I don't know what all the hubbub is about.

Dry turkey burgers? Bland? That hasn't been my experience at all!

I have followed the same basic turkey burger recipe for a few years now... and have yet to be disappointed. I am blissfully unaware of the 'terrors' that I've read and heard about so frequently.

I was sent a few items to play with from a place here in Austin called Stubb's BBQ. They are well known for their amazing BBQ and lines of seasonings and marinades that you can find in almost any local grocery store.

So immediately I went to my roots. After all, what do you think of when you're handed a box of BBQ loot?

BURGERS!

I used Stubb's Steak Spice Rub for the first time on some amazing steaks that I had out at my mom's house a few weeks ago while preparing my thoughts on this recipe... A-maz-ing.

The same basic idea was used there by pressing one side of each burger patty into the seasoning and cooking it to perfection... just like that.

I used small amounts of chipotle in this recipe just to achieve flavor and not heat. If you are looking for more spice, you may want to double up on the amount of chipotle that I've accounted for here!

Skinny Chipotle Cheddar Turkey Sliders
TheSkinnyFork.com

The Skinny:
Servings: 12 • Size: 1 Slider (Without Bun) • Calories: 157.5 • Fat: 8 g • Carb: 5.3 g • Fiber: 0.4 g • Protein: 13.6 g • Sugar: 1.3 g • Sodium: 1092.2 mg

Ingredients:
Burgers:
1 1/4 Lbs. Lean Ground Turkey
2/3 C. Carrots, Grated
1/4 C. Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs
1/4 C. Stubb's Chipotle Butter Marinade
1 Large Egg White
1 Chipotle In Adobo, Chopped
2 Tbsp. Fresh Cilantro, Chopped
1 Tbsp. Onion, Minced
1 Garlic Clove, Minced
6 Tbsps. Stubb's Steak Spice Rub
6 Slices Reduced Fat Sharp Cheddar, Halved (I used Kraft Slim Slice 2% Sharp Cheddar)

Chipotle Mayo:
6 Tbsps. Light Mayo
1 Chipotle In Adobo, Chopped
1/2 Tsp. Paprika

Optional Add-Ons:
Whole Wheat Buns, Lettuce, Tomato, Pickles, Peppers, Onion, etc!

Directions:

Combine turkey, carrots, bread crumbs, marinade, egg white, chipotle, cilantro, onion and garlic together in a large mixing bowl.

Mix it all together.

I use my gloved hands to do this. You want to mix the meat somewhat tenderly so that you don't 'bruise' the meat. This allows for a more tender and juicy burger in the end!

Once the meat is mixed, form your patties. I used exactly 1/4 c. of the meat mixture for each slider and got an even 12 patties.

Alternatively, you could make 6 full burgers out of this same recipe; using abut 1/2 c. of the meat mixture per patty.

Put the steak seasoning into a shallow bowl and place one side of each patty down into the seasoning.

Carefully remove each patty and set aside.

If you can, make your patties ahead of time and then cover and set in the fridge for at least an hour for the meat to settle. Remove from the fridge about 20 minutes prior to cooking. Again, this will help keep the meat nice and juicy.

Grill the burgers via your method of choosing.

While the sliders are cooking you can toss together the ingredients for the chipotle mayo into a small bowl.

Mix together until well blended.

Once the burgers are done, top each with cheese, 1/2 tbsp. of the chipotle mayo, and any other toppings that you desire.

Serve warm and enjoy!