This maple turkey burger is served with delicious cheddar, bacon and apple. Fantastic flavors, easy to make, you'll have everyone wanting more.

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I don't know about anyone else, but I am trying to ignore the fact that people have been going around with leaf blowers in the last few days which feels far too much like summer is over.

While I am have to admit I am more of a Fall person, and can certainly live without some of the super hot and humid days we sometimes have, I'd still like to hang on to a few summery things for that bit longer.

One of those is grilling, which we've done a pretty decent amount of this year again. We've managed to have a good variety on the grill, from favorites chicken satay and steak and veg with chimichurri sauce, to chicken gyros, and grilled peaches with mascarpone.

But there have also been some great burgers, and there's always room for (at least) one more, like this maple turkey burger with cheddar, bacon and apple.

The inspiration for this maple turkey burger

The idea for this maple turkey burger came partly from a burger we have made for a few years that's become a bit of a staple at any BBQ we host: bacon gorgonzola burgers. I was also thinking about something that feels that bit more of an end-of-summer burger and uses ingredients from the region.

A few mind jumps later, and the turkey, maple, apple, bacon and cheddar combination was born. It was an instant win with all of us.

How to make maple turkey burgers

The turkey burger itself is fairly well seasoned with herbs and maple syrup and you can really taste all the flavors in the finished burger. There's quite a bit of breadcrumbs in there as these take on the maple syrup flavor in a way the meat alone probably wouldn't, and help the texture as well.

It's worth chilling the burgers for a bit before you cook them, as with most burgers, and you can easily make them earlier in the day and leave them refrigerated for a while.

Cooking the bacon and the apple on the grill can be a little tricky, as both can go from being uncooked to black quickly, but the trick is to have them over lower heat and cook them in a foil packet.

You can also, alternatively, cook them in a pan on the grill, but I don't think they get quite as much of the grill flavor that way.

These are some incredibly tasty burgers that bring together some great ingredients that go so well together and make for a whole mouthful of deliciousness in every bite. It may be getting to the end of summer, but we might have to sneak in having these again, and they are certainly on the list for next year.

With Labor Day coming up as a typical 'final fling' with the grill, I'd definitely recommend adding these to the grill list.

Looking for more burger ideas? Try these!

Lamb burger with minted tomato salsa and feta sauce
Spinach feta salmon burger
Halloumi burger
Asparagus parmesan burger with parmesan crisps
Plus get more summer recipes in the archives.

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Maple turkey burgers with cheddar and bacon

A delicious sweet-savory combination makes this far from your average burger.

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4 burgers

Calories: 585kcal

Author: Caroline's Cooking

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Ingredients

Burgers

1 lb ground turkey 450g turkey mince
¾ cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoon maple syrup
1 ½ teaspoon fresh sage finely chopped
½ teaspoon fresh thyme finely chopped
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Toppings

4 slices smoked bacon
½ apple approx - 8 thin slices
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 slices cheddar smoked or aged best
4 burger buns

Instructions

To make the burgers, mix together the ground turkey, breadcrumbs, maple syrup, sage, thyme, salt and pepper until well combined and the herbs are clearly well-distributed - this is usually easiest by getting your hands in.
Divide the mixture into 4, roll each into a flattened ball and chill until ready to use - at least 20min will help.
When ready to grill, make a foil packet to hold the bacon - the slices can overlap slightly - and another for the apple slices.
Whisk together the maple syrup and oil, toss the apple slices in the mixture then put in their foil packet.
Start by grilling the burgers on a medium-high heat, with the bacon on a lower heat to the side. After a couple minutes, add the apple packet on the lower heat side. Turn all as needed until cooked (the apple may be a little hard to turn as it may stick - that's fine if it more cooks one side than both, just watch it doesn't burn and take off when gently caramelized.
Once bacon and apple are cooked, remove from the heat. Put the cheddar slices on the burgers and toast the buns for a minute or two - if you have a gas grill, the best way can be to turn off the heat and close the grill.
Assemble the burgers by putting the cheese-covered burger on top of the base, topped with the bacon and apple, then enjoy.

Nutrition

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store.

Try these other ideas for a summer party:

Maple turkey burger with cheddar, bacon and apple