Turkey Burger
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Make a juicy, flavorful Turkey Burger at home with this simple recipe! This delicious and nutritious burger alternative is made with lean ground turkey and a homemade seasoning that’s packed with flavor. It’s easy to make in 15 minutes for a healthy, tasty meal!
Table of contents
There’s nothing I love more than biting into a big, juicy burger, fresh off the grill. Over the years, turkey burgers have gotten a bad wrap for being dry and tasteless. Lucky for you, with this simple turkey burger recipe, you can have that juicy, fresh off the grill flavor in a lean turkey burger!
Adding Worcestershire sauce and dijon mustard to the patties keeps them moist and adds delicious tangy, umami flavors. Seasoning the burger patties with homemade turkey seasoning gives you Thanksgiving vibes, fresh off the grill!
The seasoning includes flavorful herbs like parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. It also includes traditional burger seasonings, like salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. The combination of herbs and spices is what will have you coming back to this burger recipe over and over again!
Mix up a big batch of the turkey seasoning and store it in the pantry so you can make these turkey burgers anytime in just 15 minutes, start-to-finish! These turkey burgers have half of the calories of a beef burger, with more protein and less fat, making this a good-for-you burger option.
Ingredients
- Ground turkey – I recommend turkey that is 93% lean and 7% fat. While you can use extra-lean ground turkey to make these burgers, they won’t be as moist, juicy and delicious. The 7% fat really helps keep these burgers juicy as they cook.
- Turkey seasoning – click the link for this easy recipe that can be mixed up ahead of time in just 5 minutes. The combination of herbs and spices makes these turkey burgers so delicious.
- Worcestershire sauce – this amazing condiment adds so much flavor to the burgers. It’s sweet, salty, tangy and adds a wonderful umami flavor to the burgers. If you don’t have any Worcestershire sauce in the kitchen, you can use soy sauce instead.
- Dijon mustard – the acidity and tanginess of the dijon mustard helps balance out the flavor in the turkey burgers. It’s a secret ingredient that you should always add to your turkey burgers! If you don’t have dijon mustard, you can just 1 teaspoon of ground mustard or mustard powder in it’s place.
- Hamburger buns + Swiss cheese – optional ingredients for serving the burgers. Refer to the section below for how to serve them, for all of the various serving and topping options.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos above to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Combine the ingredients. Add ground turkey, Worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard and turkey seasoning to a large bowl. Use your hands, or a spatula to combine all of the ingredients.
- Form into patties. Divide the ground turkey mixture by four. Form into four burger patties that are approximately ½ inch thick.
- Grill the burgers. Heat a grill over medium-high heat. When the grill is hot, place the burger patties on the grill grates and cook for 5 minutes per side, or until they’ve reached an internal temperature of 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. If you want to add cheese to the burgers, add slices of cheese on top of each burger patty during the last 1 minute of cooking time. Remove the burgers from the grill and place on a cutting board or plate. Use any of the ideas below for how to serve and top the burgers.
How to serve them
These burgers are delicious served on toasted hamburger buns, or wrapped in lettuce wraps for a healthy, low carb and gluten free option.
Top the burgers with sliced Swiss cheese, American cheese, cheddar cheese, and any of these optional toppings of vegetables or sauces.
- Lettuce
- Tomatoes
- Pickles
- Avocado
- Sliced raw onions
- Caramelized onions
- Sauteed mushrooms
- Fried egg
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- BBQ sauce
- Burger sauce
- Guacamole
Recipe tips
- To make these burgers “protein style”, ditch the bun and replace it with two large leaves of iceberg lettuce. This is also a great option to make the burger gluten-free and low carb. Without the buns, each burger patty contains only 1 carb and .7 net carbs.
- Always make sure the grill is hot before adding the burgers. Adding burgers (or any food for that matter) to a hot surface is important for cooking safety. It will also give you a beautiful sear on the outside, while keeping the burgers super juicy on the inside. Turkey burgers should be cooked over medium-high heat, between 350-400 degrees fahrenheit.
