Polenta Crust Turkey Burgers with Tomato Salsa

These polenta crust mini turkey burgers were the result of my tea time cooking last night.  I had some minced turkey to use and wanted something more interesting than a pasta bolognaise sauce. Normally I coat meat balls with flour but polenta has more bite.

Inspiration for My Turkey Burger Recipe – Nigella’s Cornbread Topped Chilli

The selection of ingredients were based upon a recipe for cornbread topped chilli from the party chapter of Nigella Lawson’s book, Feast. I have made that as straight chilli before but make mine using turkey rather than beef. The cocoa stops the minced turkey looking too anaemic and is a nod towards Mexican mole.

The Source of My Homegrown Tomatoes

The three types of tomatoes came courtesy of my good neighbour, gardening writer Martyn Cox: he often gives us cuttings and this year we gratefully received half a dozen tomato plants.

We didn’t realise until they started growing that there were three different varieties of tomato amongst them;

• fat wrinkly “beef” tomatoes
• black cherry tomatoes
• pale green/yellow speckled plum cherries.

I haven’t a clue what the proper names of these varieties are but needless to say they all taste fabulous. I’m always sad to have to resort to supermarket tomatoes again once the homegrown ones have finished.

Print Recipe

Polenta Crust Turkey Burgers with Heirloom Tomato Salsa

Mini turkey burgers with polenta crust; makes 8 smaller burgers or around 16 rissoles.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: polenta crust, tomato salsa, turkey burgers, turkey rissoles

Servings: 4

Ingredients

For the Turkey Burgers

• For the patties makes 22-24 plum sized meatballs - fewer if you prefer burger size:
• 500 g turkey minced
• 1 onion medium, finely chopped
• 1/2 red pepper finely diced
• 1 tbsp cocoa
• 1 egg medium
• 1 tsp coriander cilantro
• 1 tsp garlic puree or 1 clove
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp chilli powder
• 150 g polenta or cornmeal for coating
• 2 tbsp olive oil for frying

For the Heirloom Tomato Salsa

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1/2 lime squeezed of its juice
• 1 tbsp coriander fresh leaves
• 1 tbsp basil fresh leaves
• 4 tomatoes heirloom varieties - but you can use ordinary ones if that's all you have
• 1/2 red pepper diced
• 50 g sweetcorn tinned, drained
• Tabasco sauce to taste
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Keeping the oil and polenta aside, combine the other ingredients for the turkey burgers in a big bowl.  
• Use clean hands to squeeze the ingredients together.  Roll the mixture into little burgers and coat them with the polenta.
• Heat the olive oil and fry the patties 4-5 at a time.  Add more oil to pan if it gets dry.  (I had my back door open as my smoke alarm gets twitchy when I cook things like this).
• Meanwhile put the oil and white wine vinegar in a hand blender cup with the herbs for the salsa dressing.  Give them a quick blitz - not too much or it will go frothy.  Add more oil and vinegar if you think you need more dressing. Pour into a small container ready for spooning onto the salsa vegetables.
• Mix the tomatoes, diced red pepper and sweetcorn in a bowl.  Squeeze the lime over them and season with salt and pepper and add your tabasco.
• Serve the turkey burgers and heirloom tomato salsa.  Drizzle spoons of the dressing over the turkey patties and the salsa as you wish.  Alternatively you could toss all of the dressing onto the salsa.

Notes

Best served immediately although can be eaten cold or reheated for 2-3 days. Any remaining herb dressing will keep for 1-2 days.

If you’d like to make these polenta crusted turkey burgers, save this post for later!