Looking for an Ultimate Turkey Burger Recipe that's beyond flavorful, moist and juicy? Welp, you come to the right spot. This recipe covers tips and tricks, so you'll make a juicy and flavorful turkey burger each and every time. It's made with simple everyday ingredients and takes less than 15 minutes to cook which is perfect for weeknight dinners.
At some point in your life, did you steer away from eating turkey burgers? Were you tired of eating just a bland, dry, and hard to consume turkey burger, or did you force yourself to eat it just to be "healthy" then suddenly just gave up altogether because you couldn't stand the taste anymore.
Well friend, that was me up until I realized the proper way to prepare and cook a delicious and juicy turkey burger that's worth eating.
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Ingredients
- Ground turkey (85% lean meat, 15% fat)
- Cajun seasoning (homemade or store bought)
- Grape-seed oil
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Fresh garlic
- Shallot
- Fresh spinach (pre-washed)
Essentials
- Cast iron skillet or other heavy bottom skillet
- Chopping board
- Chef's knife
Best way to cook
Turkey burgers can be char-grilled, baked, or pan-fried. Of the 3 cooking methods, pan-frying in a cast iron skillet is the best way to cook a turkey burger. This way, you get a beautiful sear on the entire outer surface of the burger which is also where all the flavor lies.
Seasoning
Ground turkey can taste really bland and therefore should be seasoned generously. At the very minimum, season with kosher salt and black pepper. However, if you want to take your turkey burger to the next level go for big bold flavors such as Cajun seasoning, you can also add a dash of worcestershire sauce, or you can add an Asian flair with Asian inspired ingredients.
Another thing that's worth noting when it comes to seasoning a turkey burger is to season the meat mixture with all the seasoning before forming into patties, so you'll have flavor throughout and not just on the outer surface of the patties.
How to make the best turkey burger
Ground turkey: Ground turkey by nature is very lean, so I suggest choosing the option that's 85% lean meat, 15% fat. Although this option has the highest amount of fat, more fat still needs to be added which I'll discuss below.
Fat: Grape-seed oil is a really good choice for adding fat to ground turkey. You can also opt for avocado oil. This will prevent the turkey burger from drying out.
Seasoning: Cajun seasoning, kosher salt, black pepper, minced shallots and garlic and finely chopped spinach. The minced shallot and spinach not only adds incredible flavor but also adds moisture to the patty. By the way, your turkey burger will not taste like spinach it's solely there to add moisture and of course nutrients.
Form turkey patties: Add all ingredients to a large bowl, mix gently, then form ground turkey into patties.
Cook: Place patties onto a hot cast iron skillet with a bit of grape-seed oil and fry until patties are no longer pink or internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
Assemble burger: Place the cooked turkey patty onto a warm brioche bun, smear the bun with your favorite spread, and add your favorite fixings: lettuce, grilled onions, tomato, avocado, pickles and/or cheese or whatever else you like.
How to keep turkey burgers from drying out
To make a really delicious and moist turkey burger fat must be added to the mix. If not, it can result in a really dry patty if not prepared properly as turkey meat is a lean type of meat. Here are some tips:
- Add grape-seed oil or avocado oil to the ground turkey mixture (as noted in the recipe card below).
- Alternatively, you can add mayo or unsweetened plain full fat Greek yogurt.
- In addition to the 2 options noted above, a finely chopped onion also adds moisture.
- Here me out on this but I've also found that thinly chopped spinach also adds moisture (as you chop the spinach, it will turn to a vibrant green color and become slightly moist).
Tips
- For a juicy turkey burger, use either a healthy fat such as grape-seed oil or avocado oil to the meat mixture along with chopped onion and thinly chopped spinach (pre-washed spinach).
- As mentioned above, instead of cooking oil, you can add mayo or full fat unsweetened plain Greek yogurt as a fat substitute.
- After adding all the ingredients to the meat mixture, gently mix with your hands do not over-mix.
- When forming your turkey patties, do not press down too much.
- When patties are formed, make a thumb print onto the top of each patty as this will prevent the patty from shrinking.
