Turkey Burgers
204 Comments
Updated Jul 25, 2024
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This turkey burger recipe is absolute perfection! The turkey patties are healthy, super easy to make, perfectly juicy and moist, and packed with flavor from simple ingredients. Now all you have to decide is what ingredients to layer into your burgers. I’ve got delicious servings ideas below!
Are Turkey Burgers Healthy?
Every once in a while, I crave a meaty and juicy burger. But when I try to cut down on red meat and choose leaner options, ground turkey is always my go-to. It’s like switching from beef meatballs to my favorite turkey meatballs recipe.
So to answer the question – “Are turkey burgers actually healthy?” The answer is an affirmative yes! Ground turkey has less saturated fat than ground beef and is even leaner than ground chicken.
The only “downside” is that turkey tends to be a lot drier than beef. But I’ve got a few tips on how to make the perfect turkey burger patty that’s not dry and bland, plus they’re completely gluten-free! This is my go-to turkey burger recipe in my house, and I’m confident you’ll come back to it over and over again as well!
Turkey Burger Ingredients
- Ground Turkey: The key to juicier turkey burgers is choosing the right lean-to-fat ratio. Packaged ground turkey is often a mix of light and dark meat, but you’ll want to choose one that’s 93% lean and 7% fat. This makes for a moist and succulent texture. And if purchasing ground turkey from the butcher, ask them to provide the same mix suitable for a burger patty.
- Mayonnaise: Just a little bit of mayo helps to add moisture and acts as a binder for the patties. You can use your favorite brand or make my easy homemade mayonnaise which tastes 10x better and has no funky ingredients!
- Dijon Mustard & Worcestershire sauce: While turkey is really a blank canvas for flavor, I often find most turkey burger recipes to be bland and boring in flavor. But the simple combo of Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce adds a savory, umami flavor – and it’ll have everyone going back for seconds! Side note: if you’re gluten-free like me, scroll down to the recipe card where I’ve linked the gluten-free Worcestershire sauce I use (as not all brands are gluten-free).
- Seasonings: All you need are fresh garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper to complete the flavor profile. But if you want to switch up some of the flavors, I’ve got a few options listed below.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below
How To Make Turkey burger patties
Make the patties. Mix the ground turkey, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper with your hands. Then, divide the mixture evenly to form 4 large patties. To avoid uncooked patties, flatten them out a bit so they’re not super tall and dense. Plus, they do shrink quite a bit when cooking!
Cook the patties. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Cook the patties for approximately 5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Unlike beef patties, turkey burgers need to be completely cooked through. If you’d like, you can use an instant-read thermometer to check and see if they have reached an internal temperature of 165°F.
Turkey Burger Filling options
The classic options you can never go wrong with are sliced tomatoes, red onions, cheddar cheese, pickles, and a layer of mayonnaise and ketchup on top. But you can also switch it up and add bacon, avocado slices, and caramelized onions.
Serving Ideas
- Serve up a classic turkey burger. Grab your favorite store-bought buns (you could even toast them if you’d like) and layer on your favorite burger ingredients.
- Make a lettuce wrap turkey burger: For those of us who are gluten-free or just looking for a healthier option, lettuce wrap turkey burgers are honestly just as delicious. Plus, it’s a naturally low-carb meal! To make the lettuce “buns” — core a head of lettuce and slice it into quarters. Use a few pieces of lettuce as both the base and top, essentially wrapping around the burger.
- Make a turkey burger bowl: Enjoy the patties as a protein source for a veggie-heavy salad or bowl! Layer leafy greens with avocado slices, pickled red onions, and cherry tomatoes (or other vegetables you like). You could even add tzatziki or chipotle sauce on top!
Ingredient Substitutions
- Don’t have access to Worcestershire sauce? You can add a splash of tamari soy sauce (about half the amount).
- Add more yumminess to the patty with finely diced onions or shallots. You can also switch up the seasonings and herbs with onion powder, dried thyme, rosemary, or any other seasonings you like really!
COMMON QUESTIONS
I’ve made this recipe heaps of times and have never had the patties fall apart when using 93% lean ground turkey. But, if you find that your patties are crumbling, you can try adding an egg and some almond flour to the mixture next time.
