Mini turkey cheese burgers with giardiniera are the perfect pan-fried mini smash burger for a casual weeknight or weekend dinner. You won’t need much else as far as toppings go!

Are we all turkey’d out?

I think that since this recipe isn’t for that kind of turkey, we should be good to go.

Right?

There comes a point in an adult’s life when their doctor may advise them to cut down on the red meat.

I know several adult males that this has happened to lately.

Not naming names.

I think eating less red meat and more veggies is a good practice in general.

But for those nights you want something beefy or big and juicy like a burger, try swapping out for these mini turkey cheese burgers.

I made them just like you would make a classic cast iron skillet smash burger.

That alone adds a lot of flavor.

Mix some dried minced onion and grated garlic to the ground turkey for all that flavor.

We are spice lovers so we like to add either spicy mustard or in this case spicy giardiniera to the top of each burger along with a big old slice of colby jack.

Lucky for you non-Midwestern folks, I have a recipe for DIY giardiniera already on the blog.

Make a big batch and gift it out to your spice loving friends for the holidays!

This recipe is super simple.

The only part that takes a bit of time is searing the burgers in the pan and waiting for cheese to melt.

But, like they say, good things come to those who wait for mini turkey cheese burgers.

Mini Turkey Cheese Burgers with Giardiniera

Yield: 6-8 Mini Burgers

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Mini ground turkey smash burgers made in a cast iron skillet then topped with cheese and giardiniera all on a toasted brioche bun.

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Ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground turkey
• 1 tsp dried minced onion
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp avocado oil (something with a higher smoke point than EVOO)
• 6-8 slices of colby jack cheese
• 1/2 cup spicy giardiniera
• 6-8 mini brioche buns or slider/dinner rolls

Instructions

1. Heat your large cast iron skillet over a medium/high burner for a few minutes while you prepare the meat.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, use your hands to mix together the ground turkey, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Portion out 6-8 balls of meat.
3. Add the avocado oil to the hot pan. Swirl to coat evenly.
4. Add 3-4 meatballs to the hot pan. Use the back of a spatula to press each meatball down into a flat thin disc. Cook on the first side for about 3-4 minutes. Flip each burger, smash the second side again with the back of the spatula, add cheese, and cook the second side for about 3 minutes until cooked completely through. do the same thing with the next group of meatballs.
5. Add the burgers to the brioche buns and top with giardiniera or any other toppings you desire.

Notes

Burgers will shrink as they cook.

Be sure to have the vent on while you cook these on the stovetop.

Feel free to heat the cast iron on the grill over high flame and cook outdoors too!

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