Cajun Turkey Burgers with Étouffée Relish and Creamy Cajun Sauce

This post is sponsored by Jennie-O. As always, all opinions and recipes are my own.

Fire up the grill and serve Louisiana Cajun Turkey Burgers with Étouffée Relish and Creamy Cajun Sauce this weekend! This spicy twist on a classic turkey burger makes for a delicious entree at barbecues or grill outs. Jennie-O 1/3 lb. Seasoned Turkey Burgers serve as the base. Topped with purple, green and gold Étouffée Relish and a Creamy Cajun Sauce for sweet-spicy Louisiana flair, these burgers are sure to be a summertime hit!

cajun turkey burgers on white plates

Near the end of May, my husband left for work in Alaska.

He arrived home on Saturday night after spending a majority of the month half the world away.

I’ve never been happier to see his face, especially since the last month was one of the most trying and exhausting of my life.

a package of turkey burgers with a blue striped napkin

I like to think I’m a decent adult.

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    While I don’t have all my ducks in a row at all times, I do a competent job of scheduling (and sticking to said schedule for the sake of our girl and my sanity), keeping our family fed and clothed and not being complete messes*.

    * Most of the time.

    But this month came in and kicked my behind.

    Solo parenting is hard, y’all. And for those of you who do this day in and day out? So many kudos and props to you because it ain’t easy.

    buns on a white plate with sauce

    When my mother-in-law offered to come to Dallas last week, I enthusiastically agreed. I needed help, and I wasn’t ashamed to take Lady A’s grandmother up on her assistance.

    And while she was here, we created this recipe together, which is quite fitting because my in-laws are from South Louisiana. Ms. Jan has lived there most of her life. AND she speaks French. (Because while that seems stereotypical South Louisiana, I don’t know many who speak it!)

    I not-so-secretly love listening to her converse with Lady A in her singsong accent and aspire for my daughter to learn the beautiful language her Mamette knows so well.

    cajun turkey burger with relish on top

    One day, we got to brainstorming one day about a Louisiana-style burger.

    What could we do to these gorgeous 1/3 lb. Jennie-O Seasoned Turkey Burgers to give them a Cajun twist?

    As we kicked around ideas, we gravitated to the idea of a relish. Because what’s more Louisiana than étoufféed vegetables?

    Not much, I say.

    two cajun turkey burgers on white plates

    Unlike my mother-in-law, I’m no French speaker, but I can assure you that étouffée means to smother.

    While we’re not smothering the burger in, say, crawfish étouffée, we cook down green and yellow bell peppers with a red onion to create an étoufféed vegetable relish. And it’s GOOD, y’all. Savory with just a hint of caramelized sweetness, the relish adds lovely color and flavor to our burger.

    Then we whipped up a Creamy Cajun Sauce… because you need some heat if you’re going to have a Louisiana-style burger.

    And lastly, we cooked the Jennie-O turkey burgers on my favorite grill pan, cooking them up beautifully, and then we assembled the beauties.

    two cajun turkey burgers on white plates

    I don’t know what y’all think about this combination, but we thought it was GOLD.

    And what better way to celebrate grilling season than by making some unique burgers for your guests?

    I can affirm that these beauts will be a hit for any July 4th grill out or a Labor Day get together, too, because you can’t have either of those holidays without firing up the grill.

    Now who’s ready to make some of their own?

    Scroll on down to get my recipe…

    cajun turkey burgers on white plates

    Louisiana Cajun Turkey Burgers with Étouffée Relish and Creamy Cajun Sauce

    Erin Parker, The Speckled Palate
    Fire up the grill and serve Louisiana Cajun Turkey Burgers with Étouffée Relish and Creamy Cajun Sauce this weekend! This spicy twist on a classic turkey burger makes for a delicious entree at barbecues or grill outs. Jennie-O 1/3 lb. Seasoned Turkey Burgers serve as the base. Topped with purple, green and gold Étouffée Relish and a Creamy Cajun Sauce for sweet-spicy Louisiana flair, these burgers are sure to be a summertime hit!
    5 from 1 vote
    Servings 4 burgers
    Calories 860 kcal
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

    Ingredients
      

    Étouffée Relish

    • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 medium red onion about 2 cups, diced
    • 1 medium green bell pepper about 1 ½ cups, diced
    • 1 small yellow bell pepper about ¾ cups, diced
    • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
    • 3 large garlic cloves minced

