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I’m sharing all of my secrets for grilling up the best turkey burgers! So juicy and flavorful, lighter than ground beef, and perfect for your next barbecue.
Turkey burgers get a bad rap, but we’re here to change that!
Fire Up The Grill For The Best Turkey Burgers!
We love a good burger and make our smash burger recipe on repeat all summer long.
But turkey burgers? They tend to get a bad rap for being dry and bland.
Um, no. Not the way we make them.
We crush up butter crackers (think Ritz crackers, but feel free to go crazy and try something like Cheez-Its in any flavor!), season the heck out of our meat because flavor, and then we grill these bad boys up.
Thick, juicy, meaty turkey burgers that don’t fall apart, don’t dry out, and aren’t boring. We’re changing the game with our best turkey burger recipe!
These are seriously the best turkey burgers, especially when you top them off with creamy avocado, thin slices of red onion, a hefty smear of mayo (I like an embarrassing amount of mayo, I’ll admit it), and then sandwich it all on a buttered and toasted bun.
We’re Loving Ground Turkey:
My family has started reducing the amount of red meat we eat in the last few years for a variety of reasons. We still eat it, don’t get me wrong. I’m never giving up steak. 😉 But, we swap in turkey often and here are a few of our go to recipes:
♥ Why You Gotta Make These:
- Protein Packed: Lean ground turkey packs in 22 grams of protein per 4 ounces!
- Flavor: Our turkey burgers are always juicy and perfectly seasoned and we always toast the buns with some butter to get the best combination of flavors.
- Heart Healthy: Ground turkey is lower in saturated fat than ground beef, making it a better option for heart health, according to Healthline.
- Toppings: You can make these turkey burgers any way you like with all your favorite toppings! Our Greek Turkey Burgers are a total flavor bomb!
Ingredient Notes:
Turkey Burger Patties – You’ll need 85% lean ground turkey, some butter cracker crumbs, egg, chives, and seasoned salt. You can use any brand of butter crackers that you’d like for this.
Buns – We like brioche hamburger buns and we grill them with some butter too. They taste so much better that way! You can use any kind of hamburger bun you’d like for these turkey burgers.
Toppings – We topped the turkey burgers with tomato, red onion, lettuce, avocado, and mayo. You can use any toppings you like. A slice of cheese like Swiss or provolone, some bacon, or pickles are also good toppings!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Turkey Burgers:
Add the ground turkey, crushed crackers, egg, and seasoning to a mixing bowl and use a wooden spoon or your hands to combine everything together.
Divide the turkey mixture into 4 balls and shape each one into 1/4 pound patties. For the best results, press your thumb into the center to make a little indentation. This will keep the burgers from shrinking so much.
Heat the grill to around 350 degrees, lightly oil the grates, and pop on your turkey burgers. These will take around 6 minutes per side, but always check with a meat thermometer and make sure they hit 165 degrees.
Build your perfect burger! Add a slice of cheese just before pulling these off the grill if you like. Don’t forget to butter and grill the buns. Then layer on whatever toppings your heart desires!
My Favorite Thermometer!
I love using this meat thermometer for making sure the meat is fully cooked! Easy for beginners & absolutely worth the low cost.
Tips for making the best turkey burgers:
- Use butter crackers and an egg as the binder! The crackers hold on to the moisture and the mixture keeps the turkey from falling apart on the grill.
- Keep it simple and let the flavor of the meat shine. Season with seasoned salt.
- Press a light indentation into the center of each patty before grilling. This helps keep them from puffing up and shrinking in as they cook.
- Use 85/15 turkey instead of a more lean mix. The extra fat keeps your burgers from drying out.
- Smoosh that burger between a fabulous bun. I like brioche and I always grill them first!
Make Ahead & Storage Instructions:
Feel free to grill up a batch of turkey burgers to keep as meal prep.
We prefer to reheat them in the air fryer at 350 degrees for a couple of minutes or in the microwave.
For the best results, do not add cheese to your prepped burgers until you are reheating them.
These will last for 4-5 days in the fridge.
Recipe FAQs:
The butter cracker crumbs and egg create a binding that helps the patties keep their shape.
We’re using lettuce, tomato, avocado, red onion, and mayo but you can use pretty much any topping that you’d put on a hamburger! Other sauces like mustard or BBQ sauce, pickles, bacon, etc.
While you can use whatever cheese you like, we’re really loving Swiss, provolone, and havarti on our turkey burgers. They’re all perfectly melty and pair nicely with the turkey.
Sure! If you don’t have a grill or the weather isn’t good for it an air fryer is a good alternative. Check out our air fryer turkey burgers!
More Turkey Favorites:
The Best Turkey Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey 85% lean
- 1 cup butter cracker crumbs such as Ritz crackers
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
- 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
- 4 burger buns
- 4 tablespoons butter softened
- Cheese if desired
- Tomatoes, red onion, lettuce, avocado, mayo for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to 350 degrees over medium heat.
- Add the ground turkey, cracker crumbs, egg, chives, and seasoned salt to a mixing bowl and use your hands to combine the mixture. Shape into 4 patties and lightly press your thumb into the center of each patty to form an indent. This will help the patties hold their shape as they cook.
- Place on the grill and cook for 6 minutes per side or until they reach a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove from the grill and place on a plate and cover tightly with foil while you grill the buns.
- Spread the buns with butter and place butter side down on the hot grill. Grill for 2 minutes, or until lightly toasted.
- Assemble the burgers and top with your favorite toppings.
Jack B says
These truly are are THE BEST turkey burgers! Cooked them on the Blackstone and yum-o. Super fast and easy to make. A slice of tomato and avocado on top makes this a healthy meal, too. Most definitely will make again.
Karly Campbell says
Oh yay! I love to hear that! Thanks for the review, Jack!
Samantha Krager says
What is a butter cracker?
Karly says
Like a Ritz cracker.
agirlwhomakes says
thank you for sharing, it looks very tasty and recipe i9s easy to made
Kristina says
Love a good turkey burger, it’s been too long since I’ve had one..will have to give this a try!
Stephanie | The Foodie and The Fix says
I’m totally with your kiddo, Karly – nothing works up an appetite like swimming and that definitely calls for a big ol’ burger! Turkey burgers are our go-to, and this one looks awesome! I’ve never put butter crackers in my burgers before, can’t wait to try that!
Nadia Tavella says
What are butter crackers ??
Karly says
Ritz crackers. 🙂
Tracy | Baking Mischief says
I love turkey burgers, but I never grill them because of the crumbling issue. I am going to have to give your method a try! These sound soooo good, especially on a nice toasty brioche bun!
Stacey @ The Sugar Coated Cottage says
I love a good beef burger alternative! This turkey burger looks amazing. Butter cracker crumbs…YUM! I haven’t eaten breakfast yet and this turkey burger is making my stomach growl. Take care.
Megan | 3 Scoops of Sugar says
Turkey burgers are the best and these look awesome! I totally agree on the whole swimming and grilled food, they go hand in hand! Especially burgers! That reason alone I could never be a vegetarian- what would I eat in the summer?!
Tricia @ Saving Room for Dessert says
Brag away Karly because they look fantastic! I wish I could nap in a swimming pool. When our kids were growing up we lived in a community with a big pool and a swim team, etc. They could walk to the pool and practically lived there. I would bring them food a few times a day – haha. Swimming always makes me hungry – and apparently it works for your daughter too. Enjoy your last weeks of summer!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
We love turkey burgers Karly! And they’re perfect on a nice sweet brioche bun too! These look delish!