Walnut Pesto Turkey Burgers are dripping with rich pesto flavor and packed with more nutrients than your typical burger making them the perfect burger for the next cookout!

They say all good things are discovered by accident, well friends, this is one of those things!  I set out to make the walnut pesto recipe I shared with you yesterday and ended up with these delicious Turkey Burgers.  What happened was  I pulsed the ingredients in my new food processor (which I LOVE) into a sticky meal before I added the liquid for the pesto. I then realized I could combine those ingredients as is with ground turkey and make the most amazing pesto burger known to man kind.

I love how versatile walnuts can be as an ingredient and how adding them can up the nutrient density to almost any recipe.  In this recipe they serve as the meat of the burger along with the turkey, providing  2.5 grams of the essential plant-based omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), 4 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber. I love the walnut-meat mix as it adds a richer truer pesto flavor than if I would have just used the other ingredients with the turkey.

In addition to all the healthy fats, vitamins and minerals mentioned yesterday, walnuts also contain many antioxidants that supply additional health benefits including those with funky names such as Elagic Acid, Yringic Acid, Juglone, Catechins, and Melatonin.  These plant based compounds all serve to fight free radicals in the body preventing oxidation.  Therefore many of them have been studied and positively associated with protecting heart health and decreasing risk of cancer.  Most notably, walnuts in servings of 1-3 ounces have been positively associated with decrease risk breast cancer and prostate cancer.  Most of those unique antioxidants are found in the thin almost waxy skin of the walnut, so for the added nutrients I like to leave the skin on in most recipes.  Some recipes will recommend removing them to decrease the slightly bitter flavor associated with it, but I don’t find it strong or mind it at all. Either way, Mr. Hungry LOVED these burgers, I mean what isn’t to love, just look….

These babies can’t wait for you to grill them up this weekend and sink your teeth into them! For extra pesto flavor you could also use some additional walnut pesto spread, yum yum!

Walnut Pesto Turkey Burgers

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups not packed Fresh Basil
• 1/4 Cup Italian Flat Leaf Parsley
• 2 Cloves of Garlic
• 2 Cups Walnuts
• 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese (use vegan parm for dairy free)
• 1lb 99% Lean Turkey Burgers
• 1 Large Egg

Directions:

1. Combine basil, parsley, garlic, walnuts and cheese in a food processor.  Pulse until course and just combined (see photo above.)
2.  Hand mix with ground turkey and eggs.
3. Divide mixture into 8 burgers and cook until internal temperature reaches 165.  (I used the George Foreman for 6 minutes per burger, flipping halfway through.)
4. Serve with desired good old summer barbecue fixing like lettuce, tomato, buns (I used sprouted Angelic Buns, Mr. Hungry used gluten free from Trader Joe’s).

Nutrition estimate per burger (makes 8 servings)

As a note I received free samples of California walnuts mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by the California Walnut Commission and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time. Check out more delicious entries from other contest entrants below!