Learn this turkey burger recipe and stand out with flavor! Turkey burgers are known to be a healthier alternative to traditional beef burgers. Though turkey burgers have their own set of cooking issues, nothing can stop you from creating great flavor. Read below for instructions on how to keep turkey burgers intact, how the pros make turkey burgers, and more.
How Do You Keep Turkey Burgers From Falling Apart?
The key step to preventing your turkey burger from falling apart is to bread your burgers and grill them. When you’re shaping your turkey burgers, it’s a good idea to keep them on the smaller side so that they cook through on one side. Instead of baking the burgers, you can finish them in the oven or grill. The grill will take them from a moist yet tender texture to a more browned, crisp texture. Baking the burgers on the bottom rack of the oven will give you a similar result, but you’ll get much more cooked turkey than grilled meat.
I like to wrap my patties tightly with aluminum foil and bake them until they’re completely cooked on one side. Once I remove the turkey burgers from the oven, I flip them over to put the browned side on the bottom.

How Does Gordon Ramsay Make Turkey Burgers?
If you’re looking to upgrade the texture of your patties and don’t have time to bust out the food processor, you can cut raw turkey into cubes and fry them into the patties.
The next tip is to shape and fry the patties on a regular skillet or griddle over medium heat before grilling or broiling them. Gordon Ramsay, too, likes to start with cubed raw meat before shaping and frying the patties. Raw turkey cooks quickly, so I recommend starting to cook your patties the day before you plan to cook them.
Why Are Turkey Burgers Bad For You?
Although turkey burgers have lower fat content than ground beef, they still contain plenty of saturated fat. They also contain cholesterol and some of the preservatives and MSG you’re used to seeing in “traditional” meatloaf. The main problem with turkey burgers is that they tend to be high in sodium, as well. For example, a McDonald’s turkey burger has 2,100 milligrams of sodium, more than two times the amount of sodium you’d get from a Beefy McQueens burger. Please be mindful of your sodium intake, especially if you have hypertension or high blood pressure. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends keeping your intake to less than 1,500 mg a day, or about 2,300 mg for women and 2,600 mg for men.
How Can I Add Flavor To Ground Turkey?
Another exciting thing about turkey burgers is that they can be very flavorful when mixed with seasonings. You bring a little bit of that flavor to your burgers by combining them with sautéed onions, some balsamic vinegar, and a little salt. Mix this all into the ground turkey and serve with a few leaves of fresh basil.
How Do I Make Turkey Burgers Into Meatloaf?
OK, this one’s tricky. You can’t just leave your turkey burgers and let them fall apart. Just make sure to brown your ground turkey before you shape your patties. It’ll brown up, and the moisture content will be much higher. Once you’ve got your patties shaped, put some egg in each one and then stir it around with a fork.

Turkey Burger Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 oz. lean ground turkey
- 1½ tbsp plain dried breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce alternatively can use soy sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Add ground turkey to a mixing bowl. Sprinkle in breadcrumbs, pepper, garlic powder, salt, and onion powder. Add mayonnaise and Worcestershire sauce afterwards.
- Press and blend meat mixture and divide it into 4 equal portions. Shape these into thick patties about 1/2 inch in thickness each.
- Preheat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes.
- Add turkey patties and sear until golden brown on bottom, about 4 minutes. Flip turkey patty and continue to cook thoroughly, about 4 – 5 minutes longer. Center should be 160 degrees on a thermometer.
- Serve warm in hamburger buns or lettuce leaves with your variety of toppings. I personally recommend pickles, mustard, and fresh lettuce.
Nutrition

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