The sautéed onions and garlic in this easy turkey burger recipe are the secret to keeping them moist and juicy. Grill them up when you want a lighter, healthier burger option.
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Turkey burgers are a perfect, lighter alternative to beef for your summer grilling menu. But, they can be notoriously dry. Since turkey burgers have so little fat, I like to add moisture and flavor with onion, garlic, and spices.
Another reason that they can dry out, is because you are making them too large. Since the turkey has to cook fully, start small! Form them into smaller diameter patties, knowing they will not shrink very much. And make them thinner than you would a beef burger.
The story behind this recipe
I love our house. And we love to entertain. And in the beginning, that included Fourth of July fireworks viewing from the roof. From the deck on our roof we could see the biggest fireworks display in the city.
My husband Brian and I would rise with the sun and begin our prep, then all of our friends would arrive late in the afternoon and we commenced grilling. Most of the time, we kept the meats simple, the sides interesting, the desserts traditional. These turkey burgers were always on the menu.
But I once spent all day making homemade barbecue sauce from a recipe in Martha Stewart Living. Although I think everyone was having too much fun to “appreciate” it. (Oh, they thought it tasted fine, I just didn’t get the “you made that from scratch?!” reaction that I felt was completely warranted after spending a whole day making it.)
There was the time Brian made Carolina pulled pork, and that year Greg even brought over a fryer and we made hush puppies. (?)
Everyone was welcome - parents, girlfriends, boyfriends, kids and neighbors - and sometimes the temperature was even pleasant enough that we could stand to be outside without drowning in pools of our own sweat. So we hosted and we toasted and we got the whole kit and caboodle up onto the roof deck to watch our patriotic dreams paint the sky.
But now, ten years on, the trees across the street have grown too tall for us to see the fireworks display. And we discovered that the developer who rehabbed our house never should have put decks on the roof. It can’t support the weight and we have the leaks to prove it. Whoops.
So this year, we are traveling to New York City on the Fourth instead of hosting a party. It’s time to discover new traditions. But for those of you who enjoyed my turkey burgers over the years, here’s a bit of nostalgia for you.
Happy Birthday America. Enjoy.
Ingredients
- Ground Turkey: Use the ground turkey with the highest fat content you can find, which usually also includes dark meat. This will help your turkey burgers stay moist and juicy. There's no helping them if you use the 97% fat free kind.
- Onions and garlic: This is the secret to moist turkey burgers without using breadcrumbs or eggs. The onions and garlic and the bit of olive oil used to cook them down add moisture and texture.
- Olive oil: You'll need it to cook the onions, and to brush on the burgers before cooking.
- Salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper: These are the seasonings I use to add a little more flavor. If you don't like the spice, you can easily omit the crushed red pepper.
Instructions
Finely chop onion and garlic.
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat, drizzle with olive oil to lightly coat pan.
Add onions and garlic, a pinch or two of kosher salt, a few turns of cracked black pepper and a pinch of crushed red pepper.Sweat onions and garlic until aromatic and translucent, about 3-4 minutes - do not brown!
Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Add onion and garlic mixture to ground turkey, carefully folding in, do not overwork the meat.
Form into patties, brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper.
Place turkey burger patties on the grill over medium heat and cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side.
Serve with your favorite burger toppings.
Tips
- Be sure to chop the onions finely. If the onion pieces are too large, they may still have a 'raw' taste in the burger after it's cooked.
- If you make the turkey burgers too large, they will have to cook too long and may dry out. Keep burgers about 3-4 inches in diameter and about ¾ of an inch thick.
- I like to season the onion and garlic mixture when they are cooking. But I only season the meat after I have formed the patties and right before cooking. I don't season it when I mix in the onions and garlic. I think this gives them a brighter flavor.
Related Recipes
- Succotash with Homemade Taco Seasoning would be a great side dish with these turkey burgers. You can even make it on the grill!
- Flanken cut short ribs cook lightning fast on the grill. Try these Grilled Beef Short Ribs with Quick Pickles for something a little different at your next cookout.
Recipe
Turkey Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 ½ to 2 lbs ground turkey
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 4-6 cloves garlic finely chopped, add amount according to your taste
- pinch crushed red pepper
- kosher salt to taste
- cracked black pepper to taste
- olive oil
Instructions
- Finely chop onion and garlic.
- Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat, drizzle with olive oil to lightly coat pan.
- Once oil is hot, add onions and garlic, a pinch or two of kosher salt, a few turns of cracked black pepper and a pinch of crushed red pepper.
- Sweat onions and garlic until aromatic and translucent, about 3-4 minutes - do not brown! Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
- Add onion and garlic mixture to ground turkey, carefully folding in, do not overwork the meat. Form into patties, brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper.
- Place turkey burger patties on the grill over medium heat and cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side. Serve with your favorite burger toppings.
Notes
- Be sure to chop the onions finely. If the onion pieces are too large, they may still have a 'raw' taste in the burger after it's cooked.
- If you make the turkey burgers too large, they will have to cook too long and may dry out. Keep burgers about 3-4 inches in diameter and about ¾ of an inch thick.
- I like to season the onion and garlic mixture when they are cooking. But I only season the meat after I have formed the patties and right before cooking. I don't season it when I mix in the onions and garlic. I think this gives them a brighter flavor.
Holly Hooper
I’m making this for dinner tonight I’ll let you know how it turns out. But I looks good anyways.
Debra
Awesome Holly! Hope you liked them!
Thanks for reading,
Debra
chris fenter
look fantastic! 😀
Amy
Love your new blog! Love love love it! We have come a long way from Veiled Prophet and lying under the Arch and the stars watching fireworks.
drea
nice blog! congrats!
i'll put in a request for the turkey meatballs that i think had a chipotle cream dipping sauce???
finefoodsblog
Drea,
It's essentially the same recipe. Just form meatballs and sautee in olive oil. And it was a chipotle mayo! You'll be seeing that condiment in upcoming posts...
Debra