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Turkey burgers have a reputation for being dry, bland, and generally disappointing. This recipe fixes all of that by using the right binder and seasoning to promise a moist, juicy patty every time.
This is the best turkey burger recipe because it’s juicy, well-seasoned, and actually tastes like something you’d want to make again. No weird fillers, no sad hockey-puck texture—just a flavorful, tender burger that holds together and stays moist from the first bite to the last. So if you’ve tried turkey burgers before and sworn them off, this one will change your mind. And if you already love them, this is the version you’ll keep coming back to!
Looking for more delicious burger ideas? Try my juicy chicken burger recipe or this tasty salmon burger.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
- A smart binder: Enough to hold everything together, but not so much that it turns into a dense meatball. The texture stays tender, not heavy.
- Proper seasoning (non-negotiable): Turkey needs real seasoning to taste like anything. This recipe salts correctly and layers flavor with herbs and liquid smoke, so every bite delivers.
- Cooked just until done: Overcooking is the fastest way to ruin a turkey burger. These are cooked just long enough to be juicy and safe, nothing more.
The result is a turkey burger that’s juicy, flavorful, and very hard to mess up. Even if you think you don’t like turkey burgers, this one might change your mind.
★★★★★
“So much flavor in these turkey burgers! We make these a few times a month and I switch out the Italian seasoning with other seasoning blends for variety. Have even had friends and family ask for the recipe.”
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Ingredient Overview
A quick look at the essentials before we dive into the recipe card:
- Ground turkey—For a good turkey burger, choose 93% lean/7% fat.
- Onion: Whatever type of onion you use, be sure to grate it as the recipe notes. Grating the onion locks in extra moisture, whereas mincing it just creates crunchy bits and risks the patty falling apart.
- Seasoning—My rule of thumb for salting ground meat is 1 teaspoon per pound. I also like to add onion powder and my homemade Italian seasoning to enhance the patties’ flavor.
- Liquid smoke—This is the ticket, friends. It adds a wonderful charbroiled flavor. If you don’t have liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, or soy sauce, you can use them to add extra umami.
How to Make The Best Turkey Burgers
Step 1: Prepare a Baking Sheet for Setting
Before you get your hands dirty, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside. This is what your patties will sit on to set in the fridge.
Step 2: Make the Burger Mixture
Place the ground turkey into a large mixing bowl. Add all the patty ingredients to the bowl and, with clean hands, gently blend them until the mixture is cohesive.
Step 3: Form & Refrigerate the Patties
Divide the mixture into four equal portions and gently form them into patties. Place the patties on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Tip: Gently press a divot into the middle of each patty. (This will prevent them from shrinking when they hit the heat.) Place the patties in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to set.
Step 4: Cook the Burgers
Preheat the grill to around 450°F and grease it with olive oil. Transfer the patties to the grill, cover, and cook for 4-5 minutes. Flip the burgers and cook for another 4-5 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 160-165°F, as measured with a meat thermometer.
Step 5: Dress It Up & Enjoy!
Transfer the patties to the buns. People can top their turkey burgers with whatever they please since the flavor in these patties pairs with pretty much anything. See below for some ideas.
Tips to Keep Burgers Juicy
This recipe, as written, always yields juicy burgers. But if moisture is a concern for you (you tend to overcook burgers, you’re using 99% fat-free turkey, etc.), the following tricks will help:
- Add 1 heaping tablespoon of Greek yogurt or mayo
- Mix in grated unsalted butter (2 tablespoons for every pound of turkey)
- Don’t skip the grated onion. It melts right in and adds serious moisture.
Substitutions & Variations
- For Umami: If you don’t want a smoky flavor, replace the liquid smoke with Worcestershire sauce, low-sodium soy sauce, or Dijon mustard.
- Gluten-Free Option: Use gluten-free breadcrumbs and buns.
- Turn Them Into Sliders: Divide the patties into 6-8 smaller patties and pop them onto slider buns.
- Fresh Flavors: Swap out the Italian seasoning for 1 teaspoon of finely chopped fresh thyme, oregano, or basil; add 1/2 tsp of lemon zest.
- Leaner Patties: Use 99% fat-free ground turkey, then add 1-2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt to reduce fat and retain moisture.
- For Spicy Burgers: Add a few teaspoons of hot sauce or red pepper flakes to the meat mixture.
Topping Ideas
- Classic: American or cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and ketchup (try my homemade ketchup recipe for something different!)
- Smoky: Pepper Jack cheese, Bacon, fried onion straws, and smoky maple BBQ sauce.
- Mushroom Melt: Provolone cheese, sautéed mushrooms and onions, and mayo.
- Mediterranean Twist: Chopped kalamata olives, baby spinach, roasted red peppers, red onions, tzatziki, and feta cheese.
What to Serve With Turkey Burgers
Storage, Freezing, & Reheating
- Fridge: The patties will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.
- Freezer: Freeze the patties before cooking them so they don’t dry out when thawed and reheated. Just wrap the uncooked patties individually with plastic wrap and place them into a freezer-friendly bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Cook in the microwave in 25-second increments until heated through, or reheat them in a preheated air fryer at 350º F for 3-4 minutes, or until heated through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Breadcrumbs do the trick in this recipe, though you could also add an egg to the mix for extra support. This recipe used to call for both 1 egg and breadcrumbs, but reports told me that using breadcrumbs alone was enough to make a moist patty that stayed together.