Absolutely! This is a great summertime burger recipe to toss on the grill. Just be a bit careful when placing them on the grill and flipping them as they tend to be softer than other burger patties.
You sure can! I have a separate recipe for chicken burgers (with a Mediterranean flavor profile), but you can certainly swap the meat in this recipe as well.
Storage Tips
- To store in the fridge: These patties will last for 3 to 4 days in the fridge stored in an airtight container.
- Freeze the patties for later: I love to make a double batch of this recipe and save leftovers for the future! To do so, freeze the cooked patties on a baking sheet first. Then, place them in a freezer-safe bag or container with parchment paper in between. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Make-Ahead Tips: If you want to pre-make the raw turkey burgers, you can do so a day in advance and store them in the fridge. Just add parchment paper in between each patty and layer them on top of one another before placing them in an airtight container.
More Healthy Turkey Recipes
- Turkey Cobb Salad: Give this classic Cobb salad a fresh, fall twist with turkey and other fall ingredients!
- Turkey Chili: Another staple ground turkey recipe to keep in your rotation is this delicious turkey chili.
- Lighter Turkey Casserole: Casseroles don’t always have to be heavy. Give this light and tasty version a try when you’re craving comfort food!
- Classic Roast Turkey: While most people think of turkey as a Thanksgiving or Christmas recipe, it can be made and enjoyed any time of year.
I hope you enjoy these turkey burgers as much as I do! Give them a try and let me know how they turned out in the comment box below.
Best Turkey Burger Recipe
Description
Video
Ingredients
For the turkey burgers
- 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Optional items for serving
- cheddar cheese slices
- sliced tomato
- sliced onion
- caramelized onion
- pickles
- lettuce
- ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise
Instructions
- Make the patties. In a medium bowl, combine the turkey, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to mix everything together. Divide the mixture evenly and form 4 large patties.
- Cook the patties. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Cook the patties for approximately 5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through.
- Assemble the turkey burger. Enjoy the patties plain or assemble them into turkey burgers with your favorite toppings and condiments!
Lisa’s Tips
- I typically don’t use non-stick pans, but for this recipe, I did because the temperature doesn’t go above medium to cook the patties and it makes it easier to flip them. You can find my favorite non-stick pans in this post featuring my favorite cookware!
Nutrition
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These were so good! Quick to make and flavorful!
Thrilled to hear you loved these turkey burgers, Abigail!
Any chance you could make this recipe into meatballs?
Hi Liza – I think turning these into meatballs would be okay!
Thank you!
I’m so sad this didn’t work out for me, considering all the great reviews. I could be an outlier, but I found the burger to be wayyyy too salty (my husband on the other hand found it to be fine). Texture wise, the burger was moist and cooked to perfection! I’ll give the recipe another shot but will probably omit the salt or tone down considerably.
Hi Christine – yes, always feel free to reduce the salt if that’s your preference. :)
Hmm I must have used the wrong kind of meat? The turkey I used made the burgers fall apart and turned into a mess ????
I’ve made this recipe heaps of times and have never had the patties fall apart when using 93% lean ground turkey. But, if you find that your patties are crumbling, you can try adding an egg and some almond flour to the mixture next time.
I thought these burgers were outstanding! I was very impressed!
Thank you!
Happy to hear you enjoyed these turkey burgers, Jean!
Best turkey burgers. I use light mayonnaise and only half TBLS. I also don’t use oil but a nonstick pan. They turned out perfect and did not fall apart this time. Delicious!!!!
Wonderful! Enjoy your turkey burgers, Nancy!
Loved these patties and used the same amounts but put in oven on 220 for 15 minutes to draw a lot of water out then fried for 8-10 minutes on a moderate heat, tasted amazing.
Glad these turkey burgers turned out great!
OMG, these were delicious! The only thing I did differently was use ground turkey breast, so I added and egg and some crushed gf crackers. It held together and it was moist. The seasonings were *chef’s kiss* Loved it, it’s definitely going in my meal rotation. Thank you 🙂
Hi Lainie – Wonderful! Glad you’re loving these turkey burgers.
Easy to make, delicious made with out cheese topper and did veggie sides. A different spin but will be on the to make list again. Thank you
Hi Jill – I’m so glad you enjoyed these turkey burgers!
