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Today I want to share the two secret ingredients for creating the juiciest turkey burgers ever. Unlike ground beef, ground turkey is typically low in fat and requires more time to be fully cooked through. If you cook a turkey burger the way you’d cook a beef burger, the patty will turn out dry and tough.
You can solve this problem with two simple ingredients – onion and panko breadcrumbs. That’s it.
To make the burger patties, simply blend in these two ingredients after seasoning the meat with salt and pepper. Be careful not to stir the ground meat too much, as doing so will toughen the texture. Instead, gently stir a few times to combine the ingredients and you’re ready to shape some burgers.
With the ingredient quantities listed in this recipe, you can make three to four burgers, depending on how thick you prefer your burger patties. In the photos, I made three very thick burger patties, each about 1 inch thick. If you want to make regular sized patties, say, about half an inch thick and slightly bigger in diameter, you can make four.
A moist burger with a nicely charred surface can be achieved with a normal skillet. Cook each side over medium high heat for a few minutes until the surface is charred, then cover and cook over low heat until cooked through.
I used avocado paste in this burger to make a simple spread. If you don’t want to use avocado, you can simply replace it with some mayonnaise. It will be just as tasty.
This is one of my favorite burger recipes. I hope you enjoy it, too!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound ground turkey (fat ratio 15%)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup minced onion
- 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 avocados, mashed (or 1/4 cup mayonnaise)
- 4 slices sharp Cheddar (or 4 tablespoons shredded cheese)
- 4 burger buns, split
- (Optional) Butter to toast the burger buns
- 1 large tomato, sliced
- 2 dill pickles, thinly sliced
DIRECTIONS
- Combine ground turkey, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Mix with a spatula until the spices are blended. Add onion and panko breadcrumbs. Gently stir a few times until the ingredients are well combined. Do not stir too much, otherwise the burger patties will become tough after cooking.
- Divide the ground turkey mixture into 4 equal parts (or 3 if making thick burgers). Shape each portion into a ball by hand. Press to shape a round, 1/2-inch-thick disc (1 inch thick if making 3 burgers). Place burger patties on a plate and set aside.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until hot. If using an electric stove, turn on another element to low heat.
- Add burger patties carefully into the skillet and lightly press them. Add an oil splatter screen (if using). Cook 3 to 4 minutes, until the bottom side turns dark brown. Flip and cook the other side for 1 minute. Transfer the skillet to the low heat element (or turn to low heat). Cover and cook for 3 to 5 minutes (more time for thicker patties), until the turkey is cooked through or a thermometer inserted to the thickest part reads 165 degrees F.
- Flip the burgers. Place cheese on top. Cover and cook until the cheese melts, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate to cool.
- (Optional) Toast the burger bun with butter or olive oil in a separate skillet until charred.
- To assemble burgers, spread avocado (or mayonnaise) on the burger bun, add pickles, and tomato, top with turkey patty and the other half of the burger bun.
- Serve warm.