- Rather than focusing on cook time, the most accurate way to check that your patties are done is to use an instant read meat thermometer.
- When using a meat thermometer, when the internal temperature reaches 165 degree F, it's done.
- Be mindful to not overcook.
Can you make ahead
Sure can, just follow the instructions but do not pan fry them until you are ready to eat. Simply, place the uncooked patties onto a clean plate and wrap securely with plastic wrap.
You can also place the turkey patties in a large enough bowl and separate each layer with parchment paper to prevent the patties from sticking together.
Whichever way you choose, place the uncooked patties in the fridge for up to 2 days then follow the instructions for pan-frying them.
Store and reheat
You can also store your cooked patties in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can store them in ziploc bags or an airtight container with a lid.
To reheat, wrap the patties with foil and place in a preheated 375 degree preheated oven.
Serve with
- Fresh Spring Mix Salad
- Vegan Roasted Beet Salad with Grilled Peaches
- Simple Arugula Salad With Nectarines
- Vegetable Salad with Lettuce
- Crispy Sweet Potato Fries
- Oven Roasted Potatoes
📖 Recipe
Best Turkey Burger Recipe
Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet
- Chopping board
- Chef's knife
- Instant read meat thermometer
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs ground turkey (85% lean meat)
- 1.5 tbsp Cajun seasoning (homemade or store bought)
- 4 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 4.5 tbsp grape-seed oil (or avocado oil or other healthy fat DIVIDED (2.5 TBSP ADDED TO MEAT MIXTURE; 2 TBSP ADDED TO SKILLET))
- 2 tbsp shallot (finely chopped)
- 2 cloves fresh garlic (2 small cloves minced)
- ¼ cup fresh spinach (pre-washed) (finely chopped)
- 4 buns brioche bun (white or whole grain)
- green leafy lettuce (washed and dried thoroughly)
- 2 red onions (sliced thick and grilled)
- 2 tbsp spread (options: mayo, mustard, hummus )
Instructions
- Wrap the brioche buns in foil and place in a preheated 375 degree oven until they're warm. Then, remove from oven.
- Using a chef's knife, thinly chop shallots and garlic. Set aside. Cut red onion into thick slices, wash lettuce and prep other fixings you'd like to add to your burger. Set aside
- In a medium or large sized bowl, add ground turkey meat, grape-seed oil, Cajun seasoning, kosher salt, black pepper, chopped shallots and minced garlic. Gently combine all ingredients just until combined.
- Divide the meat mixture into 3 large patties or 4 patties depending on how big you like your burger. Put on a clean plate.
- Place cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add grape-seed oil and allow it to get hot. Place the patties in the cast iron skillet making sure they're not touching. Pan fry first side for 6 minutes. Flip the patties over and allow the other side to pan fry for an additional 6 minutes or so.
- Rather than focusing on cooking time, check for done-ness by inserting an instant read thermometer into the burger and when it reads 165 degrees F. IT'S DONE. This is the most accurate way to prevent your turkey burgers from drying out.
- When done, place the turkey burgers on a clean plate. Then, place the sliced red onion onto the skillet to sear for 3 minutes or so (until they become slightly brown and translucent).
- Remove the brioche buns from the foil. Place the cooked turkey patties on the buns and begin building your burger.
- Serve with a side of fries, a salad or not and enjoy.
Notes
- For a juicy turkey burger, use either a healthy fat such as grape-seed oil or avocado oil to the meat mixture along with chopped onion and thinly chopped spinach (pre-washed spinach).
- As mentioned above, instead of cooking oil, you can add mayo or full fat unsweetened plain Greek yogurt as a fat substitute.
- After adding all the ingredients to the meat mixture, gently mix with your hands do not over-mix.
- When forming your turkey patties, do not press down too much.
- When patties are formed, make a thumb print onto the top of each patty as this will prevent the patty from shrinking.
- Rather than focusing on cook time, the most accurate way to check that your patties are done is to use an instant read meat thermometer.
- When using a meat thermometer, when the internal temperature reaches 165 degree F, it's done.
- Be mindful to not overcook.
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