Ground Turkey Burger Recipes

Do you prefer turkey burgers over hamburgers made from ground beef?

I do!

Grilled Turkey Burgers Photo Courtesy Flickr: Sporkist

Since my friend, Beth, introduced me to them a few years back, I usually opt for Costco's frozen ready-to-cook turkey burgers. They're quick, easy and everyone here likes them.

But sometimes it can be fun to make homemade turkey burgers from ground turkey so you can season them the way you want. (You make them just like you make homemade hamburgers, except that because you are working with poultry, they must be cooked thoroughly.)

It's fun to experiment by adding flavors more often associated with poultry - such as cranberry sauce, mango chutney, honey mustard, or barbecue sauce (affiliate link) or teriyaki sauce. (I've rounded up a great collection of easy, healthy tasty recipes from around the Web at the end o this post.)

Of course, you can grill your turkey burgers but I prefer to cook them in a Large Cast Iron Skillet or on a Cast-Iron Grill/Griddle on the stove.

Turkey Burger

There are a few things to keep in mind when making homemade turkey burgers.

Secrets to great homemade turkey burgers…

• Choose fresh high quality ground turkey.
• Mix a little salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning into the ground turkey meat before you form it into patties.
• Work gently and lightly with the ground turkey or it can become tough.
• Make the patties a little larger than you want since they will shrink as they cook.
• Make a ¼-inch indentation in the center of your ground turkey patty to prevent it from puffing up in the middle while cooking.
• Have all your condiments and toppings ready before beginning to cook your turkey burgers.
• Toast or warm your buns for best flavor.

Basic Turkey Burger Recipe

1 ¼ pounds ground turkey (85 to 95% lean)
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning (optional)
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 light wheat hamburger buns
Desired toppings and condiments

In a large bowl gently mix the ground turkey, salt poultry seasoning, and pepper together.  Divide the ground turkey meat into 4 equal portions.  With your hands, gently and lightly shape each portion into a ¾ to 1-inch thick round patty. Press the center of each turkey burger down in the center to create a ¼-inch deep indentation.  This will help prevent your turkey burgers from bulging in the middle as they cook.

Rub oil around a Cast-Iron Grill/Griddle or a 12-Inch Pre-Seasoned Skillet placed on the stove over medium heat.  When the oil is glistening and pan is hot, place the burgers into the pan indentation side up.  Cook until the burgers are browned on the bottom, about 4 minutes.

Flip the burgers over with a sturdy spatula and continue to cook 4 more minutes then turn the heat to low and partially cover the pan. Continue to cook until the turkey burgers are completely cooked (160 degrees on an Instant Read Thermometer), about 6 more minutes.

Place the turkey burgers on the hamburger buns and top with desired condiments.

Makes 4 homemade turkey burgers

Nutritional Estimates Per Serving (1 burger and bun): 271 calories, 11.1 g fat, 17 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 31.6 g protein and 7 WW PointsPlus value.

*PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT Weight Watchers Zero Points fruits and vegetables using the WW Recipe Builder.

Turkey Burger Recipe Variation:

Cheesy Turkey burgers - Stir ¾ to 1 cup of your favorite shredded or crumbled cheese into your ground turkey with the salt, poultry seasoning, and pepper before proceeding with the directions above.

Once you know how to make a basic turkey burger, it can be fun to experiment with different additions and flavor combinations. If you are interested in fancier turkey burgers here are some wonderful turkey burger recipes from some of my favorite sources.

Ten Tasty Turkey Burger Recipes from around the Web

• Eating Well's Asian Turkey Burgers seasoned with scallions, water chestnuts and hoisin
• Ellie Krieger's Stuffed Turkey Burger filled with chopped roasted peppers and shredded mozzarella
• Favorite Turkey Burger from Everyday Food seasoned with bread crumbs, gruyere cheese, mustard, garlic, and scallions
• Healthy Mushroom Turkey Burgers from Prevention Magazine
• Mediterranean Turkey Burgers from Cooking Light enhanced with panko crumbs, red onion, and pesto
• Oprah's Favorite Mar-a-Lago Turkey Burger with mango chutney, celery, and chopped apples
• Seasoned Turkey Burgers from Allrecipes that uses onion soup mix and soy sauce
• Southwestern Turkey Burgers at Epicurious flavored with scallions, cilantro, cumin and chipotle chile
• Spicy Grilled Turkey Burgers from Simply Recipes kicked up with hot pepper sauce, worcestershire sauce, and chives
• Turkey Burgers with Grated Zucchini and Carrot from Real Simple

Sources:
The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, Heavy-Duty Revised Edition

Betty Crocker Cookbook: Everything You Need to Know to Cook Today, New Tenth Edition

What to Serve with Your Turkey Burgers?

• Fresh Corn on the Cob
• Old Fashioned Potato Salad Recipe
• Simple Shredded Romaine & Dill Salad