Not all turkey burgers are lean

If you think just because you use ground turkey to make a burger it's automatically healthier, you could be in for a big surprise.

Ground turkey has a reputation for being lean, but there are many varieties available, some with as much as 17 grams of fat in a 4-ounce portion. At that point, you might as well use ground chuck, which is more flavorful and has only 14 grams of fat.

At the other extreme, you'll want to avoid 99 percent lean ground turkey. It produces dry, flavorless patties.

A good compromise is 93 percent lean ground turkey, which has about 8 grams of fat per serving. But even with that amount of fat, a turkey burger can be somewhat lacking in flavor and moisture, so you'll want to make some additions to the meat.

Treating this kind of turkey burger as a tiny meatloaf is a good strategy. Mixing in ingredients such as ketchup, Dijon mustard, chopped onions and fresh herbs will all add moisture and flavor.

Mixing in fresh breadcrumbs helps to cut the fat by padding the meat. They also soak up and retain moisture so it won't cook out of the burger while on the grill.

Some recipes even call for adding 1/2 cup of low-fat cottage or ricotta cheese per pound of lean ground turkey to moisten things up.

This recipe adds flavor with sweet white miso, a nutty, savory Asian paste that's made from fermented rice or barley. Look for it near the tofu in natural food stores and most larger markets.

Fresh ginger and scallions add even more flavor and moisture, and crispy panko (Japanese-style) breadcrumbs help to lock it all in.

To complete the meal, serve these Asian-style turkey burgers with a side of coleslaw made with rice vinegar and sesame oil dressing.