5 Ingredient Turkey and Spinach Burgers + Should You Buy Organic Meat?
Juicy, flavorful, and made with minimal ingredients, these 5 Ingredient Turkey and Spinach Burgers are prepped in minutes and are easy enough to whip up indoors, for year-round BBQ feels!
Gluten Free, Grain Free, Dairy Free, Nut Free, Soy Free
Happy Memorial Day! I hope you’re having fun with family and friends this weekend, enjoying the unofficial start to SUMMER!
If you’re looking for a last minute BBQ recipe for your Memorial Day BBQ, my 5 Ingredient Turkey and Spinach Burgers are IT!
Every so often I buy ground turkey meat to make bolognese sauce for my hubby. It’s so simple: I just brown the meat and throw a jar of my favorite marinara sauce on top. If I’m feeling fancy, I’ll add a few basil leaves. I was getting a little bored of cooking this, and the weather’s (so, sooo) slowly warming, so I was ready to try something new…
I happened to be defrosting a package of frozen chopped spinach, so I thought of putting it together with the turkey to make BURGERS – and we just so happened to have buns (thanks to my friends at BFree FoodsĀ for the samples). š I’veĀ alsoĀ been having so much fun playing with our cast iron skillet, so indoor burgers it was!
And did I mention how EASY these are to whip up?! You just combine all of the ingredients, let the burgers marinate in their flavors for a few hours, and BAM, cook ’em up!
[Tweet “The EASIEST #GlutenFree Turkey and Spinach Burgers “]
But before we get cooking, let’s chat about organic meat… is it worth it?
All organic foods must meet strict quality standards. This means that organic produce cannot be grown with pesticides nor toxic chemicals, and that organic meat and poultry cannot be given antibiotics or exogenous hormones, for example.
Even more, here are some organic livestock standards, straight from the USDA:
- Allowed year-round access to the outdoors (however, please note that organic is not synonymous with free-range!)
- Raised on certified organic land (which means organic produce could be grown on this land!)
- Good animal health and welfare standards must be maintained.
- Fed 100% certified organic feed (with exceptions for some vitamins and minerals that are necessary to meet the animalās nutritional needs).
- “Managed without antibiotics, added growth hormones, mammalian or avian byproducts, or other prohibited feed ingredients (e.g., urea, manure, or arsenic compounds).”
These are just a few examples of the higher standards that organic livestock meets. As a consumer, you can see that when you choose organic livestock, what you see is much more likely what you get.
Are there nutritional benefits of organic meat?
As a dietitian, I also have to mention the nutritional benefits we’re starting to learn about when choosing organic foods. One study found that the omega 3 fatty acid content in organic livestock was 47% higher than conventional (likely attributed to the fact that organic livestock usually grazes more).
So when it comes to meat and poultry, I personally and professionally think choosing organic is evenĀ moreĀ important. Of course, I want you to feel good about eating the type of meat that is best for you, your family, and your financial means. However, it’s worth considering reducing the quantity of meat you eat in order to be able to opt for a higher quality product.
One way I love to stretch a buck is by mixing meat, or in this case poultry, with some VEGGIES. I did it once here in these turkey meatloaf muffins by adding riced cauliflower, and I’m doing it again by using frozen spinach!
You don’t only get a fiber and antioxidant boost from the spinach, but you get more burgers! Frozen spinach is super cheap, so this is a great way to balance out choosing organic ground turkey (financially).
If you have more questions about organic versus conventional meat and poultry, I’d love to hear from you, so feel free to drop me a note!
But back to the turkey and spinach burgers…
TheseĀ 5 Ingredient Turkey and Spinach Burgers are…
- Made with just a handful of ingredients
- Easy to whip up
- Totally delicious
- 100% satisfying
- Gluten free
- Grain free
- Full of flavor
Let’s get cookin’…
Print5 Ingredient Turkey and Spinach Burgers
- Prep Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 burgers 1x
Ingredients
- 10 oz frozen spinach, thawed with excess water squeezed out
- 1 pound ground turkey, organic preferred
- 1/4 cup (~2 scallions), roughly chopped scallions, greens only
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Generous pinch of salt
- Olive oil or Avocado oil
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a medium-sized bowl, and mix to combine. Cover and refrigerate mixture for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Form the mixture into 6 patties, about 3/4-inch thick. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat and coat with your favorite oil (I used olive oil).
- When your pan is hot, add the patties. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown on the outside and cooked through. The internal temperature should read 165F when done.
- Enjoy on a bun, over salad, in a lettuce wrap or over veggies. š
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Before I sign off, I just want to take a second to say a HUGE thank you to all of the women, men, and their families – past and present – who work so hard to keep us safe every day.
XO
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