This recipe transforms lean ground turkey into the the best Turkey Burgers you’ve ever had. These juicy, flavorful turkey burgers are a lighter way to indulge in classic American BBQ fare and will satisfy even the most steadfast beef burger lover.
We’ve been grilling these turkey burgers for well over a decade and my family has deemed them the BEST! Just like my famous Turkey Chili , this recipe is a beloved family favorite.
If you are one of those people that think that turkey is for turkeys when it comes to burgers, I believe you will be convinced otherwise if you give this recipe a try. I’ve watched it happen countless times. Friends we’ve had over for dinner will take a bite and then an incredulous “This is turkey?” is almost guaranteed to follow.
Yep, this is turkey. And, it is amazing!
This is one of those rare recipes that qualifies as both comfort food but is also a healthy choice. I just love that!
Lean ground turkey lacks the fat of higher fat content ground beef. Since fat equals flavor, there are some tricks to ensure a juicy, flavorful result.
So read on, and make these burgers ASAP!
Table of contents
Ingredient Notes
- Ground turkey: Pick up a quality 93% lean ground turkey from brands like Jennie-O or Butterball. This is not a sponsored mention, I’ve just used these brands with a fantastic result.
- Produce: Diced onion and a few diced cremini mushrooms.
- Seasoning: This recipe is just one more way I make use of my very favorite homemade seasoning blend, my Kickin’ Cajun Seasoning Mix. There are several store-bought Cajun seasoning blends that will work just fine as well. A great benefit to making your own seasoning mix at home – you get to control the amount of salt and heat in your recipes.
- BBQ Sauce: A small amount of bottled BBQ sauce added to the mixture combines with the Cajun seasoning and adds an amped up classic BBQ flavor. My favorite is Kinder’s. Again, not sponsored, just pure love here. Or, add some fun flavor with my Root Beer BBQ Sauce.
- For the rest: Hambuger buns, your favorite sliced cheese, and any hamburger toppings you love. I always set out green leaf lettuce, sliced tomato, sliced red onion, and avocado.
How to Make Turkey Burgers
- Add the ground turkey in a large mixing bowl with the onion, mushrooms, BBQ sauce, and Cajun seasoning.
- Use clean hands to combine the mixture well.
- Divide the mixture into 6 even-sized balls and place them on a foil-lined baking sheet.
- Use your hands to flatten them into ½ to ¾-inch patties. If making ahead, cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.
Pro Tip
Line a baking sheet with heavy duty foil for easy cleanup and transport of the burgers to the grill. The foil also works as a great nonstick surface to work the mixture into patties and they can easily be covered and refrigerated if you would like to make them in advance.
How to Grill Turkey Burgers
Prep the Burgers or Grill: To prevent the turkey burgers from sticking to the grill, lightly both sides of the burgers with nonstick cooking spray or use tongs and a folded paper towel to spread the oil evenly over the grates.
Cook: Place the turkey burger patties on the preheated grill, leaving some space between each patty to allow for even cooking. Close the grill lid and let the burgers cook for approximately 5 to 7 minutes, per side. Discard the foil immediately after transferring the raw burger patties to the grill and replace it with a fresh sheet of foil for the cooked burgers.
Baste: Use a basting brush to baste the burgers with additional BBQ sauce towards the end of the grilling time and just before you add the cheese. The outside of the burger should be seared and you should be at least halfway through the cooking time before basting.
Checking for Doneness: Cook the burgers until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F when measured with a meat thermometer. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, you can check for doneness by cutting into the thickest part of a burger. The juices should run clear, and there should be no pink color remaining. The cooking time can vary depending on the thickness of your burgers and the temperature of your grill.
Adding Cheese: If you want to add cheese, add it once the burgers have just barely finished cooking and cover the grill to aid in melting the cheese.
Alternate Cooking Methods
Outdoor grilling is my favorite method but you can also cook these burgers indoors in a skillet or on a stovetop grill pan or electric griddle.
