Christmas cooking doesn’t always have to be mountains of washing up and hours spent in the kitchen. Sometimes it’s about taking the flavours we love and making them work a little harder for us, especially when there's lots of leftovers to use up!
This festive turkey burger was created during our final #Cook5withCRuNCH session of the term, where parents and young people cooked together, experimented with flavours, and finished with a proper community feast. It’s everything we love about food: nourishing, flexible, and bringing people together.
Think Christmas dinner in a bun. Lean turkey mince is mixed with finely grated carrots and Brussels sprouts (they melt discreetly into the burger), spring onions for freshness, an egg and breadcrumbs to bind, and a generous pinch of stuffing herbs - sage and thyme doing most of the heavy lifting. The result is a juicy, festive burger that tastes reassuringly familiar.
The herbs give you the taste of stuffing, but of course if you have any stuffing left over, add a slice as one of your toppings, along with cranberry sauce.
I know I'm not a fan of hidden veg, but they work so well in this burger, especially the Brussels sprouts! So far it seems that kids and adults both love this recipe (even if most of the kids seem to opt for ketchup over cranberry sauce… 🤣).
This Christmas turkey burger recipe is:
It’s an ideal option if you’re looking for:
If you'd like more family-friendly recipes, my new book Enerjoy! For Active Families is almost here!
I created this recipe with busy families in mind; especially those with hungry, active kids who need constant feeding over the holidays.
The burgers also freeze beautifully; just make the burger mixture and shape the burgers, then wrap or place in an airtight container and freeze, Defrost in good time and cook as per the instructions in the recipe.
If you’re looking for a Christmas turkey recipe with a twist, these festive burgers are a brilliant place to start. Whether it’s a family supper, a Christmas party or a bigger gathering, this is food that keeps things simple and gets people fed.
Christmas dinner… but make it a burger 🎄🍔
Finely grate the carrots and Brussels sprouts. This keeps the burgers tender and ensures the vegetables blend in without fuss.
Put the turkey mince, grated vegetables, spring onions, garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, herbs and seasoning into a large bowl. Mix well using your hands, if you can face it! Alternatively, use a fork.Â
Divide the mixture into 4 patties and shape into burgers. This is a good moment to get the kids to help; perfection is not required. However, if you do like perfection, you can use a large cookie cutter or burger shaper if you like.
If you have time, chill for 30 minutes in the fridge - this helps them hold their shape.
Â
Heat a little oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and cook the burgers for 5–6 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through.
In my cooking classes the kids often want to squish the burger down with the spatula. It's best not to do this. If you leave it for a couple of minutes to form a seal on one side it will flip over easily to cook on the other side. You might want to turn down the heat if your burgers are thick, to help them cook through thoroughly.
If using cheese, top each burger with a slice of cheese toward the end of the cooking time. Set aside on a plate while you toast the burger buns.
Cut the rolls in half and toast, cut side down, on the griddle or frying pan.
Assemble the burgers with your preferred toppings and enjoy!