Great Canadian Turkey Burger with Maple Whiskey BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

For Burgers:

2 lbs ground Canadian turkey
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup onion, diced
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1/3 cup milk
2 tsp each: mustard powder, onion powder, garlic powder, sweet paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp tamari sauce (or light soy sauce)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
4 slices bacon, minced
1 egg, beaten
6-8 slices Canadian cheddar (optional)
6-8 slices Canadian bacon strips, cooked (optional)
6-8 hamburger buns

For Maple Whiskey BBQ Sauce:

½ cup maple syrup
½ cup Canadian whiskey
½ cup ketchup
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp each: cumin, mustard powder, sweet paprika
2 tbsp hot sauce
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard

TIP: These burgers can be made in advance and frozen for a quick lunch, dinner or grab-and-go snack. Freeze individual patties between sheets of freezer paper or freeze a batch on a baking tray and move to a Ziploc bag when frozen. Just thaw for 20 minutes before following grilling instructions.

Directions

For burgers:

Heat olive oil in a frying pan.
Add onions and cook over medium heat until tender and lightly browned, 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
While onions are cooking, add panko to a small bowl. Add milk and set aside for 5 minutes until fully absorbed.
Season turkey meat with spices, salt and pepper.
Add Worcestershire, tamari, garlic, bacon, egg, cooled onions and panko mixture.
Gently mix together until ingredients are thoroughly combined. Take care not to over mix.
Divide mixture into even portions (6 for larger burgers, 8 for smaller). Roughly shape into a tennis ball. Flatten into a patty shape.
Refrigerate for at least 60 minutes up to overnight. This will help patties hold their shape when cooking.
Pre-heat your grill. Grill over medium heat until cooked through and no longer pink, 6-8 minutes per side. Baste generously with BBQ sauce in the last 5 minutes of cooking. (Timing may vary according to your BBQ and heat settings. Burgers are cooked when an instant read thermometer reads 165ºF).
If using, top with cheddar cheese and cooked bacon strips in the last few minutes of grilling. Let burgers rest for 10 minutes before serving on a hamburger bun topped with additional BBQ sauce and all your favourite toppings.

For sauce:

While burgers are chilling, whisk together all BBQ sauce ingredients in a saucepan.
Bring to a low simmer over medium heat. Cook for 20 – 25 minutes until sauce thickens.
Remove from heat and let cool. Sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.