One trick I use to infuse moisture into ground turkey is to add freshly grated zucchini! This is perfect for summer when those of us who garden have more zucchini than we can possibly use. It’s a trick I learned making these spicy turkey zucchini burgers with middle eastern flavors from the Jerusalem cookbook. No, the burgers don’t taste like zucchini, and yes, the grated zucchini works great to keep the burgers from drying out. Just make sure you are using fresh summer zucchini, and not something that’s shipped from thousands of miles away in the dead of winter when they are out of season. Zucchini doesn’t add much in the way of taste, and ground turkey is mild as well, so we need to bump up our turkey burgers with herbs and spices. In this Italian inspired turkey burger we are including chopped fresh basil and oregano into the burger mix, and serving the burger with a slathering of garlic mayo. If you would prefer to grill them, I recommend squeezing out some of the excess moisture from the grated zucchini, and adding some mayonnaise to the burger mix. The egg in the mayonnaise will help bind the burger while it cooks, and the oil in the mayo will help the burgers stay juicy. I have found that zucchini have a higher water content than patty pan or other types of summer squash, so are the best type of summer squash to use in this recipe. Working in batches, gently cook the patties for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. You don’t want the heat to be too high or the patties may get too browned before they are cooked through. Remove to a plate to keep warm.
