Healthy Turkey Burgers

These healthy turkey burgers are juicy and flavorful! It is hard to tell they are made with ground turkey instead of hamburger. These burgers can be made on the grill, stove or in the oven.

These turkey burgers are perfect for any occasion: a backyard BBQ, an easy weeknight dinner, or a healthy snack. I love making a double or sometimes even triple batch of these burgers and eating them throughout the week. They reheat well and are very moist and flavorful.

Ingredients For Turkey Burgers

• Ground turkey: I used the 93% lean ground turkey. This is the leanest version of turkey I would use (the 97% lean turkey does not hold together as well).
• Soy Sauce: use tamari or gluten free soy sauce if needed for allergies.
• Dry Ranch Seasoning Mix: adds flavoring to the burgers.
• Spices: onion powder, garlic powder, ground black pepper: add flavoring to the burger.
• Ground rice chex cereal: this can be made by grinding plain rice chex cereal in a blender until finely ground. An alternative is to use dry bread crumbs.

Let's Make Some Burgers!

Combine all dry ingredients together in a bowl (ranch seasoning mix, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper and ground rice chex). Mix well. Add your ground turkey to a large mixing bowl. Add the seasonings and the soy sauce. Mix until evenly combined.

Tip: these can also be made by adding all ingredients into a large gallon zip lock bag, sealing the bag shut and then mixing from the outside. This is an easy, mess free way to make the burgers!

Shape the meat into 4 burger patties. Tip: push down on the center of the burger with your thumb. This will help the burger cook more evenly. Chill for 20 minutes before cooking.

How To Cook The Turkey Burgers

There's a variety of ways that the turkey burgers can be cooked, depending on your preference. I personally love to use the grill when it's warm out because there is almost no clean up involved! During the winter months, I'll use a combination of the stove and the oven.

Grill: Preheat the grill to medium high heat. Place the burgers in the freezer for about 20 minutes to chill them. This helps hold them together better on the grill. Cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side, or until they reach 165F.

Oven: Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a pan with nonstick spray. Place burgers on pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until they reach 165F.

Stove: Heat a frying pan or grill pan over medium heat. Add a small amount of olive oil to the pan. Cook the burgers for about 6-7 minutes on each side. This method works best when burgers are thin (thick burgers will take much longer to cook).

If the burgers are thick and not cooking all the way on the stove, pop them in the oven for about 10 minutes to finish cooking. Burgers are done when they hit the temperature of 165 F as measured by a meat thermometer.

How To Tell If The Burger Is Done

The burger should cook to an internal temperature of 165F or higher. Check the thickest part of the burger using a meat thermometer. Make sure the tip of thermometer does not touch the grill or hot pan. Burgers that do not reach the temperature of 165F or higher pose a greater risk for foodborne illness. Here's a helpful chart on safe cooking temperatures.

Turkey Burger Toppings

We all know the classic burger toppings: lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, ketchup and mustard. Below are some additional ideas of topping combinations to put on the burgers.

• The classics: lettuce, tomato and onions
• Avocado and sprouts
• Cheese- Pepperjack, Cheddar, American or Swiss
• Sautéed Portobello mushrooms and onion slices
• Cheddar cheese and BBQ sauce
• Avocado and onion
• Mayo and pesto

Are Turkey Burgers Healthy?

This turkey burger recipe uses 93% lean ground turkey. This means that 93% of it is lean meat, while 7% of it is fat. Using this lean cut of ground turkey is going to provide a lot less fat and calories as compared to ground turkey that is 85% lean, or even ground beef that is 73% lean.

Another factor to look at is what this burger is eaten with. If you consume a turkey burger topped with cheese, mayo and a side of chips, the meal will definitely be a lot higher in fat and calories.

Allergen Information

These turkey burgers are gluten free because they use ground rice chex instead of dried bread crumbs. If you are not concerned about allergies, feel free to use dried bread crumbs in place of the ground rice chex.

Looking For More Easy Dinner Recipes?

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• Ground Chicken Stuffed Peppers
• BBQ Chicken Sweet Potatoes
• Air Fryer Salmon