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Turkey Burgers with Crunchy Apple Slaw

Juicy turkey burgers bound with a little oats and egg, served in wholemeal buns with a crunchy apple and cabbage slaw. Chill the patties for 15 minutes before cooking so they hold together in the pan.

Dinner

45

Serves 4

A turkey burger in a wholemeal bun with lettuce and tomato, served with a bowl of apple and cabbage slaw

Ingredients

  • For the burgers
  • 500g/1lb 2oz turkey mince (ground turkey), about 7% fat
  • 30g/1oz/⅓ cup rolled oats, blitzed to a coarse crumb
  • 1 medium egg (US large)
  • Half a small red onion (about 60g/2oz), finely grated
  • 2 cloves garlic (about 8g), crushed
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • Half a tsp salt and black pepper
  • 1 tsp neutral oil, for the pan
  • 4 wholemeal buns (whole wheat buns, about 60g/2oz each)
  • 40g/1½oz lettuce leaves and 1 large tomato (about 120g/4oz), sliced
  • For the slaw
  • 200g/7oz white or red cabbage, finely shredded
  • 1 large carrot (about 100g/3½oz), coarsely grated
  • 1 small eating apple (a sweet, crisp apple such as Gala or Pink Lady, about 100g/3½oz), cut into thin matchsticks
  • 100g/3½oz/scant ½ cup 0% fat Greek yogurt
  • 2 tsp cider vinegar (apple cider vinegar) and a pinch of salt

Method

  1. In a large bowl, mix the turkey, blitzed oats, egg, grated onion, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper with your hands until evenly combined. The mixture will be soft.
  2. With wet hands, shape into 4 patties about 2cm/¾in thick. Put on a plate and chill for 15 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, make the slaw: mix the yogurt, vinegar and salt in a bowl, then stir in the cabbage, carrot and apple.
  4. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the burgers for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, until golden and cooked through, with no pink in the middle and the juices running clear. Minced poultry must be fully cooked: if you have a thermometer, the centre should reach 75C/167F.
  5. Toast the buns cut side down in the pan or under the grill (broiler) for 1 minute.
  6. Fill each bun with lettuce, tomato, a burger and a spoonful of slaw, and serve the rest of the slaw on the side.
  7. Cooked burgers keep in the fridge for up to 2 days; reheat until piping hot. Uncooked patties freeze for up to 3 months; defrost in the fridge overnight before cooking. The slaw is best eaten the same day.

Why it works

A burger in a bun with slaw has about 36g of protein, 8g of fibre and 454 calories. These figures include the wholemeal bun, lettuce, tomato and slaw.

Why turkey mince. Turkey mince at around 7% fat is much leaner than typical beef mince, which is often 15 to 20% fat. The catch is that lean mince dries out easily, which is why the oats, egg and grated onion are there: they hold moisture and bind the burger so it does not crumble. Check the label, as some turkey mince includes skin and is much fattier.

The slaw does more than decorate. Cabbage, carrot and apple in a light Greek yogurt dressing add crunch, fibre and vegetables, with far less fat than a mayonnaise coleslaw.

Food safety. Unlike a beef steak, minced poultry must always be cooked right through, because any bacteria on the surface are mixed into the middle. Cut one open to check, or use a thermometer.

Not gluten-free as written: for a gluten-free version, use oats labelled gluten-free, gluten-free buns and a mustard labelled gluten-free, or serve the burgers in large lettuce leaves. For more turkey, try the turkey meatballs with courgetti.