Bacon and Turkey Burgers

I was thinking of calling these Turkey-Bacon burgers, but quickly realized that could be perceived as something different.  You could use turkey bacon in them if you want, but it will alter the fat content, and therefore the tenderness.

I wanted to grill, but I'm still using up what's in the freezer and the only ground meat I had was turkey.  Ground turkey is so lean that grilled burgers are easy to turn into hockey pucks.  After all, you can't make them rare because they have to be cooked all the way through.  Whenever putting ground poultry on the grill, there should be some kind of filler in it.  I would suggest something to add moisture and/or fat.  Like bacon.  (Or veggies, but where's the fun in that?)

It's also a good idea to season the meat pre-grill.  The flavors can soak up what little fat is in the turkey. Just be careful to see how much salt was added to the turkey before it was packaged.  It's usually a lot more than what they add to beef.  I decided not to salt mine at all, and they were fine.

*1 lb ground turkey
*1/4 lb bacon
*1/2 C diced yellow onion
*1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp paprika

1.  Chop bacon into small pieces, like slightly large bacon bits.  Cook in a skillet until about half done.  Allow to cool to room temperature.

2.  In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients.  If using turkey with no added salt (like from an expensive meat counter where they have freshly-ground meats), add a touch of kosher salt to the mix.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to let the spices meld.

3.  Form into 4 patties and place on preheated grill (or on a rack in the oven at 350º).  Close lid and cook until underside is toasty brown, at least 15 minutes.  Flip and cook more until thermometer reaches 165º.  Serve hot on a bun with veggies and condiments of choice.

Difficulty rating  π