Loved the Turkey Burger recipe, (I had to substitute English mustard instead of Dujon), which made them look a weird colour but they were very tasty, and cooked in about 10-12 minutes. Husband was initially sceptical but ate them all up! So I think it must have been good. Next time I may cook 1 minute less, but delicious, thank you.
Hi Samantha – Thanks for the review and happy to hear you both enjoyed these turkey burgers!
My first time using turkey burger. My turkey was very moist while preparing it due to it was defrosting from being in the freezer. I added a 1/4 cup of plain breadcrumbs. I used the rest of the ingredients as listed in the recipe. The flavor was very good. Thank you.
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe, Nadine!
Delicious recipe, I’ll be making this again. Thank you!
WOW!
Lisa these are the best turkey burgers I’ve ever had…..so good I made them 2 days in a row the first time I tried them. And very often since.
Thanks for sharing.
Hi Diane – Happy to hear you’re loving these turkey burgers!
Can I make these in a muffin tin if so temp and time
Hi Lynette – I haven’t tried these in a muffin tin, so I’m not sure how they would turn out. But, I think pan frying them is best!
I’ve tried many different turkey burger recipes, never enjoyed them. Finally found a keeper! These were moist and tasty; love the hint of Dijon. When I made a turkey burger, my husband would always comment he didn’t like them. I didn’t tell him these were turkey burgers. As he was eating them he said, “These are delicous, you make better hamburgers than when we get them out.” (He always tells me that when he eats my hamburgers.) I just chuckled …
Hi Jeanette – Oh wonderful! Happy to hear you both enjoyed this recipe :)
Excellent recipe!
Your suggestions for keeping the burgers moist were perfect.
Will be using this recipe over and over again.
Thanks
Hi Pat – Thrilled to hear you enjoyed these turkey burgers!
super simple recipe that was sooo delicious! will be following you for more ideas!
Hi Catherine – Happy to hear you’re loving these turkey burgers!
Don’t skip the freezer. I made these the first time and cooked right after i made them and they fell apart. Still tasted good as ground turkey but next time I will freeze first!
They tasted okay but they kind of fell apart on me! Maybe I had too much moisture in my turkey? Not sure, but out of all of Lisa’s recipes I’ve tried this is the only one below a 5 star lol
Hi Cassandra – it sounds like your ground turkey might have had a bit too much fat. Next time, you can mix different lean ratios together for a burger that stays together. Hope that helps!
I made these and they are my new go to. Flavorful. I didn’t use any binder. I froze ahead and thawed. Gas grilled in grilling pan. Love! Ty!
Hi Susan – Happy to hear you’re loving these turkey burgers!
This is first time I made a turkey burger and I absolutely love this recipe!!! I made the patties and then put them in the fridge until I was ready to cook them. It worked perfect!!
Hi Linda – Oh wonderful! I’m glad you’re loving these turkey burgers.
I have followed you for many years
And you just get better and brighter all the time! Your site and YouTube are my first go to for recipes and these burgers sound and look fantastic..kudos on the lettuce wrap..too!
Everybody always wimps out ..this is a wrap you actually hold on to!!haha
Love your stuff.. Vharmon
Hi Valerie – Happy to hear you’re loving these turkey burgers!
Made these last night and they were really good. I think lots of turkey burger recipes run the risk of falling apart so I’m not surprised to see that comment across these reviews. But it’s a light tasty burger so i didn’t want to add any kind of binder. So instead I popped them in the freezer for about 10,12 minutes before cooking them on the stove top. Held their shape and stayed in tact! Tasted really good!
Plus I like that this a forgiving recipe and if I don’t have all ingredients called for it’s easy to sub. 5 stars!
Great tip with the freezer. Thanks, Ann!
Awesome recipe! My 9 and 14 year old loved them too.
Wonderful! So happy you all loved them!
I loved the taste but as they cooked they basically just turned to mince! What do I need to do differently? I used 90% lean, 10% fat turkey mince!
I saw a lot of people say to put them in the freezer for a while before cooking. That keeps them in the patty shape while they cook.
Best turkey burger I have ever made or had anywhere. My husband and I just love these. I make them every couple of weeks and we eat them for 2 or 3 days in a row. Our new favorite burger!!
