Mozzarella Stuffed Turkey Burger with Tomato and Basil

This mozzarella stuffed turkey burger has all the summer flavors of caprese but in a juicy and healthy turkey burger!

I don’t want to bring attention to this right away because it’s probably all you’ll see, but I can’t stop thinking about how the two pieces of mozzarella on the top of this burger look like two teeth. Granted, teeth that need dental work, but teeth nonetheless. Am I the only one seeing this?

About this mozzarella stuffed turkey burger

Anyways, if we can move beyond the teeth-like cheese, we can talk about MORE cheese. The cheese inside the burger. That’s right – I stuffed one of those lovely pieces of fresh mozzarella inside the burger before cooking it.

Fresh mozzarella is one of my favorite types of cheese and it’s such a fun surprise to bite into the burger to find the ooey gooey cheese. Also why I left the cheese on top unmelted. I wanted to showcase all of the equally delicious ways to eat the mozzarella.

And of course, what is summer without the flavors of caprese? I’ve made more lunches than I can count with just a handful of tomatoes, some fresh mozzarella, and basil from my garden. Who needs anything more in the summer?  Try Caprese Pasta Salad or this hot Caprese Dip Recipe. 

Well, okay, my husband probably wouldn’t be happy with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil as a meal. Enter, these turkey burgers.

Tips:

• Only mix the meat mixture enough to combine all the ingredients. Over-mixing will create a tough burger.
• Make sure that the burger is formed completely around the mozzarella so that it doesn’t leak out when it melts.
• I usually broil these because they are a little fragile. If you want to grill them, be careful! You might want to do them on foil or a grill pan. If you put these on normal grill grates, they’re likely to break up and fall through.
• I toast my bun on a griddle with a bit of olive oil for a nice crispy surface.

More summer-worthy sandwiches

• Turkey Taco Burgers
• The Best Meatball Subs
• Egg Salad Recipe
• Dill Chicken Salad — serve on a croissant or lettuce leaves.
• Pizza Turkey Burgers
• Easy Sloppy Joes with FIVE ingredients!
• Chicken Burgers with Bacon, Leeks, and Gouda

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe

Get the Recipe: Mozzarella Stuffed Turkey Burger with Tomato and Basil

5 from 1 vote

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 25 mins

4 burgers

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This mozzarella stuffed turkey burger has all the summer flavors of caprese but in a juicy and healthy turkey burger!

Ingredients

• ▢ 20 ounces ground turkey (I use 93/7 for burgers)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil plus about 8 additional leaves for topping
• ▢ 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• ▢ 1 large egg, beaten
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• ▢ 1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• ▢ 1/2 of a small yellow onion
• ▢ 1 clove garlic
• ▢ 4 fresh mozzarella medallions (liquid dried off), plus more for topping if desired
• ▢ whole grain buns for serving
• ▢ sliced tomato for topping
• ▢ optional: 4 tablespoons pesto, to spread on buns

Instructions

• To a large bowl, add ground turkey, basil, panko, egg, salt, pepper, vinegar, and parsley. Grate the onion and garlic over the bowl to catch all the juice. Mix everything together using your hands until it is combined. Do not overmix.
• Divide meat mixture into four portions. Form one portion into a patty around a piece of mozzarella, making sure that cheese is completely encased by meat. Repeat process for the remaining meat, forming 4 patties total.
• Place on a sheet pan lined with foil and broil on high (about 4-5 inches from the heat) for about 6-8 minutes (or until golden brown), flip over, cook for another 4-6  minutes or until burgers are cooked through to 165°F.
• Add to buns, top with tomato and fresh basil, more mozzarella if you want, and pesto if you want and serve immediately.

Notes

• If desired, you could skip the cheese stuffing and make plain turkey burgers, with toppings.
• I would recommend broiling rather than grilling because the burgers are rather soft and may fall through the grates.
• Nutrition information includes bun.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1burger, Calories: 679kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 49g, Fat: 41g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 25g, Cholesterol: 219mg, Sodium: 881mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Author: Rachel Gurk

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