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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These burgers were super tasty! I had a problem with them falling apart in the pan, not sure what happened there, but I’ve never been super great at shaping burgers.
Hi Morgan, glad you liked them but sorry to hear they fell apart. I suspect that you probably just need to apply more pressure as you’re making the patties to make the burgers a little bit more compact. Hope that helps!
Has this been tried in an air fryer? Any idea what the settings would be?
Hi Shannon, I don’t have any experience with an air fryer, so I can’t weigh in – sorry!
Do these have to be cooked in a skillet or can they be put on the grill?
Hi Kelly, If you want to cook these on the grill, I’d put them in a skillet so they don’t fall apart. If you want a turkey burger that can go on the grill grates, I’d suggest this recipe. Hope that helps!
These burgers are so moist and delicious, you’ll think you’re eating beef. We make a big bunch, freeze some and pull them out individually as needed for a quick meal. Taste great reheated as well.
Fantastic as always! These were so quick to put together and a hit with the whole family – including 4 kids under 8. Obviously it’s a little harder to work with the turkey texture over beef but I couldn’t believe how flavorful and moist these were with so little effort. Jenn does it again! So grateful for how your recipes bless our family and make homemade dinners doable – even in my exhausted state of pregnant with my 5th haha. I love the grilled turkey burgers, but I have a harder time sourcing the turkey sausage so these were such a nice option without having to go to a second store. So grateful for you Jenn!
Wow – you have your hands full!! Glad everyone enjoyed the burgers. 🙂
These burgers are fantastic! So quick to put together and delicious! Perfect for a week night meal. I’m so thrilled that you have a new cookbook coming out! I’ve already preordered mine. Can’t wait to get it! Love all your recipes.
💓
Hi Jenn, and many thanks. Tried this skillet burger recipe and boy, was it a hit with my husband! After 50 plus years of marriage we needed a change in burgers from the onion soup recipe that is full of sodium. He is a bit suspicious of new recipes but always loves what I cook. Followed the recipe and found the burgers to be juicy and flavorful. I have been cooking forever it seems, but did not know about putting an indentation in burgers to keep them from puffing up. Wow! Old dog and new trick. We really love all your recipes, thanks for being here.
Candyce Conley
Dayton, WA
Your recipe is similar to my favorite from Pam Anderson, but hers uses goat cheese, no breadcrumbs. I checked back on hers and it now uses ricotta like yours, no breadcrumbs. Any idea why ricotta wins out over goat cheese? I imagine it is easier to mix in. Breadcrumbs to give it body? I make and freeze these all the time, as they are my go-to emergency meal (like today).
Hi, I’m not sure why ricotta would win out over goat cheese as I’ve never tried these with it (but it sounds yummy)! And I like think the bread crumbs just help a bit with the texture.
Well, I did it. Followed your recipe exactly BUT only had 1 pound of turkey since that’s what normal grocery stores provide, used panko, so added 1/4 tsp thyme. Wow! Turned out delicious and moist and TENDER. You’ve made me a believer in breadcrumbs! And the ricotta was much easier to blend in.
I just made this turkey burgers tonight. I must say they have been the juiciest turkey burgers I have ever made. I will add sauteed onions and garlic next time. The creamy mayo & mustard sauce is a must. Thank you for this and all your recipes.
Made as indicated. Texture was pleasantly moist. Flavor was ok but could have benefited from adding garlic or shallot as some readers did. Made the Mayo and Mustard sauce and that enhanced the flavor.