The Best Easy Turkey Burgers
Posted: 04/14/2011
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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
Table of Contents
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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.
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!
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 Caprese turkey burgers with fresh mozzarella, tomato, and basil.
See what I mean? Homemade turkey burgers are just so much more fun and better tasting.
Cooking Tip
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.
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.
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.
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!
burgers
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.
Rachel says
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.
Nutmeg Nanny says
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….
Christina says
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. :)
Autumn@Good Eats Girl says
I love turkey burgers!! These sound awesome! I've never thought to put one on a salad though! I love it!!
Lisa (bakebikeblog) says
I would never think to use a burger as a salad topper! What a great idea :)