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Home Recipes by Type Sandwiches, Burgers & Wraps
30 30 Minutes or Less GF Gluten-Free DF Dairy-Free

The Best Easy Turkey Burgers

5
/5
25 mins
6 Comments
Jump to Recipe Video
By: Rachel GurkPosted: 04/14/2011Updated: 07/25/2022

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Close up of a seasoned turkey burger on a whole wheat bun with lettuce and tomatoes. Text overlay reads "the best easy turkey burger"
Close up of a seasoned turkey burger on a whole wheat bun with lettuce and tomatoes. Text overlay reads "the best easy turkey burger"
Close up of a seasoned turkey burger on a whole wheat bun with lettuce and tomatoes. Text overlay reads "the best easy turkey burger"
Close up of a seasoned turkey burger on a whole wheat bun with lettuce and tomatoes. Text overlay reads "the best easy turkey burger"

Delicious homemade turkey burgers, with seasoning and rolled oats, are so much tastier than pre-made turkey burgers. Perfect on a bun or even cut up on a salad.

Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: These burgers are flavorful and healthy!

How long it takes: 25 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: mixing bowl, grater (opt.), broiler or grill
Servings: 4

Turkey burger with all the fixings, on a plate with chips.
Table of Contents
open
  • 1 Recipe Overview
  • 2 About these turkey burgers
  • 3 FAQs
  • 4 Make-Ahead Ideas
  • 5 Reheating
  • 6 More burgers and Sandwiches
  • 7 Get the Recipe: Turkey Burgers

If the only turkey burgers you’ve ever had are the pre-formed frozen patties, you’re in for a treat! Homemade turkey burgers are way, way better! Much more flavorful and tender, with healthy rolled oats and egg mixed into the meat, there’s really no comparison. 

Eat your turkey burger like a normal burger, on a bun with your favorite toppings, or eat it plain. It’s almost like a mini meatloaf. Try your burger with a little barbecue sauce on top, or sautéed onions and mushrooms and a slice of melted Swiss cheese.

I like to cut it up and put it on a salad with Thousand Island dressing. It’s my “special sauce” for burgers and it makes a tasty salad dressing, too. Never had a burger salad? It may sound a little weird but it’s actually really good. 

Burger on a plate with chips.

About these turkey burgers

You may be thinking, Why go to the trouble of making your own burgers when you can just buy frozen turkey patties?

Better flavor and texture is the answer! While I admit you can’t beat the convenience, frozen turkey burgers are rather flavorless and can be pretty dry. When you add an egg, oats, grated onion, and seasoning, the turkey burger is juicy, tender, and so tasty!

Small glass bowls of ingredients including oats, egg, ground turkey, and spices.

If you’ve made meatloaf, the mixture for these burgers is kind of similar. I also love that you can add whatever flourishes you like. In the mood for Italian? Make pizza turkey burgers. How about Mexican? Make taco turkey burgers. Want to get fancy? Try mozzarella, tomato and basil stuffed turkey burgers. 

See what I mean? Homemade turkey burgers are just so much more fun and better tasting.

Just a note about the onion. I add half a medium sized onion to the mixture. Hubby doesn’t care for onion “chunks” so I grate the onion. Grating gives you a very fine mince without a lot of work. Grating onion also results in a little juice. Add that to the burgers, too, for more juicy flavor. 

Ingredients to make burgers with ground turkey in a bowl, not yet mixed.

Hey, now you have half an onion left over. Why not slice it and sauté it in a little butter to top your burger or salad? Yum!

Turkey burgers can be broiled in your oven on a foil covered sheet pan, or grilled. The mixture can be a little soft so make sure the grill grates are oiled and you don’t try to flip them too soon. I actually prefer doing them in the oven.

Try them with air fryer French fries or homemade air fryer tater tots. Don’t forget the French fry dipping sauce (it’s tasty on the turkey burgers, too). A salad is always a good choice. Creamy potato salad or healthy coleslaw (with yogurt dressing) are classic favorites. Having a picnic? Crockpot baked beans are a must!

FAQs

Is a turkey burger healthier than a hamburger?

Both burgers add protein and other nutrients to your diet. Turkey burgers are lower in saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories than beef burgers. If you prefer beef burgers, try air fryer burgers. It’s easier and healthier than frying them in a skillet.

How long should you cook turkey burgers?

Like all poultry, turkey burgers should be thoroughly cooked. Use an instant read thermometer to make sure the internal temperature of the burgers reach 165°F.

How do you keep turkey burgers from falling apart?