Yay, love to hear that. Thanks Linda!
These sounded good, but the Worcestershire Sauce was really off putting. I ended up eating lettuce, tomato, fried onion, pickles with ketchup and mustard and it tasted better. We also grilled these, and the second they began to dry out, they began to crumble. Sorry for the low rating!
Greatest Turkey burgers I have ever tasted. This is in my weekly rotation now. Thanks!
Hi Tracy – Happy to hear you love these turkey burgers!
Very good recipe. I made and cooked as directed. I just have to hide the ingredients when I make it, because my husband HATES mayo.
Can I use a vegan mayo? My son is allergic to eggs.
Yes, no problem.
They had flavor but were falling apart. They seemed to have to much moisture.
Simple but not plain, these turkey burgers are moist and full of flavor!
Paired with the no mayo cole slaw, making a delicious lunch for the first day of May!
Sounds like the perfect recipe for spring! Enjoy. :)
First time ever making turkey burgers and WOW! I’m so glad I found your recipe. Juicy, moist and full of flavor!!! Will be making these again.
Yay, so happy you loved them, Nancy!
Very tasty! Can’t wait to make again and put on the grill! I didn’t have any minced garlic but they still were tasty!!☺️🤗Thanks !!
Thanks so much, Ann! Happy you loved these turkey burgers. :)
This is a great recipe! We are trying limit our red meat intake and this is an incredible alternative that doesn’t lack flavor. This will be added to our weekly rotation.
I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe, Jaime!
Turkey burgers came out perfectly. They were delicious and we will be making them again soon!
Hi Karen – I’m so glad you loved these turkey burgers!
A favorite recipe! Quick, easy and very delicious! Is the nutrition information for one burger?
I’m glad you enjoyed these turkey burgers! And yes, the nutrition info is per serving.
These are amazing!
Thanks so much, Nicole!
So so good. Quick, simple, and delicious. Perfect for batch cooking and freezing. Then reheating in my Hot Logic for workday lunches.
Hi Lori – These turkey burgers are definitely great for meal prep!
They smell amazing so far, but without a binding agent, they all fell apart when I flipped them. I will definitely be adding something next time to hold them together.
Hi Alia – sorry to hear yours fell apart. I’ve never had that issue, but if you’d like to add a binder, feel free to do so. :)
So good! Best turkey burgers I have had. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Pat – I’m glad you enjoyed these turkey burgers!
Can you freeze these before cooking if making large batches
Yes, no problem!
Best Turkey Burger Recipe I’ve found!! The only thing I added was some chopped onion to my mixture before cooking. * I would also love to know temp & time if I put it in the oven??
I’m starting my 2nd month of my “diet”. I’m definitely eating Lower carb than before, but I’m also making a few healthier choices along. * such as Turkey- cheese- burgers wrapped in Lettuce.
Thank you again! This will be my new weekly addition to my meal planning!!
Hi Natalie – I haven’t tried these in the oven yet. But when I do, I’ll let you know!
So good! I threw in some feta crumbles because they needed to be used. My daughter loves this recipe and asks for it regularly!
Great Recipe Lisa absolutely delicious. Thank you so much.
Hi Mike – I’m so glad you love these turkey burgers!
Your turkey burger recipe is just what I needed to make our burger more appealing to the family. The result is delightful. Thank for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
So I don’t need to put bread crumbs & egg in it!!! Wow taste likes burger not meatloaf 🙏🏼
Hi JV – That’s the beauty of these turkey burgers!
No flavor that pops. Can’t figure out why so many good reviews I have tasted better. This recipe is bland.
Sorry you didn’t enjoy this one, Jay. Hopefully you’ll enjoy some of my other recipes more!
This was a fantastic recipe. My son took his first bite and started yummmmm,yummmm this is amazing!! Then he proceeded to eat the rest in one bite. It amazes us how something so healthy can be so delicious!
Thank you for sharing your recipe!!
JD
Hi James – It’s amazing what you can do with such simple ingredients, isn’t it! Glad your family enjoyed these turkey burgers.
I made these tonight and the were delicious! This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Happy to hear you enjoyed these turkey burgers!
No turkey mince available in shop, so made with pork mince instead.
Really good.
Little Reggae Reggae sauce to add a bit of a kick :0)