The Best Turkey Burger Recipe

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The Best Turkey Burger Recipe will be the juiciest and most delicious burger you ever did make. One secret ingredient takes these burgers over the top! Simple to make on the grill or stovetop, flavorful and obviously super moist. Serve with homemade French Fries, Kettle Chips or a Macaroni Salad. Yum!

Turkey Burger Recipe

The Best Turkey Burger Recipe is here! I asked you all to tell me the recipes you’d like to see and lots of you surprisingly said juicy turkey burgers. Say what? I know turkey burgers can be notoriously dry, but I didn’t realize it was such an epidemic. So here I am, showing up to the party with the juiciest turkey burger recipe you ever did eat.

Main Ingredients Needed

To make the juiciest of all turkey burgers gather up these ingredients and get ready to cook!

• Lean Ground Turkey – I used the 93/7 kind but you could probably get away with the 99% fat-free kind, just make sure to grease your pan well!
• Egg, Salt, Pepper, Parsely, Poultry Seasoning, and Milk – this is all mixed in with the turkey! I know this mixture may seem a little weird but once it starts cooking, the egg will help hold its shape together.
• Cold Butter – get ready for the secret technique for making these the best turkey burgers out there.
• American Cheese – if you don’t like cheese with your burgers, don’t add it.
• Hamburger Buns – you’re going to need someplace to put these beautiful patties. For a healthier spin get the whole wheat buns.
• Toppings – lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions, mustard, ketchup, etc, etc!

How to Make Turkey Burgers | Directions

The process to make these burgers is really simple and easy to follow. So here we go!

Step 1: Combine Turkey Burger Ingredients

Into a large bowl, add in lean ground turkey, milk, egg, salt, pepper, parsley, and poultry seasoning.

Mix to create a uniform mixture, then divide into 4 equal portions.

Step 2: Form the Patties

Form each portion into a turkey patty. Cut cold butter into 1/2 tablespoon slices and press into each turkey burger patty.

Form the meat evenly around the butter and preheat your griddle pan or outdoor grill. This is the griddle pan I have; its great!

Step 3: Cook Your Turkey Burgers

Cook about 4 minutes per side, until browned, and internal temperature registers 165 degrees. Do not cut into your turkey burgers to see if they’re fully cooked! You will lose all the butter and end up with a drier burger.

Step 4: Serve!

Add your turkey burger to a soft sesame (or potato) bun with all the goodies and condiments you’d like and snarf it down. My favorite toppings are all the ‘classic’ ones you’d find at any burger joint: lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, ketchup, and mustard. Oh, and American cheese! There is a time and place for American cheese and this is it.

1-2 bites in and you’ll have a few drips. I tried to get a picture of it on my hand, but it was pretty hard holding a burger in one hand, my camera in the other AND trying to prevent other children from picking up and throwing the other 3 burgers I prepared. But you get the idea. They are juicy.

How to Keep Turkey Burgers Juicy

In the directions above I laid the recipe out pretty thoroughly, but there are a few steps I wanted to highlight to ensure you don’t skip them!

• Add milk to the turkey burger mixture. This not only helps keep the meat moist but also tender!
• Fill each burger with butter. This is a little extra insurance to keep things extra moist and juicy inside, even if you overcook. As long as you don’t cut into the burger to check whether it’s done or not, the butter should stay intact and keep everything perfect!
• Do not overcook. Turkey burgers are notoriously dry, and a big part of this has to do with overcooking. Use a meat thermometer to check your burgers. Once they hit 165 degrees internally, pull them off the heat.
• Serve them hot. I mean, the term hot & juicy go hand in hand for a reason.

A Note about Ground Turkey

So, in my experience living coast to coast, I’ve come to realize the differences in ground turkey meat you can find at the grocery store. Some of it is more moist, some of it is more dry. (In my photos, you’ll notice my formed burgers look perfectly normal because I used the super lean meat.) Typically the leaner the turkey, the ‘drier’ it is. So, for ease, use a leaner ground turkey.

