Tired of Dry Turkey Burgers? This Juicy Smashed Version Fixes That

You can’t walk into a grocery store in southeastern New England without spotting Portuguese chouriço; where I live in Rhode Island, you can even find the links at Walmart. This smoky, garlicky, boldly spiced sausage has been a regional staple since the late 1800s, when Portuguese immigrants, many from the Azores and Madeira, began putting down roots in the area. For an easy dinner, I’ll often grill up some links and serve them alongside mashed potatoes and peas. If I want to put on a show, I’ll nestle a sausage in a clay dish, douse it in Everclear, and light it up—a traditional Portuguese preparation called chourićo à bombeiro, meaning “a la firefighter.” It’s a theatrical party trick that never fails to steal the show. 

But while chouriço is delicious when simply prepared—charred, sliced, and served—it’s also a versatile ingredient, deeply flavoring anything it’s cooked with and leaving behind its signature burnt umber hue. A few summers ago, I realized that it might well be what had been missing in my smashed turkey burgers, which were tasty enough but a little flat in flavor and lacking some juiciness—a common issue when making burgers from leaner meats like poultry.

What is Portuguese Chouriço?

Before we dive into the recipe, let’s talk about the sausage because understanding Portuguese chouriço is key to making these burgers truly shine. Portuguese chouriço exists in an in-between realm between dried and fresh sausage. The kind sold in most grocery stores, including in Portuguese markets where I live, is pre-cooked and has an almost dry, crumbly texture.

Made from ground pork seasoned with garlic, paprika, and occasionally wine, this lightly cured and semi-dried sausage is neither as chewy as the dried Spanish chorizo nor as loose or wet as fresh Mexican chorizo—it’s wholly its own thing. For this recipe, I recommend seeking out Portuguese chouriço: The Spanish version is too dry and oily, and the freshly ground Mexican-style pork chorizo brings an entirely different flavor profile. In a pinch, Portuguese linguiça or Basque chorizo make for close-enough substitutes. 

The Ideal Turkey Patty

I often find that most turkey burgers have a dry texture and bland flavor, and that’s precisely what chouriço fixes. The rich pork sausage adds fat to the lean turkey blend, while lending its signature spices to the mix. As long as I was going to be mixing the sausage into the turkey meat, I decided to also throw in a few handfuls of shredded cheddar, which melt away as the patties sear, creating those coveted crusty, lacy edges while adding even more savory richness.

The first time I made these, I was cooking them for my own wedding (I know, there’s a lot to unpack there). It didn’t go exactly as planned. The improvement in flavor and juiciness was clear—just one sausage link per pound of turkey was enough—but the texture was off. In my frazzled state, I overmixed the meat, resulting in pasty, chewy patties. But hey, what better time to fine-tune a recipe than on your actual wedding day? Luckily, my guests were hungry and the drinks were flowing, so I don’t think anyone but me even noticed.

When I later returned to the recipe, I quickly worked out a better mixing method: A gentle, scooping motion as you place your hands at the bottom of the bowl and then lift the meat mixture, gently folding it on itself. This can be repeated a few times, allowing the ingredients to be nicely integrated without overmixing.

 After lightly shaping the meat into two-ounce balls, it was time to get smashing. Since turkey is softer and stickier than beef, I like to place a small piece of greased parchment paper on top of the turkey balls before I press them, to prevent the meat mixture from sticking to the heavy offset turner. The greased parchment is easy to peel off after the patties get all nice and squished. 

A Mozambique-Inspired Mayonnaise

Drawing inspiration from the spices typically found in the famous shrimp Mozambique—a garlicky, paprika- and saffron-laced Portuguese-American dish—I developed a mayonnaise sauce to pair with the burgers. Smoked paprika, garlic, coriander, cumin, and oregano stay true to the Portuguese flavor profile, combining to create a sauce that is a natural complement to the burgers.

Not wanting to cut any corners, I opted to make the spiced mayonnaise from scratch. After combining the egg, garlic, seasonings, lemon juice, and mustard, I emulsify the oil into the egg, using an immersion blender, creating a stable base. The Dijon mustard does double duty, adding subtle sharpness to the sauce while helping to bind the emulsion. That’s thanks to compounds in the mustard—like mucilage and lecithin—which stabilize the mixture by allowing the water and oil to stay suspended together.

Ready to Serve 

After mixing, shaping, smashing, and cooking the patties, I serve them on lightly toasted Portuguese bolos levedos—a lightly sweetened soft bun—slathered with the Mozambique-inspired mayo, and top them with a slice of sharp cheddar and a shingle of pickles. If you have trouble finding bolos levedos, a classic potato burger bun does the trick nicely. These burgers may have been born out of wedding-day chaos, but they’re now a weeknight staple with a love story baked right in.

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