Easy Turkey Burgers

If you’re looking for a lighter alternative to classic beef burgers, then give these easy turkey burgers a try. They are delightfully juicy, tender, flavorful and insanely easy to throw together.

And you don’t have to be a grill master to get the perfect coveted sear. These burgers do great in a frying pan, on a griddle, or on an outdoor grill/smoker. We’ve tried all the methods. 😉

Turkey gets a bad rap when it comes to burgers due to its leanness (lower fat content). Most recipes yield dry, bland, and underwhelming burgers. But don’t fret! These burgers are juicy and packed with simple, but delicious, ingredients that result in yummy burgers every time.

Our recipe has been tried literally hundreds of times. We have made these burgers almost once a week for the past six years, adjusting and perfecting the cook time, ingredients, refrigeration time, etc. So we have these burgers down to a fine art.

Ingredients

• Ground turkey – 93% lean is preferred for this recipe. It’s fatty enough to stay juicy when cooked, but lean enough to build a guilt-free burger.
• Panko breadcrumbs – panko acts as a binder for these burgers and helps hold them together during grilling. It also gives them a lighter, more tender texture. We love Kikkoman brand.
• Seasonings – we keep the seasonings incredibly simple; granulated garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper is all it takes to make delicious turkey burgers!

Tips for Making the Best Turkey Burgers

1. Use a meat thermometer – if you don’t want dried out burgers, then try using a meat thermometer. It is the most reliable way of testing your burgers for doneness. Unlike beef burgers, turkey burgers cannot be done “medium rare” and must reach an internal temperature of 165℉. If you rely too much on the “check if it is no longer pink” method, you may end up overcooking your burgers.
2. Make thinner patties – I know, I know. Most people want patties as thick as a fist, but we recommend erring on the side of thinner patties. We’ve done thick patties and it requires us to sear on the grill/griddle, then finish in the oven. No one wants to use two cooking methods, plus you run the risk of either charring the exterior or drying out the interior this way. We recommend flattening your patties to about ½-inch thickness and about 3 inches in diameter. These are smaller patties, but they yield much more consistently juicy results.
3. Refrigerate before grilling – refrigerate these burgers for 30 minutes before grilling. Chilling helps firm up these burgers so they won’t fall apart on the grill/griddle.
4. Use a binder – eggs and breadcrumbs are fantastic binders for burgers. We prefer breadcrumbs over egg in this recipe. Breadcrumbs add more flavor and result in juicier burgers and they hold together better when cooked. We love using panko, but we have also used whole wheat regular breadcrumbs when we haven’t had panko on hand and it worked equally as well.

How to Make Turkey Burgers

In a large bowl, combine turkey, panko, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Form six burger patties and place on a parchment lined baking sheet or plate. The patties should be about 3 inches in diameter and ½ inches thick. Refrigerate the patties for 30 minutes (this help firms up the patties so they don’t fall apart when cooking).

Griddle/Stovetop Grill

Preheat a griddle or indoor grill to medium-high heat (350℉ for griddle).

Once the griddle/grill is warm, lightly mist with cooking spray. Place the patties on the griddle and cook, undisturbed, on one side for 4 minutes. Turn the patties over and brown on the other side for 4 minutes. Flip and brown for another 2 minutes on the first side. Repeat for the other side.

Check the burgers for doneness; they should have an internal temperature of 165℉ (aka no longer be pink in the center).

Outdoor Grill/Smoker

These burgers can also be cooked on an outdoor grill. We’ve made them on a propane grill as well as a pellet smoker with great success!

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Mist the grill with cooking spray to prevent sticking.

Cook the burgers on each side, undisturbed, for 4 to 5 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature has reached 165℉ before removing and serving.

How to Store and Reheat

• Refrigerate – store these turkey burgers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Reheat – we prefer to warm these burgers up slowly in a frying pan over medium-low heat, covered, until warm (about 5-7 minutes). We add 1 tablespoon of chicken broth to the pan to add moisture back to the burgers as they warm.

Sides for Turkey Burgers

These turkey burgers are great on a bun, layered with cheese, lettuce, onion, and avocado, but if you need to switch things up, try these other delicious side options:

• Potatoes – our regular go-to potatoes are garlic potatoes, brown sugar sweet potatoes, and sweet potato fries.
• Pasta salad – our favorites are peach, Greek, or avocado pasta salad.
• Potato salad – a creamy, dreamy side that’s perfect for summer.
• Veggies – summer has so many delicious vegetables to choose from, like zucchini, summer squash, asparagus, or sweet corn. We love to grill these up, but you can also try them oven roasted, mashed, or as noodles, fries, tots, or in a salsa, like zucchini fries, Parmesan zucchini tots, or roasted broccoli.
• Brown rice – try our miso or cilantro lime versions.
• Ancient grains – barley, quinoa, and farro are our old standbys.
• Israeli couscous – this delicious buttery pasta is perfection.
• Side salad – the classic side.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Are turkey burgers really healthier – it depends on the meat-to-fat ratio of the meat you’re using. For 93/7 lean ground beef vs ground turkey, the calories, fat, protein, and sodium content are very similar, with ground beef having slightly more saturated fat. However, fattier beef (like 80/20) will contain considerably more fat and ground turkey will be a much healthier option.
2. How long to cook turkey burgers – depends on the cooking method (grilling, pan-searing, oven) and the thickness and size of your patties. Our recipe calls for 10-12 minutes to cook burgers, based on the method used.
3. What do I use to keep turkey burgers from falling apart – you’ll want to use a binder, like egg or breadcrumbs, to help keep your burger together when grilling/cooking.
4. Are turkey burgers healthier than chicken burgers – ground turkey and ground chicken burgers are very similar in terms of healthiness. They contain similar calories, fat content, and protein.
5. What is the internal temperature of turkey – turkey is safe to eat when its internal temperature is 165℉.

Other Turkey Recipes:

• Turkey meatballs with lemon rosemary sauce
• Greek turkey meatball bowls
• Healthy turkey Swedish meatballs
• Favorite turkey meatballs
• Sausage and spinach lasagna
• Turkey chili

Let us know what you think about this recipe for easy turkey burgers by dropping a rating and/or comment below on the recipe card! Also, please share on social media/Pinterest if you enjoyed this recipe. We greatly appreciate it! 💕