Skillet Turkey Burgers
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These skillet turkey burgers are juicy and flavorful, with a secret ingredient that takes them to the next level. A weeknight dinner winner!
If you’re a beef burger lover, you might think turkey burgers can’t measure up to the real thing—and, in most cases, you’d be right. But these skillet turkey burgers, modestly adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, are delicious in their own right. They have a juicy texture, deep savory flavor, and gorgeous browned crust. The secret is adding ricotta cheese and lots of seasoning to the burger mix.
Serve the turkey burgers on buns or rolls. I love them topped with a simple mix of equal parts Dijon mustard and mayo, along with arugula (as pictured), but they’re also great with classic burger toppings, bread and butter pickles, or caramelized onions. If you’d like to try some variations, consider adding a few tablespoons of finely chopped fresh herbs, a clove of minced garlic, or thinly sliced scallions to the burger mixture. And if you’re looking for a good side, try my crispy potato wedges—they’re easy and always a hit.
“By far the best turkey burger I have ever tasted anywhere!”
What You’ll Need To Make Skillet Turkey Burger Recipe
- Ground turkey: The lean protein base of the burger—use 93% for best results.
- Salt and black pepper: Essential seasonings to bring out the natural flavors of the turkey.
- Worcestershire sauce & Dijon mustard: Adds depth, tang, and a savory umami flavor to the burger mix.
- Ricotta cheese: Keeps the burgers moist and juicy.
- Italian seasoned bread crumbs: Help bind the mixture and add a little extra flavor and texture.
- Vegetable oil: Used to cook the burgers and give them a nice, crispy crust.
- Hamburger buns: For serving; toast and and butter them for extra flavor.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Place ground turkey in a medium-size bowl. Add salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, ricotta cheese, bread crumbs, and mustard.
Using your hands, mix until well blended.
Divide the meat mixture into 4 equal portions. Gently toss each portion from hand to hand to form a ball, then use your fingertips to lightly flatten it into a 3/4-inch-thick patty with a small depression in the center (this helps keep the burgers from puffing up while cooking). At this point, the uncooked burgers can be refrigerated overnight or frozen for up to three months.
Heat a large, heavy, ovenproof skillet over medium heat until it’s very hot, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the oil and swirl it around to coat the bottom. Place the burgers in the pan and cook without moving them until the bottom is dark golden brown and crusted, 3 to 4 minutes.
Turn the burgers over and continue cooking until the bottom is light brown but not yet crusted, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for another 7 to 8 minutes, or until the burgers are fully cooked (an instant-read thermometer inserted from the side into the center should read 160°F). Remove the turkey burgers from the pan and serve immediately.
Looking for more ways to lighten traditional ground beef recipes by substituting ground turkey? Check out my turkey meatballs, turkey meatloaf, and turkey chili.
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Skillet Turkey Burgers
Juicy and packed with savory flavor, these skillet turkey burgers rival the best beef burgers.
Ingredients
- 1¼ pounds 93% lean ground turkey (I use Shady Brook Farms)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup whole milk Ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, for cooking
- 4 hamburger buns (lightly toasted and buttered, if desired)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- Place the ground turkey in a medium-size bowl. Add the salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, ricotta cheese, bread crumbs, and mustard. Using your hands, mix until well blended. Divide the meat mixture into 4 equal portions. Lightly toss one portion from hand to hand to form a ball, then lightly flatten the ball with your fingertips into a ¾-inch-thick patty with a slight depression in the center (this prevents the burgers from puffing up when cooked). Repeat with the remaining portions.
- Heat a large, heavy, ovenproof skillet over medium heat until very hot, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the oil to the pan and swirl to coat the bottom. Add the burgers and cook over medium heat, without moving the burgers, until the bottom side of each is dark golden brown and crusted, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the burgers over; continue to cook until the bottom side is light brown but not yet crusted, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer the pan to the oven and continue cooking for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the burgers are completely cooked (an instant-read thermometer inserted from the side of the burger into the center should register 160°F). Remove the burgers from the pan and serve immediately.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The uncooked burgers can refrigerated for 24 hours or frozen for up to three months. (Freeze the burgers on a baking sheet or plate so their shape sets, then transfer them to a sealable plastic bag for easy storage.) Defrost the burgers overnight in the refrigerator prior to serving and then cook as directed.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 burger
- Calories: 445
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Sodium: 536 mg
- Cholesterol: 121 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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My Family LOVES these pan seared turkey burgers.
I do mix ALL the adds into my Italian bread crumbs and have used 2% milk or whatever milk I have on hand to substitute for the 1/2 c of whole milk ricotta, as I do not have that on hand. Then I mix the “bread crumb mixture into the ground turkey and mix it in well with the best kitchen tools; my clean hands!
The first time I made these burgers I followed the directions to only get a golden crust on one side of the burger before putting them in the oven, but we found there is a LOT of flavor in the crust so now I cook the burgers on top of the stove in my cast iron pan until both sides have a lovely crust. Put the burgers into a hot oven that has come to temp for 20 mins or more and let them go. It doesn’t take long for them to reach 160 degrees internal temperature.
We love them on brioche rolls! Very tasty.
Thank you Jenn.
I had some ground turkey I wanted to use up but did not have any ricotta on hand. I did have some cottage cheese which I rinsed off in a sieve, drained well, and mashed a bit finer with a fork. Worked very well in the recipe and the burgers were totally moist and delicious. Yummy!
Perfect in every possible way! Thanks a lot, Jenn, by far the best turkey burger I have ever tasted anywhere!
The most delicious turkey burgers ever!!! And so easy to do!!
Made these for supper tonight – outstanding!! Will definitely make them again
I have 2 questions – Can they be frozen after cooked? Do you think they can be made with same outcome on barbecue? Thanks!
Glad you liked them! I think they could be frozen, but maybe would be better if frozen before cooking. And, yes, you could grill these if you want (or you could try this grilled version).
This is the best recipe. My son and husband request this every week !
Another huge crowd pleaser! We left out the bun and added a slice of cheddar for a reduced-carb option and it was a huge hit. Again, Jenn created something that my two-year-old absolutely loves! These also freeze and reheat beautifully – definitely a weeknight go-to meal for our family!
What could you substitute if you don’t have ricotta cheese?
Hi Teri, You could try cottage cheese but I would definitely blend it in a food processor first to get rid of the curds. Hope that helps!
For lactose intolerant folks like me what can I use instead of ricotta? (Wish they’re make ricotta lactose free!) thanks!!
Hi Dana, I would try lactose-free cottage cheese and purée it.
Would you please comment on using panku bread crumbs mixed with a bit of dried oregano, thyme and basil instead of Italian seasoned bread crumbs. Here in Denmark I cannot buy the bread crumbs you used. Thanks. Ken
Hi Ken, It’s fine to use panko with dried herbs but you’ll need to crush the panko to a fine texture (bread crumbs are much finer than panko).
For those who don’t like mustard, I subsituted 1 tsp of low sodium soy sauce and it came out well. I didn’t want to add any more because I wanted to make sure the burgers would still bind.
These are the best turkey burgers! So easy and so good definitely follow the cooking method makes all the difference!