Here’s how to make the best Turkey Burger ever—juicy, full of flavor, and totally satisfying.
I definitely make a lot of burgers in the summer. They’re quick, easy, and everyone loves them. Usually, I keep it simple and use my Best Burger Recipe, but sometimes I like a change of pace—or something a little more healthy. That’s when I turn to turkey burgers.
Tips For Juicy, Flavorful Turkey Burgers
Ground turkey, especially white meat turkey, has less fat. That’s good news and bad news. Having less fat makes turkey healthier, but also less flavorful and juicy (hint: that’s why so many people love a good turkey brine!). Turkey burgers can also be dry—again because they have less fat, but also because, unlike beef, they have to be cooked through and through. (No rare turkey, please!)
All those things are pretty easily addressed, though. Here’s how:
For moisture, I simply add an egg. You’ll see some turkey burger recipes that add mayonnaise, but that’s adding back fat, which doesn’t make much sense to me. Others add grated onion, and I’ve even seen one from Bon Appetit magazine that adds mashed avocado. But honestly, both of those options sound like a lot of work. Especially since an egg works so well.
For flavor, I add garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. There’s never anything wrong with that combination, right? But I also add a couple of ingredients that really make the difference between a good turkey burger and a great one: Worcestershire sauce, because it helps give the turkey a meatier, more savory flavor, and chili powder, because it adds flavor, but also because it adds a little color. That color helps my turkey burgers look more brown and appetizing and less pale and plain.
Making Turkey Burger Patties
A tip for putting all the ingredients together: do it as delicately as possible, because overworking the meat can lead to tough burgers. With that in mind, I find it helps to mix the seasonings with the egg first, then add the meat, mixing it in as gently and sparingly as possible.
The combined mixture will be a little wet, but once you form the patties, refrigerating them for about an hour will help them hold their shape when you cook them—whether you do it in a skillet on the stovetop or on the grill.
When you sit down to eat, you’ll be rewarded with tasty, tender turkey burgers that are a welcome change of pace—and a healthy alternative. Yay!
More (Non-Beef) Burger Recipes
If you’re looking for more satisfying burger recipes that don’t have a ground beef patty, try my Shrimp Burger that has a spiced mayo, Fresh Salmon Burgers, or even a Vegetarian Burger recipe from my other site, TheCookful. I also have a Chicken Burger recipe that is very similar to this one. So many great options and flavors.
Podcast Episode: Making Turkey Burgers
Listen to me explain briefly about how to make these delicious Turkey Burgers, with some great tips along the way, by clicking the play button below:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
PrintTurkey Burger Recipe
- Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
DESCRIPTION
Here’s how to make the best Turkey Burger ever—juicy, full of flavor, and totally satisfying.
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. chili powder
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- Cooking oil
- Hamburger buns
- Lettuce, tomatoes, condiments, and other toppings of your choice
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat the egg, Worcestershire, salt, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper.
- Add the turkey and combine. Handle the mixture as gently and sparingly as possible (overmixing can make the burger tough).
- Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions. Shape each into a ball, then flatten the balls into discs, about 4 inches in diameter. Make them thinner in the center.
- Arrange the patties on a plate or platter, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Heat a skillet or grill to medium-high and lightly oil the skillet or grate. Cook the patties until the internal temperature is 160°F, 3-4 minutes per side.
- Arrange the patties on the buns and serve with your favorite toppings.
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Notes
The recipe used to list ½ teaspoon of black pepper, but I found myself using less than that and reduced the amount in the recipe. Feel free to use more if that’s your preference.
This post originally appeared in July 2019 and was revised and republished in April 2023.