avocado bun turkey sliders

Turkey

Avocado-Bun Turkey Sliders

Instead of being served on traditional buns, these turkey sliders are sandwiched inside mini avocados for a clever (and low-carb) meal--because why put avocado on your burger when you can put your burger on an avocado? Quick pickled onions are a pretty and tasty topping, and chipotle mayo seals the deal. Bonus: The burgers are cooked on a baking sheet, so it's easy to whip up a whole batch.

Ingredients

1 small red onion, quartered and sliced
½ cup white vinegar
½ cup water
2 teaspoons sugar
¾ teaspoon salt, divided
1 pound lean ground turkey
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons ground cumin
¾ teaspoon ground chipotle pepper, divided
6 teaspoons mayonnaise
6 ripe baby avocados, halved, pitted and peeled
2 roma tomatoes, cut into 6 slices each
3 leaves green-leaf lettuce, halved
½ teaspoon sesame seeds

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
Combine onion, vinegar, water, sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let stand for at least 15 minutes. Drain.
Gently mix turkey, cilantro, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Form into 6 oval-shaped patties the size of your avocados (about 2 by 3 inches) and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, stir together mayonnaise and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle in a small bowl.
To assemble, cut a thin slice from the bottom half of each avocado to make it more stable. Top an avocado half with 1 teaspoon of the mayonnaise mixture, about 1 tablespoon of the pickled onion, a burger, 2 tomato slices, lettuce and another avocado half. Sprinkle each slider with sesame seeds.