Enough breadcrumbs to bind it together and retain moisture, and liquid smoke for a perfect charbroiled flavor.
Overmixing, under-seasoning, skipping fat or binders so they crumble, cooking them to a crisp, pressing them into the pan and squeezing out every drop of moisture, and slicing in too soon instead of letting them rest. Do less, season more, and stop smashing them.
Best Turkey Burger Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey, 93% lean
- 1/2 cup grated red onion
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 egg (optional), *See notes
- 2 garlic cloves, grated to a paste , Use a zester/microplane to grate
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning, I like using my homemade Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set it aside.
- Place the ground turkey into a large mixing bowl. Add all of the patty ingredients into the bowl and, with clean hands, gently blend everything until the mixture is cohesive.
- Divide the mixture into four equal portions and gently form them into patties. Place the patties on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Tip: Gently press a divot into the middle of each patty. (This will prevent them from shrinking when they hit the heat.) Place the patties in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to set.
Grilling method:
- Preheat your grill to medium-high heat (around 450º F). Clean the grates of the grill and grease them well. Place the patties on the grill, cover, and cook for 4-5 minutes. Flip the burgers and cook them for another 4-5 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 160º F, then transfer them to a clean plate.
Stovetop method:
- Heat oil (use an oil with a high smoke point, like avocado oil) in a cast iron griddle or pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, place the patties onto it and cook for 4-5 minutes per side or until they reach an internal temperature of 160º F.
Air fryer method:
- Preheat the air fryer to 370º F. Place the patties into the air fryer basket (however many you can comfortably fit so they aren't touching) and cook for 15-20 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Be sure they reach an internal temperature of 160º F.
Oven-baked method:
- Preheat the oven to 375º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, transfer the patties to it, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the burgers reach an internal temperature of 160º F.
To add cheese:
- If you're adding cheese slices to any of the patties, add them on about 1 minute before they're done cooking. If you're cooking them in the air fryer, use a toothpick to secure the cheese slices to the patties or else they'll fly off when the air fryer starts up.
- Transfer the patties to buns. People can top their turkey burgers with whatever they please since the flavor in these patties pair with pretty much anything. See below for some ideas.
Excellent recipe. Cooked in the cast iron skillet. Left out the garlic (I don’t enjoy it) and used a smoke seasoning from Trader Joes that has some garlic in it. Used smoked salt instead of liquid smoke. Great texture and flavor. Husband said they are the best turkey burgers he has ever had.
This makes me so happy, Leigh! And I’m really glad you were able to adapt it to your liking! I appreciate you taking the time to pop in with feedback :)
How long did you cook on cast iron skillet?
Hi Laura, just chiming in: you should be good with 4-5 minutes on each side, medium to medium-high heat depending on how your stovetop cooks. Let us know how it goes!
Made about five times now. Makes you want to actually eat a turkey burger. Great!
Love this! Thanks so much, Bodi. I’m so happy to hear it. Never thought I’d *want* turkey burgers either, haha.
This is my first time making turkey burgers I have to stay away from red meat due to a health issue . These were awesome followed the recipe exactly as written , it was moist and very tasty and did not fall apart at all definitely a keeper thanks
Hi Linda,
I’m so glad you enjoyed these! I’m trying to eat less and less red meat as well. That’s why I thought the world needed a good turkey burger. I’m so glad it’s serving its purpose :)
Can these be baked in the oven?
Absolutely. Line a baking sheet with parchment and bake them at 350º F for 15-20 minutes, or until the patties reach an internal temp of 165º F. I hope this helps!
I didn’t have liquid smoke and used Worcestershire sauce. Very tasty!
Yes! That’s a great substitute. Glad you enjoyed these :)
These are delicious. Can I throw some extras in the freezer before cooking for future use?
So glad, Rick! And absolutely you can. Just thaw them overnight before use and you’ll be good to go :)
I just made these and they came out really good. They did fall apart just a little bit but still really delicious. I also didn’t have liquid smoke. Substituted that with Smoked paprika.
Thanks for the feedback, Tami!
I made these last night using liquid smoke as was suggested. It did make a huge difference. They were delicious. As suggested, I really upped my game on the spices. I do always use the dark/light meat combo of ground Turkey and add just a bit of olive oil for moistness. Keeper suggestions
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Kenna!
This is the best turkey burger I’ve ever had! Even my husband liked it and he’s a total beef guy. So happy with this recipe, thank you!
Glad it passed the “beef guy” test, Shayla! ;)
Way too many breadcrumbs it came out very soft and not much flavor. Of course ground turkey is not the best but this did nothing for it.
Hi Brian, I’m shocked to hear this came out with little flavor! This is definitely a first. Sorry it didn’t work out for you. We’ve always had success with this recipe and it seems to be the case with other reviews.
Outstanding! I’ve tried making turkey burgers for the grill in the past and they fell apart, were try or just lacked a lot of flavor.
— And then I found this recipe. It’s easy and delicious! The only thing I did differently is I used cut-up scallions instead of red onion (because I didn’t have any) and I used Greek seasoning instead of Italian. This is definitely a keeper.
Stan! I’m so happy to hear this :)
Scallions sound perfect. I’ll have to try them next time I make these! Thanks so much for popping in with feedback!