If you like Jalapeño Turkey Burgers, you’ll LOVE Jalapeno Pepper Jack Turkey Burgers. Just imagine that rich and creamy, slightly spicy cheese added to the heat of the peppers — all in a delicious burger! 
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True story. . .
I’d told my parents we’d be there for my Dad’s birthday dinner at 5:30 PM, with dinner in tow.
At 5:05 PM, I heard noises in the kitchen. I walked in to find my (usually perfect, and always adorable) dog licking up the last bite of my Jalapeño Pepper Jack Turkey Burgers I’d just finished cooking for dinner. The very LAST bite!
After calling my parents to say we’d be late because Maple ate our dinner, I got the kids in the car to hurry to the store to buy more ingredients. Then I whipped these burgers up for a second time inside of an hour.
My first batch — the one the dog devoured — were simply Jalapeño Turkey Burgers, and they were delicious. The second batch however, received a couple of additional ingredients, including the pepper jack cheese. Then, they became super delicious!
(Sorry Maple, yours were just delicious.)
My Dad’s dinner was spicy, smoky and packed with love! I really love the way the burgers turned out. Whether you throw them on the grill or in a sauté pan, the flavor combination will knock your socks off.
My dad’s still joking about Maple’s behavior, and making fun of me for insisting that she’d later apologized. (Which is completely true, by the way!)
I always seem to make a big deal out of what I cook for my dad’s birthday. His all time favorite birthday dessert is this Espresso Ice Cream Pie.
I’m thinking you’ll love it too.
Enjoy every single bite of your super delicious Jalapeño Turkey Burgers turned Jalapeño Pepper Jack Burgers!
Just imagine that rich and creamy, slightly spicy cheese added to the heat of the peppers -- all in a delicious burger!
- olive oil for the pan and grilling
- 1 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup jalapeño peppers, seeds removed, finely chopped (see notes)
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 cup Pepper Jack cheese, grated
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- a few turns of freshly ground black pepper
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Coat the bottom of a medium-large sauté pan with the oil and place it over medium heat.
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Add the onion, jalapeños, and garlic and sauté until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
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Once the onion mixture has cooled, in a large mixing bowl, combine it with the turkey, cheese, salt, sugar, cumin and pepper. Use you hands to blend all of the ingredients together so they are evenly distributed.
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Preheat the BBQ or a stove-top grill, shape the turkey mixture into 4 evenly sized burgers, and drizzle them with oil.
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When the grill is very hot, put on your burgers. You should hear a sizzling sound — if you don’t -- wait! You won’t get a nice caramelization and “crust” on the burger if it’s not hot enough. Grill until the bottoms are nicely marked, about 3 minutes, then flip them over and reduce the heat to medium-low. Continue grilling just until the turkey is cooked through, about another 5 minutes.
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Place the cooked burgers on a plate and cover with foil.
Always taste jalapeños (or any chile peppers) before you use them. Depending on how much heat you want, you can use more or less of the suggested amount. They always vary -- from day to day, and pepper to pepper.
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Christina says
May 21, 2014 at 2:36 pmOOPS!! Well, you can always say Maple inspired you to create a new recipe! Looks incredible and happy birthday to your daddy! 😉
valentina says
May 21, 2014 at 5:05 pmThanks, Christina! Yes, inspiration comes from everywhere, right? xo
Piper says
May 23, 2014 at 2:17 pmSounds great, but shouldn’t turkey be cooked fully through?
valentina says
May 23, 2014 at 3:54 pmHi Piper. Yes! I was thinking of ground beef as I wrote that bottom bit. Thank you for pointing that out — I’ve already edited the recipe instructions. Hope you try them. 🙂
Annie @Maebells says
May 23, 2014 at 3:41 pmI find my turkey burgers usually fall short. They end end up dry or lacking in flavor, but your version looks fantastic! I have to try these!
valentina says
May 23, 2014 at 5:27 pmThanks so much, Annie. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
David says
May 26, 2014 at 1:40 pmYour dog has good taste! But the redux sounds wonderful. Burgers are on our menu today and, although beef, I am going to incorporate your ideas! Hope you are having a good Mamorial Day!
valentina says
May 28, 2014 at 6:51 amYes, Maple is well fed. 😉 And apparently all of those jalapeños agreed with her. Phew!
Lisa says
September 7, 2014 at 5:09 amI would love to try your recipe. Sounds amazing but I don’t have a grill. Do you have an alternate way to cook them?
valentina says
September 7, 2014 at 6:23 amHi Lisa, yes, just follow the same directions but use a sauté pan. 🙂 Enjoy!
Jennifer says
July 7, 2016 at 4:58 pmThese burgers were amazing! We did them on the grill and topped them with pico de gallo and guacamole. Will definitely be making these again soon!
valentina says
July 7, 2016 at 11:32 pmAwesome, Jennifer! Thanks for sharing – you made my day! Cheers! 🙂
Antoinette says
December 23, 2016 at 4:43 pmCan these burgers be baked
valentina says
December 23, 2016 at 10:24 pmHi Antoinette, I haven’t tested the recipe baking them, so I’m not exactly sure of the cooking time/oven temp, but I’m sure it would work. I’d suggest preheating the oven to 375 degrees F, and placing the burgers on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until they’re cooked all the way through, I would guess about 25 minutes. Enjoy & Happy Holidays!
Melissa Hart says
November 24, 2018 at 4:23 pmJust made these for dinner and they were fantastic! I ran out of cumin the so I threw in 1tsp of garam masala instead and it worked perfectly!
valentina says
November 24, 2018 at 9:14 pmHi Melissa, I’m so happy you made and liked these! It’s one of my family’s favorites! And the garam masala was a great idea — I bet that was delicious. ~Valentina