions that I don't think anyone can resist.

And, if that's not enough, the sweetness of a King's Hawaiian burger bun, a juicy slice of pineapple, and a slice of nutty melted Swiss cheese pull it all together even before you've had a chance to add a big dollop of the teriyaki ketchup to finish it off.

Be still my Hawaiian steel drum beating heart!!!

ALOHA TURKEY BURGERS   {PRINT THIS RECIPE}
Yield: 6 burgers      Prep Time: 10 minutes      Cook Time:  30-35 minutes

For the burgers:
1 pound ground turkey
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and small diced
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro paste (you can find this in the produce department)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup French fried onions
6 pineapple rings, drained
6 slices of Swiss cheese
6 Kings Hawaiian hamburger buns
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
For the teriyaki ketchup:
¾ cup prepared ketchup
3 tablespoons low sodium teriyaki sauce
½ teaspoon ground ginger
-Whisk the ketchup ingredients in a small bowl and set aside until ready to serve.

-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
-In a large bowl, mix the first 10 burger ingredients and form into 6 evenly sized patties.
-In a large skillet, over medium/high heat add 1 tablespoon oil and fry the burgers on both sides, until they are nicely browned on each side. *Note - This is best to do in two batches of 3 burgers each and will take approximately 3 minutes per side.
-Remove the browned burgers to a 9" x 13" casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. *Note - these burgers are not fully cooked at this point and will require additional cooking in the oven.
-Top each browned burger with a pineapple slice and a slice of Swiss cheese.
-Bake the burgers in a preheated oven for approximately 15-20 minutes until cooked through and have reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees and the cheese is nicely melted and browned.
-Place each burger on a bun and serve them along with the teriyaki ketchup.