A few tips: Use 80/20 ground turkey or dark meat ground turkey. A little fat helps with burgers! Press the burger mix together firmly. Make sure the burger is well-browned on the first side before you try to flip it.

Close up of a turkey burger on a bun with lettuce and tomato.

Make-Ahead Ideas

If you want to, make the patties ahead a day ahead and refrigerate or freeze them. They’ll be ready to cook up when you’re ready to eat. Or cook them up and freeze them.

Reheating

Raw burgers: Cook as directed. Frozen raw burgers: Cook as directed, adding a few minutes to the cooking time.

Cooked burgers: Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet on the stove. Frozen cooked burgers: For best results, thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet until heated through.

Burger on a bun on a plate, more in background.

More burgers and Sandwiches

There’s more than one way to fill a bun. Try:

  • Instant Pot Pulled Pork
  • Black Bean Burgers — a delicious vegetarian burger!
  • Slow Cooker Barbecue Pulled Chicken with Cranberry Sherry BBQ Sauce
  • Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Plum Bourbon Barbecue Sauce
  • Mango Bourbon Pulled Pork (Slow Cooker!)
  • Slow Cooker Pork Tacos (this is good on a bun as well as a tortilla)
  • Turkey Sliders  (Rachel Sandwich Sliders)
  • Best Ham and Cheese Sliders Recipe
  • Pizza Sliders Recipe (Pepperoni Pizza)

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

Close up of a seasoned turkey burger on a whole wheat bun with lettuce and tomatoes.
Recipe

Get the Recipe: Turkey Burgers

5 from 2 votes
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 25 mins
4 burgers
Print Rate Recipe
Prevent your screen from going dark
Delicious homemade turkey burgers, with seasoning and rolled oats, are so much tastier than pre-made turkey burgers. Perfect on a bun or cut up on a salad.

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ pounds ground turkey
  • ½ medium yellow onion
  • ¼ cup rolled oats
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried parsley (if using fresh, double the amount)
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven broiler with rack in top third of oven. Line a sheet pan with foil for easy cleanup. If you're grilling the burgers, preheat and grease grill.
  • Grate the onion over a large bowl, catching all the juices, or finely mince the onion if you prefer.
  • Add the rest of the ingredients, mixing well. (Use your hands but don't over-mix).
  • Shape into patties about ½ inch thick (make them slightly thinner in the middle). If grilling, spray each side lightly with nonstick spray.
  • Broil on high for 6-7 minutes, flip, and continue broiling 4-6 more minutes or until burgers are done. Internal temperature should be 165°F when instant read thermometer is inserted into the center of the burger. If you're grilling the burgers, don't flip the burgers until they are firm and release easily. They tend to break apart easily.
  • Broiling/grilling time will vary depending on how thick the burgers are made and how hot your grill is.

Notes

  • Make-Ahead Idea: Patties can be made a day ahead; refrigerate or freeze them. They’ll be ready to cook up when you’re ready to eat. Or cook them up and freeze them.
  • Reheating:
    • Raw burgers: Cook as directed. Frozen raw burgers: Cook as directed, adding a few minutes to the cooking time.
    • Cooked burgers: Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet on the stove. Frozen cooked burgers: For best results, thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet until heated through.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1burger, Calories: 200kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 36g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 119mg, Sodium: 89mg, Potassium: 478mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 125IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 19mg, Iron: 2mg

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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  1. Rachel says

    April 17, 2011 at 10:02 pm

    Nutmeg Nanny- It is so funny that you wrote that on this post (thank you, btw, you are too nice!). I talked to my mom on the phone yesterday and she called the picture of the turkey burger salad "ugly." Thanks a lot mom. Aren't moms always supposed to lie and say everything is beautiful?

    I've done feta in my turkey burgers too! So good.

    Reply
  2. Nutmeg Nanny says

    April 16, 2011 at 3:42 am

    I love turkey burgers! So delicious :) Sometimes I throw feta into the meat before I make the patties. Changes it up a bit. BTW I think your pictures look really great. You should see my pictures when I first started….

    Reply
  3. Christina says

    April 16, 2011 at 2:55 am

    I really like turkey burgers, sometimes more so than beef burgers. I've got a really good recipe for turkey burgers somewhere, I've gotta find it to make it again!

    BTW, love that you used your burger in a salad! That's genius. :)

    Reply
  4. Autumn@Good Eats Girl says

    April 15, 2011 at 12:41 am

    I love turkey burgers!! These sound awesome! I've never thought to put one on a salad though! I love it!!

    Reply
  5. Lisa (bakebikeblog) says

    April 14, 2011 at 11:01 pm

    I would never think to use a burger as a salad topper! What a great idea :)

    Reply

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