Even though the classic hamburger is made from beef, burgers with other ground meat are pretty common. Today you can easily eat chicken burgers, fish burgers, and even turkey burgers. Many people also believe these meat variations are healthier than beef burgers.
Turkey burgers are often considered healthier than beef burgers. Beef patties are often very high in fat, whereas turkey patties are leaner. Like beef burgers, turkey burgers also taste delicious and have a similar texture. You can easily prepare a turkey burger at home if you like making your food. You will require standard burger ingredients such as buns, preferred sauces, and sliced veggies. To make the patty, you will need ground turkey meat with seasoning and spices.
Making your burgers is an excellent choice because you can easily avoid low-quality meat. You can also completely control the ingredients you add to your burger, thus making it healthier. Turkey meat is also an excellent source of protein and minerals. Turkey burgers are an excellent choice for those who prefer white meat over red meat.
The Best Turkey Burger Recipe
Let’s look at this quick and easy turkey burger recipe below.
Simple Turkey Burger
To make these simple turkey burgers, you will require the following ingredients:
Ground turkey that is 80-90% lean, salt, pepper, Italian herb mix, onion powder, garlic powder, an egg, panko breadcrumbs, diced onion, mayonnaise, sriracha, honey, sliced tomato, onions, and lettuce.
Steps
- Place the ground turkey in a large mixing bowl and add all the patty ingredients. This includes the salt, pepper, Italian herb mix, onion powder, diced onion, egg, and breadcrumbs. Knead the mixture with your hands with clean hands until well mixed.
- Divide the mixture into equal parts and gently form into patties. Once the patties are made, take your thumb and add a little dent on top of the patty. This will prevent the patty from shrinking when on the grill.
- Put the patties in the fridge and let them sit for 30 minutes. This will prevent the patties from breaking when on the grill.
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Once the oven is nice and hot, place the patties on the grill and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side. Make it a point to check the internal temperature of the turkey patties with a meat thermometer. The temperature should read 165 degrees F.
- If you want to add cheese to the patty, add the cheese slice for 1 minute before removing the burgers. This will ensure the cheese has melted nicely.
- Take your burger buns and slice them in half. Using potato buns for this recipe is a great idea. Potato buns are light and easy to digest. They also taste delicious.
- Toast the buns in the oven once the patties are done. Make sure they are nicely warmed up.
- To prepare the burger sauce, mix the mayonnaise and sriracha. You can also add a little bit of honey to make the sauce interesting.
- Lather the sauce on both sides of the bun. Place the lettuce leaf on the lower bun. Place the turkey patty over it and top with sliced onions and tomatoes. Cover the top half of the bun and enjoy the burgers while warm.
Techniques to Cook the Ground Turkey Patties
- Try using ground turkey that is 90% lean or less. Using leaner turkey than this might cause your patties to break apart.
- You can cook the turkey patties in the method you prefer. This can include frying patties on the skillet, grilling on the grill, baking in the oven, or frying in the air fryer.
- If frying on the skillet, make sure the skillet is nice and hot. Pour some oil in it and cook the patties until done. Turn the patties over at least once.
- If grilling the turkey patties, lightly oil your grill and preheat it. Place the patties on the grill and cook the patties for 10 minutes on each side.
- If baking the patties in the oven, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place the patties on the baking sheet for a minimum of 15 minutes.
- If air frying the turkey patties, preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees F. Air fry the patties for 15 minutes, and remember to flip them halfway through.
Choice of Topping
When making your burger at home, you can always experiment with the choice of toppings. You can use common toppings like lettuce leaves, sliced onions, and tomatoes. If you love cheese, feel free to add that too! If you want your burger to have a kick topping with pickles and jalapeno’s is also a good idea. If you want a Mexican-inspired burger, add a topping of guacamole or salsa. If you want to go for a breakfast-dinner vibe, feel free to add an egg to the patty.
You can experiment with the burgers and create a combination you like. You can use standard toppings such as sliced onions and tomatoes or create unique toppings like an egg, guacamole, or salsa. You can also add pickles, sauerkraut, or green leafy vegetables. Also, experiment with sauces and create a concoction you like.
Adding the diced onions to the ground turkey will elevate the flavor of the meat. You can further moisten up the turkey patty by adding a bit of mayonnaise and mustard to it.
Our Final Thoughts
Turkey burgers are wholesome and delicious. They have great flavor and low-calorie content. Turkey is also lower in saturated fat hence a healthier alternative to beef. If you like preparing your food, turkey burgers are a great option. You can easily prepare this turkey burger recipe at home for yourself and your family. The key to preparing it is to keep the patty moist and be creative with the condiments.