I love a good, juicy hamburger – but sometimes it’s nice to switch it up! Ground turkey is a perfect alternative and this BBQ Turkey Burger recipe tastes delicious!
This recipe is one of our favorites – even the kids love them.
Related Recipe: Try our Hawaiian Turkey Burgers HERE!
How do you keep ground turkey burgers from falling apart?
Turkey burgers need some type of ingredient to bind the burgers together and keep them from falling apart. I recommend using breadcrumbs and an egg – breadcrumbs will absorb the moisture and the egg will act like a glue to hold the burgers together while you grill them.
For this recipe, we do not use an egg, but instead use BBQ sauce and mustard to act as the glue to hold the burger together. If you feel like you struggle with ground turkey burgers falling apart, feel free to add an egg to the mixture.
Another idea is to cook these burgers on a flat top grill instead of a traditional open-flame grill – it will be easier for the burgers to hold their shape as they cook instead of falling through the slats on a grill.
How to keep your turkey burger juicy:
When it comes to a juicy burger, the secret is in the fat content. It’s easy with ground beef (there are lots of options of ground beef that have a higher percentage of fat), but ground turkey is such a lean cut of meat that it dries out so easily. Here are some tips to keeping your turkey burger juicy:
- If possible, try to use a dark turkey meat (some butchers will have it available) or use a 90% or less turkey meat.
- Add some moisture that has fat in it to the mix – such as mayonnaise, plain Greek yogurt, olive oil, or avocado oil. Aim for about 2 Tablespoons for every 1 pound of ground turkey.
- Be gentle with the meat. You may be tempted to keep mixing, but be sure to only stir until the ingredients are just blended. If you over-handle the meat, it will be come dense and rubbery.
- Flip the burger only once. The more that you move the burger on the grill, the more juices you are going to lose.
- Do not overcook the burgers. Use a thermometer to test doneness and be sure to remove the turkey burger the second it reaches 160 degrees F.
How to cook turkey burgers in a skillet
Even if you don’t have a grill, you can still enjoy these delicious burgers! Here’s how to cook them in a skillet:
- Heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil or olive oil in the bottom of a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once the skillet is heated, add the turkey patties to the skillet. Cook until the bottom of the patties are browned (about 3-4 minutes).
- Flip the burgers and cook for 3-4 more minutes on the other side or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
