The BEST turkey burgers that are moist, juicy and loaded with flavor. Only 5 simple ingredients and 20 minutes to prepare make these patties an easy weeknight dinner!
Looking for more ground turkey recipes? You’ll also love my turkey meatloaf recipe, egg roll in a bowl and turkey meatballs.
Table of Contents
Easy Simple Turkey Burger Recipe
These easy turkey burgers are a popular choice for those seeking a healthier alternative to traditional beef burgers during grilling season. Made from ground turkey meat, seasoned perfectly and topped with condiments, they offer a leaner protein option with less fat and fewer calories just like my healthy turkey chili!
I adapted these from my hamburger recipe and they are moist, juicy and full of flavor. They’re a bit lighter for when you aren’t in the mood for red meat. Serve on a hamburger bun or keep it low carb and make a lettuce wrap burger instead.
Recipe Ingredients
- Ground turkey: I like to use 80% lean, 20% fat ground turkey. It doesn’t dry out like the 99% lean ground turkey does and the little bit of fat also helps to bind the burgers together.
- BBQ sauce. I love my homemade version but any BBQ sauce will add flavor to the meat.
- Seasonings: Salt, pepper and garlic powder. Super simple!
Seasoning Variations
- Swap the BBQ sauce for steak sauce or teriyaki sauce
- Season burgers with this easy homemade hamburger seasoning. I always love to have a batch in my pantry!
- Other popular seasonings to add include oregano, onion powder or Italian seasoning.
- Instead of BBQ sauce, some people prefer to use 1 egg with 1/4 cup breadcrumbs to bind their patties together. I find that BBQ sauce works just as well and adds a little more flavor.
How to Make Turkey Burgers
- Combine the ground turkey, BBQ sauce, salt, garlic powder and pepper in a medium-sized bowl. Mix just until combined with your hands.
- Shape into 4 patties about 3/4-inch thick. Make a well in your patties with your thumb to prevent from bulging.
- Place patties on the grill over medium-high heat and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and then cook an additional 4-5 minutes, or until juices run clear and burgers have reached 180°F.
- Serve on buns or lettuce wraps with your favorite toppings.
Tips for the Best Turkey Burgers
- Don’t overmix. Be careful not to over mix or else the meat won’t be as tender. Mix everything together just until combined.
- Thumbprint in center. Make a thumbprint in the middle of your patties to prevent the burgers from bulging.
- Sticking to grill. To avoid sticking, make sure to clean and oil your grill plates.
- Flipping. Don’t move the burgers until 4 to 5 minutes have passed. You want them to solidify and get a good char on the bottom prior to flipping.
- Meat thermometer. Use a meat thermometer to easily know when they are done. They are ready when the interior has reached 180°F and the juices run clear.
- No grill, no problem: Follow the directions for my baked hamburger recipe and bake in oven!
Making Patties Ahead of Time
You can easily prepare the patties in advance to save yourself the extra work at dinner time. Form them as directed, then place on a plate or in a pan and cover with plastic wrap. Then store in the fridge until ready to grill. If you have multiple layers of patties, I’d recommend using parchment paper in between each layer so that they don’t stick together.
Favorite Toppings
Make the burger your own by adding on all of your favorite toppings. Keep it classic with lettuce, tomato, pickles and melted cheese. Or make it gourmet by adding a fried egg, bacon and some caramelized onions.
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- Sliced avocado
- Onion
- Cheese
- Pickles
- Ketchup
- Mayo
- Mustard
- Burger sauce
- Bacon
What to Serve with Turkey Burgers
- Potatoes. In my opinion, potatoes are meant to be served with burgers. Whether it’s these homemade french fries, healthy sweet potato fries, loaded potato salad or even a simple baked potato, each option is bound to be a home run.
- Other veggies. The grill is already fired up, so why not use it to make grilled corn on the cob, vegetable skewers, grilled asparagus or grilled vegetables.
- Fruit. Nothing screams summer liked fresh sliced watermelon or a berry fruit salad.
- Salads. I like this easy cucumber tomato salad, Italian dressing pasta salad or this fresh Mediterranean quinoa salad. I often make my favorite Caprese salad.
FAQs
It really depends on the percentage of fat in the ground meat you are using! If you are using 93% lean ground beef in your burgers, you may not notice much difference between the calories and fat of the two burgers when comparing them. The biggest factor to consider is the saturated fat and ground turkey does contain less saturated fat which is considered more heart-healthy friendly.
I prefer to use 80/20 ground turkey, although 85/15 is also a great choice for the best flavor. You could use 93% ground turkey and still have great flavor. While 99% ground turkey will be your most lean ground meat, it does tend to be dry and have not as much flavor.
While most recipes will use breadcrumbs, I do not! I feel the BBQ sauce holds them together without the need for any other binders. If your turkey burgers are falling apart, you could add some breadcrumbs, almond flour or an egg. Try chilling them for 30 minutes before grilling.
Season well! I love to use BBQ sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper. You could also add additional seasoning like smoked paprika, onion powder or even liquid smoke!
Looking for more burger recipes for the summer? Try a classic cheeseburger, Italian burgers or teriyaki burger.
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Turkey Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds ground turkey , 80% lean and 20% fat
- 2 Tablespoons BBQ sauce , or steak sauce
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Optional toppings: ketchup, mayo, mustard, thousand island, cheese, bacon, lettuce leaves, tomato slices, sliced onion, pickles
For serving: hamburger buns or lettuce wraps
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to medium-high.
- Combine the ground turkey, BBQ sauce, salt, garlic powder and pepper in a medium-sized bowl. Mix just until combined with your hands and shape into 4 patties about 3/4-inch thick. Make a well in your patties with your thumb to prevent from bulging.
- Place patties on the grill and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and then cook an additional 4-5 minutes, or until juices run clear and burgers have reached 180°F. Top with cheese slices, if desired. Grill until cheese has melted and turn off the heat.
- Serve on buns or lettuce wraps with your favorite toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: 30 Minute Meals, 30 Minute Meals, 4th of July, 5 Ingredients Or Less, American, Dairy-Free, Dinner, Grilling, Grilling, Sandwiches
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
These burgers are so juicy! I follow the recipe exactly and cook it 5-6 minutes on each side. Sooo Sooo good! Thank you for the recipe! We make these all the time
Yay, so happy to hear you loved them! Thanks for your comment and review, Margaret :)
Just tried this recipe and my family loved it. Thank you so much!
These turkey burgers were great! Easy to make, and delicious!
This is such a mouth watering recipe…i also loved turkey burgers..this looks soo yummy & sound soo delicious..Thanks For sharing…!
Love turkey burgers. They are so delicious
I love the idea of turkey meat instead of red meat for this burger! Thanks for the great healthy inspiration!
I know what I will be having for dinner tonight; this looks amazing! Looking forward to enjoying this!
These turkey burgers were AMAZING!! Seriously so good! Thanks for sharing!
We make turkey burgers weekly in the summer so I am so exited for this recipe! It’s definitely a keeper!