Name: Ground Turkey Burgers
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds ground turkey (or ground chicken ); 2 teaspoons kosher salt (add a little less if you're using table salt); 3/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 4-5 cloves); 1 tablespoon mayonnaise; 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce; 1 (4 ounce can) diced green chilies* (do not drain, add all the liquid); 10 tablespoons panko bread crumbs ((this is 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons)); 2 teaspoons vegetable oil (for cooking the burgers); 8 hamburger buns; butter (for toasting buns); 8 slices pepper jack cheese (or your favorite cheese, cheddar is great!); 1 recipe Homemade Chipotle Sauce (or sauce of choice, see recipe); 2 avocados (sliced); lettuce; tomato; fried onions (if you're feeling fancy)

I have been personally offended by dry-as-cotton ground Turkey Burgers one too many times! I’ve FINALLY found a recipe that is not only juicy and tender, but super flavorful and versatile. This is my new go-to turkey burger recipe! I’m never looking back! A few tips and tricks save these burgers from the depths of dry despair. (Worcestershire, mayo in the meat mixture, green chilies!) Perfect weeknight savior meal, done in 30 minutes.

A close-up of a juicy cheeseburger with melted cheese, sliced avocado, tomato, lettuce, and a creamy orange sauce, all inside a glossy toasted bun.

Table of Contents

Your new burger fling
Key ingredients
How to make turkey burgers
What to serve with turkey burgers
How to store leftovers
Can you freeze these burgers?
More quick and easy healthy dinners
Ground Turkey Burgers Recipe

The last time I successfully parallel parked was during my drivers test when I was 16 years old.

But a few weeks ago, I was in downtown Sacramento and found this perfect spot super close to where I was going. I pulled out my phone and asked ChatGPT to tell me how to do it, and it worked perfectly. I was sooooo proud. I got out, snapped this photo and texted it to Eric.

A woman takes a selfie on a city sidewalk at night, with parked cars lining the street, a colorful mural behind her, and bright streetlights illuminating the scene.

BOOYA, parallel parking! I have conquered you (just in time for cars to get smart enough to do it without my help anyway…)

Then 3 days later I found a $75 parking fine in the mail. In my haste to celebrate, I completely forgot to put any money in the meter.

Guyyyssss. This is life, when you’re me. Haha.

I was telling this story to my friend Aimee and she said, “oh yeah, I parallel parked for you when we went to that party last year!” I didn’t even remember, but that tracks. I’ve been outsourcing my parallels for years.

Close-up of a juicy cheeseburger with a bite taken out, showing layers of melted cheese, lettuce, tomato, creamy sauce, and a thick beef patty inside a golden toasted bun.

One time in San Francisco I was trying to park my big minivan on the street, and this other (tiny) car just sat and waited to see if I would give up. I inched in, didn’t quite make it, inched out. I must have tried 10 times. They just sat and watched, waiting for my resolve to crumble. At this point it was a matter of pride, so my sister-in-law Reesy finally switched me spots, and she parked the car. Sorry, tiny car, you have messed with the wrong inept parallel-er-er. I have people.

Your new burger fling

Listen folks, I have NEVER been into turkey burgers. If I’m going to eat a burger, just give me the real deal. Have you ever had a turkey burger that was dry as toast? I have. Makes me want a glass a water just thinking about it. Shudder.

But then I landed on this recipe.

MY ENTIRE TURKEY LIFE HAS CHANGED!! I am now a true convert, here to proselytize to you. This recipe is SO juicy and flavorful.

The key to a good turkey burger is making sure there is enough FAT and FLAVOR in the mixture itself. (See the list of key ingredients below, but I’m looking at you, mayo and Worcestershire sauce.)
The other most important part is the toppings. A turkey burger is nothing without a decent amount of toppings, the most important being avocado, because it is so fatty. Next most important is a SOFT BUN, then it’s tomato, then lettuce.
The SAUCE. You MUST have a decent sauce if you want an above average turkey burger. Ketchup and mustard ain’t gonna cut it. I love my Chipotle Mayo best, but there are lots of options, like BBQ Sauce, Guacamole, Garlic Aioli, Balsamic Vinegar Reduction, or just some good ol Homemade Ranch.

Close-up of hands holding a juicy cheeseburger with melted cheese, sliced avocado, lettuce, tomato, and creamy sauce on a toasted bun.

Key ingredients

Let’s talk more about those FAT and FLAVOR ingredients I mentioned above that make these turkey burgers crave worthy:

a whole can of diced green chilies! It does not make the burgers spicy at all, but don’t underestimate the amount of flavor those bad boys bring to the mix.
mayonnaise in the ground turkey mixture adds fat, which of course means extra flavor and a big boost in the juiciness of the turkey patties when cooking.
worcestershire sauce for extra umami to add depth to the burgers. No flat, blah flavor here!

How to make turkey burgers

Here’s everything you’re going to need to make these turkey burgers! Lots of Pantry Ingredients here! Do you always keep diced chilies on hand? There’s always a can or two in my cupboard. They are so great for adding not-too-spicy flavor to a meal.

A split image: Top shows ingredients like ground turkey, lettuce, tomato, avocado, cheese, onion, panko, sauces, and spices on a counter; bottom shows a bowl with ground turkey, mayo, breadcrumbs, spices, garlic, and chopped green chiles.

This recipe is stuuupid easy. You literally add all the ingredients to a bowl. Except the burger toppings, of course.

