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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Made these tonight. Love them! Very moist and good flavor. We skipped the bun to avoid carb, but addd some cheese the last minute in the oven. Sweet potato fries on the side and dinner was done!
Delicious and easy! Didn’t have ricotta on hand, so used cottage cheese. Turned out great. Did it my cast iron pan and then in the oven, next time will try it on the grill with cast iron. Stove top burgers make a splattery mess for me! Served with all the typical burger toppings and oven roasted fries. Definitely will be on repeat.
I made these last night. I minced a shallot and large clove of garlic, sauteed in a little olive oil and added to the turkey burger mixture. Other than that, followed the recipe to a T, toasted sesame seed buns, and melted provolone over the burgers. Just had mayo as a condiment. These are by far, the most delicious and juicy turkey burgers we have ever made. My husband and I just love every one of your recipes Jenn. So glad I found you. Are you going to have another cookbook at some point?!
So glad you enjoyed these! Yes, I do have a second cookbook coming out on September 14 – thanks for inquiring, and stay tuned! 🙂
YAY! I was going to ask when your next book was going to be released! Every recipe has been a success- every recipe provides the full flavor profile and technique that makes adaptation easy. Always delicious, easy, and a “home chef’s” best friend – so thank you!
💗
I generally start these on the stove in a cast-iron skillet and then put them in the oven, as suggested. If I want to throw these on the grill, would u suggest cooking them on the stove first in a cast-iron skillet and then finishing them (in the skillet) on the grill, rather than the oven? Or should I put them on the grill from start to finish? I know you have a grilled turkey burger, but I am not crazy about sausage. And I really like this recipe. Thanks!!
You could go either way here, but if you do put these on the grill, I’d keep them in the skillet (as you mentioned) so they don’t fall apart.
What is the reason for frying and then baking to finish these off? I have fried alone and they turn out just fine.
I also wonder if part skim ricotta is an acceptable substitute for full fat, knowing it may not be quite as rich in flavor.
Sure, as you suspected, they won’t be quite as tender/rich, but it will work. 🙂
Hi Laurie, the combination of both the stove and the oven is so the burgers get cooked all the way through without getting too browned on the outside.
Hi
Can I use ground chicken breast instead of turkey? Love your recipes!
Hi Hillary, You can use chicken but I wouldn’t use extra lean as it will make the burgers dry. Hope you enjoy!
Just made these today and they were so easy and tasty. I’m not a huge fan of ground turkey but trust your recipes and I was not disappointed. Thank you!
Hi Chef Jenn,
You mention that one can add the sautéed onions, scallions or shallots, would all the mentioned be ‘sauteed’ in oil before adding it to the raw ground turkey?
I’d like to try this as I wanted to be sure to do away with the ‘gamey’ turkey aroma in these burgers.
appreciate the input…
Hi JooJoo, I’d saute onions or shallots, but it’s not necessary if you use scallions. Hope you enjoy!
– What would be portions of onions vs. shallots appropriate for 1lbs of ground turkey?
-How long would one sauté the onions or shallots ?
Thank you in advance for your input.
Hi JooJoo, I’d suggest about 3 tablespoons of finely chopped shallots or onions and would saute them for about 5 minutes or until tender. Just make sure not to brown them.
These are delicious! We have made them several times. Thank you for a yummy and easy recipe.
TOTAL PLEASER! Very moist and flavorful my family loved them!