Juicy Turkey Burgers - Healthy Recipes Blog (2024)

FAQs

Can turkey burgers be healthy? ›

"Ground turkey contains less saturated fat than ground beef, giving it a more beneficial fat profile," says Beaver. "In its place, ground turkey instead contains more polyunsaturated fat, which is a protective, healthier type of fat."

Try adding some dry breadcrumbs to the turkey mixture before you shape the patties. The crumbs will absorb the moisture and, together with the egg, will act like glue and help your burgers maintain their shape on the grill.

Mushrooms add moisture, mouthfeel, and umami (beefy) flavor to the otherwise dry ground turkey. When mushrooms are chopped up into little bits, they easily and evenly mix with ground turkey making the protein so tender and flavorful while also giving the dish a veggie boost. And we all love that!

More not-dry turkey burgers

Mashing avocado into the turkey mixture helps prevent the meat from shrinking and drying out during cooking, which is why these stay awesomely juicy, even when they're cooked all the way through.

Your body can't store protein, so you need to consume it every day. As long as you don't eat too much turkey, it is a healthy way to get the protein you need. It's also a good source of beneficial vitamins and minerals like magnesium and niacin. Turkey is also an excellent source of selenium.

Ground beef and turkey are both nutritious meats that provide protein, fat, and a variety of vitamins and minerals. Turkey is generally lower in saturated fat than beef. As such, it may be a better choice for heart health. Fat-free turkey is also the lowest calorie option if you're interested in weight loss.

While raw egg can be used to bind the burgers, mayonnaise does the trick while also adding an irreplacable dimension of creaminess, moisture, and flavor. When the patties cook, the mayo melts into the pockets of the meat to create a wonderfully juicy patty. Goodbye, dry turkey burgers.

If you let the turkey rest a bit, the juices reabsorb into the meat rather than running out of the bird and landing on the cutting board. Carve it to order. The longer you let it sit after you slice it, the drier it will be. If you need to slice it, cover it with foil or plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.

It's very wet—71 percent water versus 66 percent for beef—which makes it hard to work with, yet it can easily cook up dry. That's because ground turkey must be cooked to 160 degrees. At that temperature, nearly all the turkey's abundant moisture will have been squeezed out by contracting proteins.

What can I add to ground turkey to make it taste better? ›

How do you add flavor to ground turkey? Turkey meat can be flavored with easy ingredients like kosher salt and pepper, bell peppers, garlic powder, and olive oil. If you're cooking meat, specifically turkey taco meat, hot sauce and enchilada sauce are your best mates.

Ground turkey isn't as flavorful as ground beef, but if you want it to feel a little bit more like ground beef, try adding some Worcestershire sauce.

Breadcrumbs: Use seasoned whole wheat or gluten-free breadcrumbs to keep the turkey together. How do you add flavor to ground turkey? Dried onion flakes, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, grated garlic, and salt flavor turkey burgers.

Absolutely! We love getting ahead when it comes to prep. Make the turkey burger mixture, form into patties, and then cover with cling film and refrigerate up to 1 day ahead. You can also freeze the patties for up 3 months and then use when you need!

If you choose beef, choose 90 percent lean or higher. Bison and venison are also leaner red meat choices. Poultry such as ground turkey or chicken can be higher in saturated fat and calories if dark meat and skin are used in the mix. If you choose to use ground chicken or turkey, look for breast only.

Turkey and chicken are often recommended as healthy alternatives to red meat. But if they are preserved, they count as processed meats and are harmful.

Both chicken and turkey provide healthy protein. Generally, chicken tends to be higher in vitamin B6 and pantothenic acid, and turkey tends to be lower in calories, fat, and sodium while having more zinc, niacin, and vitamin B12.

If we're getting really granular, ground turkey is generally a little leaner than ground chicken. It has fewer calories, less sodium, more iron, and more protein. Still, the differences are almost negligible.