- If you don’t have a grill, you can make the burgers in a skillet on the stove. I recommend a cast iron skillet, or cast iron griddle pan if you have one available. If cast iron isn’t available, use the heaviest skillet you own, and be sure to get the skillet hot before adding the turkey burgers to the pan. Cook the burgers for 5 minutes per side, or until they’ve reached an internal temperature of 165°F.
- After removing the burgers from the grill, or a skillet, do not immediately put the burgers on buns. Instead, allow them to rest for 5 minutes on a separate plate or cutting board before assembling the burgers. This will allow the juices to redistribute and keep the moisture inside the burgers. It will also prevent the buns from getting soggy.
- Never flatten the burgers with a spatula while they’re on the grill. This will release all of the juicy flavor in the middle of the burger, creating a turkey burger that’s less flavorful and juicy.
- The turkey burger patties can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the fridge before grilling. You can also freeze prepared, uncooked turkey burger patties in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months. I recommend placing a piece of parchment paper between each of the burger patties so they don’t stick together in the freezer. To thaw the turkey burger patties, transfer them from the freezer to the fridge for 24 hours before grilling.
How to make turkey burger sliders
Follow the instructions above, except form the turkey mixture into 8 two-ounce patties. Grill the sliders for 4-5 minutes per side. If topping with cheese, cut two slices of cheese into 4 squares and top each slider burger patty with a slice of cheese before removing it from the grill.
Serve on Hawaiian rolls or slider buns, instead of hamburger buns.
What to serve with the burgers
Burgers and fries are a match made in heaven, but really any of these side dish recipes will go great with these turkey burgers. Try any of these sides for the perfect pairing!
- Air Fryer French Fries – my favorite side to serve with these burgers! Especially when seasoned with my delicious fry seasoning.
- Animal Style Fries
- Baked Sweet Potato Fries
- Potato Salad
- Cheesy Grilled Potatoes
- Air Fryer Baked Potato
- Crispy Smashed Potatoes
- Corn Casserole
- Grilled Zucchini
- BBQ Baked Beans
More ground turkey recipes
After making the best turkey burger recipe, don’t miss these other delicious ground turkey recipes to make an easy menu full of healthy meals!
Turkey Burger
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 tablespoon turkey seasoning, click link for the recipe
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce, or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, or ground mustard
Serving options
- 4 slices Swiss cheese
- 4 hamburger buns
Instructions
- Combine the ground turkey, turkey seasoning, worcestershire sauce and dijon mustard in a large bowl.
- Form the mixture into 4 burger patties.
- Preheat a large skillet on the stove, or a grill, over medium-high heat.
- Cook for 5 minutes per side, or until they’ve reached an internal temp of 165°F.
- During the last minute of cooking time, top each of the patties with a slice of cheese.
- Remove the burgers from the grill and allow them to rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes.
- Place the buns on the grill, or in the hot skillet, and toast.
- Remove the buns from the grill, place a turkey burger on each bun, and add the optional toppings of your choice.
Notes
- The nutritional information provided is only for the turkey burger patties, and does not include the optional Swiss cheese and hamburger buns.
- To make these burgers “protein style”, ditch the bun and replace it with two large leaves of iceberg lettuce. This is also a great option to make the burger gluten-free and low carb. Without the buns, each burger patty contains only 1 carb and .7 net carbs.
- After removing the burgers from the grill, or a skillet, do not immediately put the burgers on buns. Instead, allow them to rest for 5 minutes on a separate plate or cutting board before assembling the burgers. This will allow the juices to redistribute and keep the moisture inside the burgers. It will also prevent the buns from getting soggy.
- The turkey burger patties can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the fridge before grilling. You can also freeze prepared, uncooked turkey burger patties in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months. I recommend placing a piece of parchment paper between each of the burger patties so they don’t stick together in the freezer. To thaw the turkey burger patties, transfer them from the freezer to the fridge for 24 hours before grilling.
Nutrition Facts
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