2011 visit to try the “Original” Carl\u2019s Jr. Turkey Burger<\/a> to confirm this suspicion, and thanks to the memory of that disgustingly dry and insipid excuse for a burger, I held out little hope for the latest variation from sister chain Hardee\u2019s. <\/p>\nAt best, I expected the new take to feature glooby mayonnaise, a stale bun, and decrepit produce working in perfect consort with a flavorless hockey-puck of poultry meat.\u00a0 At worst, I expected to choke and die, but that\u2019s another story completely.<\/p>\n
![\"Hardee\u2019s](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Hardee%E2%80%99s-Jalapeno-Turkey-Burger-Bun.jpeg?resize=648%2C486&ssl=1\")
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I was wrong. Well, for the most part I was wrong, that is. The bun, in perfect little-used wheat bun fast food fashion, was stale and falling apart. It lost any malted flavor it once had thanks to an over-toast, while the burnt tasting wheat base could hardly contain the innards of the burger from slipping out. A real shame because I was still burping up the aftertaste of that piquant and flavorful collaboration of southwesterly flavors hours later.<\/p>\n
(Aside — Don\u2019t act like you don\u2019t do it, and don\u2019t pretend like burping up the taste of a morning donut or afternoon burger isn\u2019t on par with some of life\u2019s simplest pleasures.)<\/p>\n
![\"Hardee\u2019s](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Hardee%E2%80%99s-Jalapeno-Turkey-Burger-Side.jpeg?resize=648%2C500&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n
Ironically enough, the burger actually wins on the taste of the turkey, which, despite a crusty and seared-looking exterior, was juicy and slightly sweet, coalescing in the kind of pleasing poultry flavor one might associate with Thanksgiving and all those Thanksgivng-ey herbs and spices. <\/p>\n
![\"Hardee\u2019s](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Hardee%E2%80%99s-Jalapeno-Turkey-Burger-Jalapeno.jpeg?resize=648%2C509&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n
The patty itself is adorned with a slice of Pepper Jack cheese, which, while not of the optimum goo capacity one often looks for with American cheese on a burger, was nevertheless tasty enough to impart more than just salt and fat. It added a mellow milky flavor that actually helped to cut the blow of the otherwise inferno provided by the Sante Fe Sauce and jalape\u00f1o coins.<\/p>\n
![\"Hardee\u2019s](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Hardee%E2%80%99s-Jalapeno-Turkey-Burger-Top.jpeg?resize=648%2C416&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n
Speaking of infernos, there\u2019s definitely some heat with the triple threat of jalape\u00f1os, sauce, and cheese. I\u2019ll admit my tolerance for spiciness or heat isn\u2019t as high as others, but the good news for fire-eaters and non fire-eaters is that there\u2019s enough flavor in the smoky-spicy sauce\u00a0to bring either eater back for an additional bite. My only qualm was with the consistency of the soybean-oil based sauce, which was too loose and perhaps too liberally dispersed on only the top side of the burger.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Hardee%E2%80%99s-Jalapeno-Turkey-Burger-Patty-Top.jpeg?resize=648%2C486&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n
Iceberg, tasteless tomatoes, and a meager portion of red onion didn\u2019t add the kind of freshness that could really help dissipate the heat of a burger like this, but when it comes to a fast food burger, I unfortunately accept as much. At least the burger feels substantial, and outweighs (size-wise) most burgers in its calorie range.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ll stop short of calling this a very good burger and just call it a pleasantly surprising, if not reasonably priced, and substantial burger that heat-seekers should enjoy. Its limits and failings \u2013 a stale bun, meager produce, unmelted cheese \u2013 are nothing new to fast food, and they\u2019re the kinds of shortcomings one takes into account when ordering a $3.49 sandwich as opposed to a $7.49 sandwich. The surprise, however, is the turkey. Whether it\u2019s healthier or not is debatable, but in this case, Hardee\u2019s\/Carl Jr. seem to have created a tasty and juicy alternative to beef that someone doesn\u2019t even need a New Year\u2019s Resolution to seek out.<\/p>\n
Now, if they could only get on that damn commercial, they might actually sell a few of these things.<\/p>\n
(Nutrition Facts – 450 calories, 220 calories from fat, 24 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 95 milligrams of cholesterol, 1260 milligrams of sodium, 31 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 5 grams of sugar, and 32 grams of protein.) <\/small><\/p>\n
Item:<\/b> Hardee\u2019s Jalape\u00f1o Turkey Burger
\nPurchased Price:<\/b> $3.49
\nSize:<\/b> N\/A
\nPurchased at:<\/b> Hardee’s
\nRating:<\/b> 7 out of 10
\nPros:<\/b> Hefty \u2013 one might say, “hearty” burger. Turkey is surprisingly juicy and flavorful. Triple threat of heat imparts good flavor. Under 500 calories. Affordable.