Valerie’s Tips for the Best Turkey Burgers
Create “Beefy” Turkey Burgers: Adding a few diced cremini (baby bella) mushrooms to the ground turkey mixture adds a surprising layer of beefiness. You may not think of mushrooms as beefy, but portabella mushrooms and baby bellas (their smaller counterpart) are actually quite meaty in texture. The giant Portabellas make a satisfying vegetarian burger grilled all on their own. The mushrooms also help to bind the mixture and hold in the flavor of the BBQ sauce and seasoning.
Add Flavor: Lean ground turkey has very little fat and benefits from a generous amount of seasoning. The BBQ sauce also lends some great classic, smoky BBQ flavor to ground turkey burger patties.
Chill the Patties: If you refrigerate the patties it will even further improve their ability to hold together well on the grill. Just cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and pop the whole thing in the fridge. The formed burger patties should be cooked within 24 hours. This is a fabulous make-ahead recipe!
Serving Suggestions
- Classic Turkey Burgers: Serve them on buns with your favorite cheese and toppings. Whip up a batch of my Awesome Burger Sauce for a seriously killer burger. My current favorite bun for burgers are brioche buns but they’re also great on King’s Hawaiian Hamburger Buns, deli-style kaiser rolls, onion rolls, and even regular old hamburger buns.
- Lean Turkey Burgers: If you want to keep your burgers lean, omit the cheese and load them up with lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, and avocado.
- Low-Carb Burger Bowls: Trying to reduce your carb intake? Make it a burger in a bowl by laying the patty on top of a bed of greens and add all of your favorite, healthy burger toppings.
Add any of the great side dishes below to complete your meal.
- Crispy Oven Baked Fries
- Macaroni Coleslaw
- Grilled Corn on the Cob
- Lemony Tortellini Broccoli Salad
- Old Fashioned Potato Salad
- 5 Minute Broccoli Kale Slaw
- Ramen Cabbage Salad
- Spicy Baked Beans
Love burgers? Be sure to try my Classic Beef Burgers and Ranch Burgers too!
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The Best Turkey Burger Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground turkey, (like Jennie-O or Butterball 93% Lean)
- ½ cup finely chopped white or yellow onion
- 2 or 3 cremini mushrooms, finely chopped (about ½ cup)
- ¼ cup BBQ sauce, plus additional for basting (I like Kinder's)
- 1 tablespoon Kickin’ Cajun Seasoning Mix, (or a store-bought blend)
- 6 slices sharp cheddar cheese
- 6 hamburger buns, (I like brioche buns)
Optional Burger Toppings
- Awesome Burger Sauce
- green leaf lettuce
- thinly sliced red onion
- thinly sliced tomato
- sliced avocado
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with foil and set it aside.
- Place the ground turkey in a large mixing bowl and add the onion, mushrooms, ¼ cup BBQ sauce, and the Cajun seasoning. Use clean hands to combine the mixture well.
- Divide the mixture into 6 even-sized balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Use your hands to flatten them into ½ to ¾-inch patties. If making ahead, cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator. (Note – refrigerating the patties makes them hold together well on the grill. Burgers should be cooked within 24 hours.)
- When ready to cook, preheat your outdoor or indoor grill or place a skillet over MEDIUM HEAT. Gently lift each turkey patty and spray both sides with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer to the grill (or skillet) and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, per side, or until the exterior of the burgers is nicely seared and they register an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Discard the foil from the baking sheet and replace it with a clean sheet of foil for the cooked burgers.
- Baste the tops of the burgers with additional BBQ sauce, if desired. Add cheese, cover the grill, and cook for just a minute or two until the cheese has melted.
- Serve on hamburger buns with Awesome Burger Sauce and your toppings of choice.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
More Ground Turkey Recipes
This post was originally published on July 29, 2019. It has been updated with new text and images. Inspired by The Healthy Kitchen by Andrew Weil and Rosie Daley
As far as the turkey burger sauce goes.
I loved the pickle juice idea! Brilliant! Yummmmmy