If you make this recipe and you happen to have some of that wet turkey meat, try decreasing the milk. If the mixture for the turkey burgers is still a little too sticky, do your best to form the burgers and then give them a quick freeze, especially if you’re wanting to grill these outdoors. Turkey burgers are easier to cook on an indoor griddle when they are sticky.

What to Serve with Turkey Burgers

Like any other burger recipe, there are side dish staples to serve with it. I’ve picked out a few of my own recipes that you can make alongside this juicy and tasty recipe.

• Pommes Frites – This is a homemade french fries recipe, YUM! The perfect side to any burger recipe.
• Simple Macaroni Salad Recipe – This is a super simple recipe that can be found at any BBQ event.
• Homemade Kettle Chips with Onion Dill Dip – Get that perfect crunch with these homemade chips!
• Salted Caramel Rice Krispie Treats – After you finish your meal, try these super tasty rice Krispie treats!

Grilling Turkey Burgers

The taste of a grilled burger is like no other, plus those amazing grill marks. Insert all the puffy heart eye emojis!

Grill on medium-high heat until the internal temperature is 165 degrees. If you don’t think your patties are firm enough, throw them in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. Then proceed to grill.

Can I Make the Patties Ahead of Time?

You sure can! The great thing about this turkey burger recipe is that it can be made ahead of time. Follow the directions as followed until the middle of step 4.

1. Into a large bowl, add in lean ground turkey, milk, egg, salt, pepper, parsley, and poultry seasoning.
2. Mix to create a uniform mixture, then divide into 4 equal patties.
3. Cut cold butter into 1/2 tablespoon slices and press into each turkey burger patty.
4. Form the meat evenly around the butter.

Now stack them up with parchment paper in-between each patty and refrigerate. These can be made a day or two ahead of time.

Like this Turkey Burger Recipe? Try these others:

• Cheddar Ranch Turkey Burgers
• Girls Night Turkey Burgers
• Southwest Turkey Burgers
• Greek Turkey Burgers
• Classic Homemade Burgers

Crack out your griddle and enjoy 🙂

Printable recipe card is below along with a super helpful video!

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4.91 from 110 votes

The Juiciest Turkey Burgers

This turkey burger recipe will be the juiciest and most delicious burger you ever did make. One secret ingredient takes these burgers over the top! These turkey burgers are simple, flavorful and of course super moist! 

servings 4 burgers

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 8 mins

Total Time 18 mins

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 lb lean ground turkey 93/7
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ salt & pepper to taste
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• ▢ 1 tablespoon cold milk
• ▢ 2 tablespoons cold butter
• ▢ 4 slices American cheese
• ▢ any other burger toppings: pickles, lettuce, tomato, onion, etc as desired
• ▢ 4 soft sesame burger buns

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Place turkey into a large bowl with egg, salt, pepper, parsley, poultry seasoning and milk. Stir to combine. {Mixture may seem a little wet, but once it starts cooking, the egg will help hold it’s shape together.}
• Preheat indoor griddle to medium-medium high heat.
• Divide meat into 4 even patties. Cut butter into skinny half tablespoon pats. Press butter into the center of each patty forming the meat around it.
• Spray griddle pan with nonstick cooking spray and place each burger down onto the griddle. Cook about 4 minutes per side or until browned and completely cooked. Feel free to melt cheese on top of each burger. {Place cheese onto cooked side of the burger and cover with a large pot lid or foil for 1 minute to melt cheese.}
• Remove burgers and place onto buns. Top with any desired toppings and condiments and serve.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 434kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 161mg | Sodium: 709mg | Potassium: 338mg | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 515IU | Vitamin C: 0.6mg | Calcium: 327mg | Iron: 3.1mg

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: juicy turkey burger, turkey burger, turkey burger recipe, turkey burgers