    Creamy Cajun Sauce

    • 3 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
    • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
    • 1-2 teaspoons hot sauce to taste

    Burgers

    • 4 Jennie-O 1/3 lb. Seasoned Turkey Burgers frozen
    • 4 onion buns halved
    • Étouffée Relish
    • Creamy Cajun Sauce
    • 4 leaves butter lettuce

    As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Instructions
     

    Make the Étouffée Relish

    • In a heavy-bottomed skillet, melt the butter and olive oil together over medium-low heat.
    • When the butter has completely melted, add the onion and bell peppers.
    • Season with salt and the red pepper flakes.
    • Cook low and slow for 35-45 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened significantly and can be easily smeared on a slice of bread or a burger. (It’s the consistency that you’re looking for here! We want ‘em soft, but not indistinguishable.)
    • When the relish is done, remove from the heat, and set aside.

    Make the Creamy Cajun Sauce

    • In a bowl, combine the mustard and mayonnaise.
    • Taste the sauce, then add 1-2 teaspoons of the hot sauce to taste. (Do this slowly so you don’t singe your tastebuds.)
    • Set aside for later.

    Cook and Assemble the Burgers

    • Heat the grill or a grill pan to medium-high heat.
    • Place the frozen Jennie-O burgers onto the preheated grill, a few inches from the heating source. Cook for 9-10 minutes on each side, turning twice, until the internal temperature of the burgers reads 165°F.
    • While the burgers cook, toast the onion buns on the grill, too, just enough to have grill marks on the bread, then remove.
    • Dollop some of the sauce onto the bottoms of the buns, then add a leaf of butter lettuce. Set aside for when the burgers have finished.
    • Once the burgers have cooked, remove from the heat using a spatula.
    • Transfer the cooked burgers on top of the prepared buns.
    • Smear Étouffée Relish on top of the burgers, then top with more sauce and the top of the bun.
    • Serve immediately, and enjoy!

    Notes

    If you want these burgers to be dairy free, swap the unsalted butter in the relish for the same amount of olive oil, bringing the total to FOUR tablespoons olive oil.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1burgerCalories: 860kcalCarbohydrates: 71gProtein: 36gFat: 49gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 31gCholesterol: 141mgSodium: 1800mgFiber: 6gSugar: 18g
    Course Entrees
    Cuisine Cajun
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Have you ever solo parented for a long time?

    What are you cooking next week?

    A woman with dark curly hair wearing a black tank top in front of a white wall

    About the Author:

    Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her

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    16 Comments

    1. This recipe looks delictible, Erin! And that story about Mamette is beautiful. It’s so cool when children are exposed to other languages. Solo parenting is so tough, but you did an amazing job!

    2. MAN that looks good. I don’t know how you did it for a month. I went three dayssolo when Charlie went to a wedding in Jackson, MS, and thought I would lose my mind.

    3. I am a sucker for condiments and toppings. I can’t decide if I am more excited to try the Étouffée Relish or the Creamy Cajun Sauce!

    4. Loving these burgers! French is a beautiful language! I took French in high school and college, and I wish I would have kept up with it. 🙂

    5. Holy moly, my mouth is watering!! Those look soooo good and that relish is a-mazing!

    6. I’m sorry to hear your had a rough month, but it’s pretty awesome that you got such an amazing recipe out of the whole thing. That relish – oh my! 🙂

    7. I LOVE that étouffée relish! Seriously, one of the best ideas ever with all that cajun flavor.

    8. Loving the sauce and relish for these sandwiches. They could be added to so many sandwiches too!

    9. This is a burger after my own heart. That Étouffée Relish, well I would enjoy just eating that on it’s own.

    10. My husband travels a lot too and although it’s gotten much easier now that my kids are older, it’s still tough work to keep things together while he’s away. These burgers are a meal my kids and my husband would enjoy and being originally from Louisiana, I especially love the cajun theme.

    11. What a creative recipe! I love how you made it so unique yet having all the wonderful flavors that my family loves.

    12. I am so sorry you had a rough month. I cannot imagine parenting our three kiddos if my Hubby had to work out of state. The story behind these burgers is beautiful! You took burgers to a fancy level and I love it!

    13. I might be a southerner, but I’ve never had Étouffée anything. These burgers have me thinking I need to change that ASAP!

    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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