Here is how I like to mix up hamburgers! With my hands! That’s why they’re called handburgers. Just kidding. But don’t underestimate the hand-mixing: this gives you the best texture for your final burger. It doesn’t get too-tough or over-mixed. A spoon just doesn’t do the job.

A collage of hands in gloves mixing food in a bowl.

I like to wear a disposable glove to lower the ick factor.

Divide the meat into 8 burgers. You could easily halve this recipe, or double it!

Raw meat mixture portions on a parchment-lined baking sheet. In the second image, a hand presses a thumb into the center of one portion, making an indentation in the mixture.

Here’s my brother Eric’s trick for avoiding burgers that are bunched up and too-thick in the middle. The first step is making sure you’re working with room temperature meat.

The second trick is to press your thumb into the center of the shaped patty. As the burger cooks, the meat will constrict, meaning it seizes up toward the center. This results in a burger center that is overly-thick and tough. By shaping the burgers thinner in the center, there is somewhere for that constricting meat to go, resulting in an almost perfectly-flat burger that is even all the way across.

Raw, seasoned ground meat patties with chopped vegetables are arranged on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, ready to be cooked. Each patty has a small indentation in the center.

It looks a little funny, but I promise it works marvelously.

A close-up of turkey burger patties cooking in a skillet, with some patties topped with melted cheese and the surface showing crispy, browned grill marks.

You can see that the center of this burger is not browned. That was the part that was pressed down! It’s not touching the pan in the initial sear. But eventually the burger contracts, and they end up even all the way across. I’m willing to give up center-browning to get a burger that’s not mounded and too thick in the center.

Close-up of a cooked burger patty topped with melted cheese in a black skillet, next to another plain patty, with part of a blue and white cloth visible in the corner.

Don’t forget to add the cheese after you flip the burgers, when they are almost done! You can cover the pan with a lid for a minute or two to speed up the melting process.

A close-up of a grilled burger patty topped with melted cheese and sliced avocado, on a toasted bun with sauce, served on a plate with potato chips in the background.

Then, it’s time to make your burger. Don’t forget to toast your buns first! And spread them with butter! Oh wait, these are turkey burgers, I guess we should skip the butter. Well. I didn’t. Probably I’ll die young guys.

A close-up of a cheeseburger with melted cheese, lettuce, tomato, avocado slices, and creamy sauce on a toasted bun, with crispy fries visible in the background.

And here she iiiiis. YUM. I could eat this once a week. That’s exactly what we’ve been doing lately, actually!

And if you are really trying to go low carb, you can always wrap it up in lettuce instead of a bun! It’s still so good, especially if you have a legit sauce to bring it all together. I love Chipotle Mayo the best but there are lots of options! See the recipe for the list.

What to serve with turkey burgers

So many options! Anything that is your normal to serve with burgers will work just as well alongside these turkey burgers.

Frozen french fries or even just some of your favorite chips are a always a great option
Roasted Red Potatoes in Oven >> if you’re looking for a more homemade, real-food type potato side, these would be AMAZING
Mexican Cucumber Salad with Cilantro and Lime >> super easy, super healthy, and the flavors would be perfect if you’re topping your burger with the homemade chipotle sauce
Classic Deviled Eggs Recipe >> for me, burgers and deviled eggs go hand in hand. This is the most basic recipe but it is my favorite version!

A close-up of hands holding a cheeseburger with melted cheese, lettuce, tomato, creamy sauce, and a glossy toasted bun. The burger is juicy with sauce dripping onto the plate below.

How to store leftovers

Wait for the patties to cool, then add them to an airtight container and place them in the refrigerator. They’ll stay good there for about 3-4 days. To reheat, put a patty on a plate or in a bowl and heat in the microwave at 50% power for a minute or two. Toast your bun in the toaster if you can, and add all your toppings as you like!

TIP: If you know you won’t be eating all the burgers in one sitting, I recommend only putting cheese on the patties you know will be eaten right then. Add cheese to any leftover patty during the last 30-60 seconds of reheating. This helps prevent the cheese from melting and sliding off the patty before the meat is warmed through.

A hand holds a bitten burger with lettuce, tomato, melted cheese, and creamy sauce dripping out, revealing a juicy patty and a toasted bun.

Can you freeze these burgers?

Yes! These would be great as a make ahead for meal prep or for a future dinner if you are a smaller family. Lay the patties in one layer on a cookie sheet and put in the freezer for about 30 minutes, or until flash frozen. Transfer them to a freezer ziplock bag, remove as much air as possible, and seal. They should be good for at least 2-3 months! You can can also freeze raw patties by placing parchment paper between each raw patty in the freezer ziplock bag.

To thaw, put the bag in the refrigerator overnight. If it’s still partially frozen when you pull the bag out of the fridge, you can leave it on the counter for 30-60 minutes. Reheat cooked patties in the microwave at 50% power until heated through. Once raw patties are completely thawed, you can follow the original instructions for cooking.

Close-up of a juicy cheeseburger with melted cheese, slices of avocado, tomato, and creamy orange sauce on a toasted bun. The burger is stacked high, highlighting fresh ingredients and dripping sauces.

More quick and easy healthy dinners

I feel like I need a quick dinner most nights, but I also want it to be healthy! Luckily, there are a lot of great options. You can look through the Quick and Easy Dinners page, but in the meantime here are a few I love.