\nCons:<\/b> Classic case of fast food Wheat Bun fail. Sante Fe Sauce is loose and messy. Cheese would be better if it were fully melted. Produce sucks. Still more calories than a quarter-pound cheeseburger. Lack of provocative advertising campaign. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I have to say, I\u2019m quite disappointed after having eaten the new Hardee\u2019s\/Carl\u2019s Jr. Jalape\u00f1o Turkey Burger. I\u2019m not disappointed because it has more calories than a standard Hardee’s quarter-pound cheeseburger, which contradicts its own claims of healthiness. Nor am I bummed that the obviously pre-formed turkey patties are tenderized with more mazy grooves than […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1440],"tags":[1477,1735],"class_list":["post-14147","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews","tag-fast-food","tag-hardees"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":19485,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2015\/12\/31\/fast-food-news-carls-jr-all-natural-turkey-burgers\/","url_meta":{"origin":14147,"position":0},"title":"FAST FOOD NEWS: Carl’s Jr. All-Natural Turkey Burgers","author":"Marvo","date":"December 31, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"In 2011, Carl's Jr. and Hardee's introduced their Charbroiled Turkey Burgers. Last year, the sister chains came out with their All-Natural Burger. This year, Carl's Jr. is combining the turkeyness from their turkey burgers and the all-naturalness from their All-Natural Burgers to create the chain's new All-Natural Turkey Burgers. The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fast Food News"","block_context":{"text":"Fast Food News","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/fast-food-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Carl s Jr Original All Natural Turkey Burger","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Carls-Jr.-Original-All-Natural-Turkey-Burger.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Carls-Jr.-Original-All-Natural-Turkey-Burger.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Carls-Jr.-Original-All-Natural-Turkey-Burger.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":22314,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2017\/05\/11\/fast-food-news-carls-jr-and-hardees-jalapeno-double-cheeseburger\/","url_meta":{"origin":14147,"position":1},"title":"FAST FOOD NEWS: Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s Jalapeno Double Cheeseburger","author":"Marvo","date":"May 11, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"There's a new, spicy value burger on the menus at Carl's Jr. and Hardee's -- the Jalape\u00f1o Double Cheeseburger Carl's Jr.'s version features two charbroiled beef patties, jalape\u00f1o coins, two slices of pepper jack cheese, Santa Fe Sauce, lettuce, and tomato on a plain bun. The Hardee's version is slightly\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fast Food News"","block_context":{"text":"Fast Food News","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/fast-food-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Carl s Jr and Hardee s Jalapeno Double Cheeseburger","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Carls-Jr.-and-Hardees-Jalapeno-Double-Cheeseburger.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Carls-Jr.-and-Hardees-Jalapeno-Double-Cheeseburger.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Carls-Jr.-and-Hardees-Jalapeno-Double-Cheeseburger.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14603,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2013\/03\/18\/review-burger-king-turkey-burger\/","url_meta":{"origin":14147,"position":2},"title":"REVIEW: Burger King Turkey Burger","author":"Marvo","date":"March 18, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"The paleness of the turkey patty used in Burger King's limited time only Turkey Burger may make it look a little unappetizing and tofu patty-ish, but think of it this way: it's pretty much the same color as the white meat turkey you'd eat on Thanksgiving and the turkey leftovers\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Burger King Turkey Burger","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8090\/8570662144_94798ee7f7.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":17253,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2014\/07\/21\/fast-food-news-carls-jr-and-hardees-texas-bbq-thickburger\/","url_meta":{"origin":14147,"position":3},"title":"FAST FOOD NEWS: Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s Texas BBQ Thickburger","author":"Marvo","date":"July 21, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Yeehaw! Them cowpokes at Carl's Jr. and Hardee's have themselves a new burger, the Texas BBQ Thickburger. Yeehaw! They lassoed together smoked beef brisket, spicy mesquite BBQ sauce, crispy jalape\u00f1o and onion strips, American cheese, a charbroiled 100 percent Black Angus beef patty, and their Fresh Baked Bun to make\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fast Food News"","block_context":{"text":"Fast Food News","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/fast-food-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Carl s Jr Hardee s Texas BBQ Thickburger","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/Carls-Jr.-Hardees-Texas-BBQ-Thickburger.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8914,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2011\/03\/22\/news-hardees-new-turkey-burgers-make-it-seem-like-happy-star-had-a-lot-of-thanksgiving-leftovers\/","url_meta":{"origin":14147,"position":4},"title":"NEWS: Hardee’s New Turkey Burgers Make It Seem Like Happy Star Had A Lot of Thanksgiving Leftovers","author":"Marvo","date":"March 22, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"I learned two things from my subscription to Men's Health Magazine, when I read it during the late 1990s: 1. Reading about how to do exercises is significantly less effective than actually doing the exercises. 2. How to be a better lover. So I hope when Hardee's teamed up with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fast Food News"","block_context":{"text":"Fast Food News","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/fast-food-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":15899,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2013\/12\/10\/fast-food-five-12102013\/","url_meta":{"origin":14147,"position":5},"title":"FAST FOOD FIVE – 12\/10\/2013","author":"Marvo","date":"December 10, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Here are five recent fast food news bites: I thought Pizza Hut's Crazy Cheesy Crust Pizza wasn't very crazy and I feel the same about this Pizza Hut pizza in Puerto Rico. (via Brand Eating) WHAT?! Jack in the Box's new Jalape\u00f1o BBQ Burger is not available in California, Idaho,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fast Food News"","block_context":{"text":"Fast Food News","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/fast-food-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"IMG_3325","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm6.staticflickr.com\/5536\/11305131126_2c74a2c0df.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14147","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14147"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14147\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14147"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14147"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14147"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"Hardee\u2019s](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Hardee%E2%80%99s-Jalapeno-Turkey-Burger.jpeg?resize=648%2C471&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n![\"Hardee\u2019s](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Hardee%E2%80%99s-Jalapeno-Turkey-Burger-Patty-Closeup.jpeg?resize=648%2C535&ssl=1\")
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