Turkey Burgers

Turkey burgers are a quick, mostly healthy main dish you can have on the table in a flash. And they’re kid-friendly too! Best of all, you can adapt as needed to sneak in more veggie nutrition and/or accommodate taste or texture preferences.

I live in a bit of a food desert here in mid-Missouri. There are no restaurants close by, other than the gas-station mini-mart that does put out a very acceptable pizza. As a result, we cook almost all of our meals at home. I plan out a menu each week, and try to make just one run to the nearest big town for groceries.

With all that planning, shopping, and cooking, sometimes I’m in the mood for something easy. Turkey burgers are so simple to make and are easily adapted to fit your food preferences. You can even sneak in extra vegetables if you wish!

About Ground Turkey

Most grocery stores sell two main varieties of ground turkey: A 93% lean (or even leaner!) version, and one that’s 85% lean. I definitely go for the latter (85% lean) to use in turkey burgers, as I’ve found the ground breast to be dry, dry, dry when cooked. But it’s your preference of course.

It’s fairly inexpensive at $3.50 to $3.99 a pound usually, and I often find it on sale. At which point I stock up of course! Or, the big-box membership stores often have it in bulk packs of three to four one-pound packages. But still, since this recipe makes four servings, even at full price it’s pretty economical.

Health-wise, ground turkey tends to be lower in saturated fat, and similar in nutrients, to ground beef of an equal lean-to-fat ratio. If you’re on a low-fat diet or have other dietary restrictions, I found this article on Healthline that you might find useful.

About the Ingredients

Turkey burgers are made much like meatloaf or Salisbury steak, with bread crumbs, seasonings, and an egg. The bread crumbs serve multiple purposes. They lighten the turkey mixture and act as a filler to stretch the turkey into more servings. Some say that they act as a binder for the mixture. The onions add a good, savory flavor. But you can also substitute finely grated carrot, zucchini, or other vegetables for part or all of the onions.

Poultry seasoning is a finely ground mixture of sage, thyme, rosemary, and other seasonings that greatly enhances the flavor of these turkey burgers. To me, anyway, it seems to counteract some of the ‘funky’ flavors of the turkey. And the egg brings it all together into a burger that doesn’t fall apart easily.

How to Make Turkey Burgers

Start by crumbling the turkey into a medium-sized mixing bowl, then add the rest of the ingredients. Use a spoon or fork to lightly but thoroughly mix the ingredients. (Using your hands at this point can make the turkey burgers tough.) Then divide the mixture into four equal parts and shape them into half-inch thick patties.

For ease of handling, I form the patties on squares of waxed paper, though you could use parchment or even aluminum foil instead.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add just enough oil to coat the bottom. Use the waxed paper to invert the patties into the pan one by one, peeling off the paper as you go. Cook the patties for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or just until no pink remains in the center. Overcooking will result in a dry turkey burger.

You can make a quick gravy from the drippings; just make sure there’s at least a couple of tablespoons of oil left in the pan (add more if needed). Then add 1 1/2 tablespoons of flour to the pan, and scrape and stir up the lovely browned bits for a minute. Add a cup of water, milk, or chicken stock and stir constantly until the mixture boils. Boil the gravy for one minute, then remove from heat and adjust the seasonings.

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