Seared Spiced Turkey Burgers with Pepper Jack, Red Onion-Jalapeno Relish and Avocado with Sweet Potato Fries

I know the title of this blog post is a mouthful, which is fitting, because this burger is a mouthful. I wish I could take credit for this magnificent burger - but I can't - this recipe (as well as the sweet potato fries) is from the awesome Stephanie of Okie Dokie Artichokie. Okay. So. Burgers. It's major burger season, and although the standard beef burger is a classic, sometimes you want something a bit more...snazzy. This burger is snazzy. Like all-around snazzy. It has jazz hands. The turkey meat is perfectly spiced and juicy, the pepperjack is spicy and melty, the avocado creamy and rich, and the red onion-jalapeño relish is a little spicy, a little tart, a little crunchy, and a little sweet. Put everything together and you've got happiness on a bun. I'm serious - I know I get pretty enthusiastic about most of the recipes I post on this blog (can't help it), but this was a special recipe. The Mr. was really distracted when he sat down to dinner and after one bite of the burger he put it down and said, "This is good. Like, really good. Wow. *another bite* Like I'd order this in a restaurant or something. Dang." "Dang" indeed. Oh, and the sweet potato fries? Another triumph. The spice mixture on these fries is ridonk - try it and tell me you're not licking the bowl. 

Since I didn't change one single thing from Stephanie's recipes, I'm just linking to them here - please check them out on her site. I'll give you a few notes on how I put my burgers together, but otherwise, just follow Okie Dokie Artichokie's lead on this one!

Seared Spiced Turkey Burgers with Pepper Jack, Red Onion-Jalapeno Relish and Avocado

My Notes

•  I used ground turkey thigh meat - dark meat. It has a bit more fat than the leaner ground turkey breast, but the flavor is so much better, in my humble opinion. The meat is really juicy and flavorful - I find this not to be the case so much with ground white turkey meat. If you're worried about the fat content, try a blend of white/dark meat. 
• I didn't use the food processor - just mushed everything together in a bowl with my (clean!) hands.
• For the relish I cut my onion really thinly, and I only needed 1/2 of a large red onion to make enough for all 4 burgers. If you'd like extra relish for sandwiches or just to eat straight (which I recommend, it's delish), then use the whole onion. 

 And last, but certainly not least, the fries. The spice blend on these fries is outta control. After I tossed the spices with the potato wedges in a bowl and poured them out onto a baking sheet, I found myself licking the bowl. No joke. I suggested that Stephanie bottle and sell this blend - it's seriously incredible. I haven't had the chance yet to try it on anything else, but she suggested using this blend mixed with panko to crust chicken or fish - you can bet I'll be trying it soon. 

Cinnamon and Chile-Dusted Sweet Potato Fries

My Notes:

• I used 1/2 tsp of ancho chile powder instead of aji amarillo powder - I thought about using habanero powder, but the ancho was so good that I'll probably use this again next time.
• I did not make/use the butter for the fries - we ate them straight. I have a feeling the addition of the butter would only make these fries MORE delicious, so by all means try the butter!