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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.
This is the first time I have made turkey burgers….and they were fantastic. This recipe adds a lot of flavor
I will definitely be making them again.
I’m so glad, Sheila!
I made this recipe because of the ingredients and because I loved the reviews. I had my first week night cookout last night. I decided to make these burgers. They were awesome! So good, I ate it plain with sides. My guest raved about them. I put them on our pellet grill so I omitted the liquid smoke. Thank you very much for this recipe!!!
I’m so happy to hear this, Brooke! Thanks for the feedback!
Unbelievably delicious! I used Worcestershire bc liquid smoke repeats on me for days, and I skipped the onion powder since the red onion is the taste I prefer. I cooked mine in an iron skillet w some olive oil, but glad to know the tip about the divot! I topped mine with pepper Jack cheese and added mayo, mustard, and dill pickle chips. I was out of lettuce and tomato, but didn’t even miss it since it was so good as is! Thanks—will share w my newlywed kids who will enjoy them as much as I did.
So glad you enjoyed these, Sara! Totally makes sense for the liquid smoke, and that’s a great substitution.I hope your kiddos do love them as much as we all do!
I have tried cooking turkey burgers before and it broke on me. Thanks for tip of 30 minutes of refrigerant.
You’re so welcome! I’m glad it helped :)
This was the best turkey burger- I added sautéed mushrooms and onions, cooled and finely chopped .
That sounds like a great addition, Cathryn. So glad you enjoyed it!
Really good texture, stayed together brilliantly on my griddle. I didn’t have fresh garlic so used dried ground garlic, and my Italian herb mix was Italian seasoning, so my seasonings were a bit off, I’ll have to play with that, but great recipe, I’ll be making this many more times.
I’m so glad you were happy with this, Meghan! Thanks for popping in with feedback!
I have zero luck with ground Turkey or Chicken, it’s always bone dry(like Bone dry!!!) and being back on WW I’m exchanging (as much as I can) beef to alternatives. This weekend I took out ground Turkey and remembered seeing a post on Instagram about your burger….so today.
Wow just wow Dana, I’m blown away at the simplicity you’ve created for making an amazing AMAZING Turkey burger! Like Zero dryness!!! ZERO! I was worried when the mixture was very wet, but I put them into the fridge and voila! Perfect for the grill 😀😀😀
They grilled perfect 5min each side, and the rest is in my belly and history.
Thanks for saving me from another gross dry Turkey burger!
This makes me SO HAPPY, Heather! Thanks so much for taking the time to bring some feedback. I’ve been changing out beef for turkey and chicken as well to help keep my cholesterol in check and it’s amazing how good it can be with the right things folded into the mix! :)
This is the best turkey burger recipe. This time we did three lbs on a pellet grill at 450. I do fat Patties so time was closer to 20 mins to 170. Did bread crumbs instead of panko and threw in some home grown mad hatter pepper pieces. Thank you for the recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it, Tim! Love the addition of peppers. Thanks for your feedback :)
Wow! Delicious turkey burgers. I cooked these on our outdoor Blackstone griddle and followed the recipe exactly. They were perfect and we look forward to leftovers for lunch today. This will be my go to recipe from now on.
I’m SO happy to hear this, Anne! The leftovers are always good, too. Enjoy! And thanks so much for popping in with feedback :)
Best turkey burgers I have ever had! I have made them several times, and they are a crowd and family pleaser! My kids always ask when we can make have them again!
This is awesome to hear, Tavo!