Tomato Jam & Goat Cheese Turkey Burgers

The juicy, delicious turkey burger is bursting with flavor from the tangy goat cheese, sweet tomatoes, and basil.

I’ve got one more week of Labor Day inspired grilling meals for you! I promise your guests are going to love these burgers. In fact, they may be some of the best turkey burgers I’ve ever made, and they are inspired by the clean and fresh ingredients of summer.

I’ve been dreaming of tomato jam ever since I ate a breakfast scramble with homemade tomato jam & goat cheese. The thing is, true homemade tomato jam is just too much work. I need something that has great flavor, but takes no time to whip up! My quick tomato jam not only comes together quickly, but highlights the true flavor of summer tomatoes with minimal ingredients.

Grill the perfect turkey burger

1. The key to making the perfect sized homemade burger is making sure the patties are thin and a little larger in diameter than your buns. The diameter of raw patty will shrink, and the thickness will increase as cooked.
2. Be sure to oil your grates before laying the meat on the grill. Turkey burgers are very fragile. Even with the oil, be careful when you flip your burgers.
3. Gone are the days of dry, tasteless turkey burgers. When you’re grilling, be sure to only flip your burgers once, and NEVER smash the juices out of your burger. Add the burgers to the grill, flip, and remove from the grill. That’s it!!
4. I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again! Want perfectly cooked meat every time? Use a meat thermometer! The internal temperature of cooked poultry is 165 °F.
5. Wrap your fully assembled burgers in parchment paper. This is going to help your toppings stay inside the bun while you are eating.
   
   

Print Recipe

Tomato Jam & Goat Cheese Turkey Burger

The juicy, delicious turkey burger is bursting with flavor from the tangy goat cheese, sweet tomatoes, and basil.

Prep Time35 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course: Main Course

Servings: 5

Ingredients

Turkey Burgers

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion diced
• 3 cloves of garlic minced
• 2 lb ground turkey 80% lean, 20% fat
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/3 cup fresh basil chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 5 everything bagels (gluten free alternative if necessary)
• 10 tbsp goat cheese
• arugula for topping

Quick Tomato Jam

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 10.5 oz cherry tomatoes

Instructions

Turkey Burgers

• In a cast iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil olive on medium-high heat until pan and oil is hot (approximately 1 minute).
• Add diced onion and sauté until onions are translucent and golden brown (approximately 5-6 minutes). Add in minced garlic and allow to cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
• Remove onion and garlic from skillet. Allow to cool in a large mixing bowl. Wipe the skillet down with a paper towel. Proceed by making the quick tomato jam (see instructions below). Once the quick tomato jam is complete, the onions will have cooled, and you can proceed with the burgers.
• Preheat grill to 400 °F.
• While the grill is coming to temperature, add ground turkey, tomato paste, basil, salt, and pepper to the mixing bowl with sautéed onions and garlic. Use your hands to combine the ingredients together. Form five 1 inch thick patties (6-7 ounces of meat per patty).
• Oil down the grill grates to ensure the patties do not stick. Cook turkey burgers until they reach an internal temperature of 165 °F, flipping the burger halfway through.
• Assemble your burgers by toasting an everything bagel and spreading 1-2 tbsp of goat cheese on the bagel. Top goat cheese with arugula. Add the turkey burger, and top with a tbsp of quick tomato jam. Wrap burgers with parchment paper to help prevent the toppings from leaking out.

Quick Tomato Jam

• In a cast iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil olive on medium heat until pan and oil are hot (approximately 1 minute).
• Add cherry tomatoes to the skillet. Cook over medium heat for 7-8 minutes until tomatoes begin to blister and burst.
• Remove from heat. Smash tomatoes with a fork to create a water, jam-like consistency.
• Allow to cool while turkey burgers cook.

Notes

We used a gluten free bagel substitute in this recipe.

Did you make this recipe?!

Let me know how you liked the recipe! Comment below, or share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #HomebodyEats. Happy cooking, Homebody family!