When summer comes around, the grill is king! Some of our other popular outdoor cooking recipes are our Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends, Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs, and Blackened Salmon Tacos. Of course we have a serious love of classic beef hamburgers around here, but sometimes we opt for these satisfyingly moist turkey burgers for a change of pace and to keep things on the lighter side. Turkey burgers sometimes get a bad rap, but they can be super mouthwatering when done right! We are amping up the flavor of these juicy turkey burgers with some delicious seasoning, grilling them to perfection so they aren’t dry, and mixing in a secret ingredients to hold the patties together on the grill to make sure they stay nice and moist.
Turkey burger ingredients
Lean ground turkey: Look for ground turkey with a fat percentage around 93/7 or 85/15. The higher the fat percentage, the juicier the burgers will be. But since we are typically opting for turkey burgers from a perspective of making healthy choices, we usually go for 93/7. Mayo: This is my secret ingredient to help bind the patties together and keep them extra moist, tender, and juicy. I got the idea from Southern Living and it works so well that I don’t think I will ever got back to using an egg as a binder for turkey burgers. Mayo is essentially just eggs emulsified with oil and a little salt anyway, so it makes perfect sense to make to use it as a binding agent. Bread crumbs: Ground turkey is softer and less sturdy than ground beef. Bread crumbs help the turkey burger hold up on the grill more. Garlic: I think fresh garlic gives the best flavor for turkey burgers, but you could use ½ teaspoon of garlic powder if you don’t have fresh on hand. Kosher salt Black pepper Onion powder: Unlike garlic where I prefer it fresh for turkey burgers, I find onion powder is better it mixes in better with the meat. If you want to use fresh, I recommend grating ¼ of a medium onion. Cumin: Just a pinch. This is a strong spice and a little goes a long way. BBQ sauce: Just a bit to help flavor the meat before it goes on the grill. You can brush on more after flipping the burgers if you like.
How to make turkey burgers
Homemade turkey burgers are super easy to make. But keep in mind that the longer the meat is out of the fridge, the warmer it will get. Ground turkey gets hard to work with when it is not cold, so have things prepared before pulling the meat out to make the patties.
How long to cook turkey burgers
If you are wondering how long to grill turkey burgers, it’s usually just slightly longer than when you are grilling regular beef burgers. Turkey burgers take about 5-6 minutes per side on the grill for a total of 10-12 minutes. If you can’t grill the burgers for some reason (I swear we run out of gas in our gas grill once a summer and are never prepared for it), you can always fry them in a cast iron skillet with a little oil over medium heat for 6-8 minutes per side. Serve these moist turkey burgers with your favorite buns and all the toppings so guests can assemble their own perfect burger and you’ve got a party! And if you love ground turkey, be sure to check out these Asian Lettuce Wraps that can be made with ground turkey or ground chicken, or these Turkey Stuffed Bell Peppers.
Best turkey burger toppings
mayo or homemade aioli bbq sauce ketchup mustard sliced onion (I think red onion is best on turkey burgers) cheese (especially cheddar, montery jack, or pepper jack) green leaf lettuce pickles sliced avocado sauteed mushrooms cilantro leaves crispy bacon bacon jam
Make ahead and freezing instructions
You can make the turkey burgers ahead of time if you are planning a party and want to have these ready before guests arrive so all you have to do is heat up the grill and cook the burgers. They can be shaped into patties and refrigerated for 24 hours. Or you can even transfer the turkey burgers to the freezer and freeze them in a single layer, then stack with wax paper between them and store in the freezer in a freezer-safe bag until ready to use. They can even be grilled straight from frozen without thawing, although you will need to cook them slightly longer.
What to serve with turkey burgers?
Deviled Egg Potato Salad Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries Best Baked Beans Classic Macaroni Salad Raspberry Pretzel Salad Homemade French Fries Creamy Grape Salad Cottage Cheese Jello Salad Summer Fruit Salad Grilled Peaches with Ice Cream
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