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A healthier alternative to traditional ground beef burgers, this juicy turkey burger recipe is topped with rich, sweet caramelized onions for a gourmet take on the classic.
Whether you are hosting a backyard BBQ or looking for a fantastic recipe for meal prep, this turkey burger recipe is juicy, tender, and flavorful. These burgers are made uniquely delicious with the addition of rich caramelized onions and tangy sundried tomatoes.
Don’t miss an opportunity to make the best brioche buns! They are soft, tender and soak up all the flavorful juices. I suggest making a double batch to freeze for the next time you make ground chicken burgers or turkey sloppy joes!
Why You Will Love These Turkey Burgers
- They are perfectly seasoned. The combination of kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder provides a well-balanced seasoning for the ground turkey mixture.
- They have the best texture. These juicy turkey burgers are the ideal texture. Turkey tends to dry out, but these burgers remain moist and succulent because of the shape of the patties and the times and temperatures used.
- They’re packed with flavor. Some turkey burgers can be a bit bland and uninteresting. These burgers have caramelized onions, sundried tomatoes, and a delicious combination of spices to create the most flavorful bite.
Professional Tips For Making The Best Turkey Burger
- Don’t overwork the meat. Just mix the turkey burger ingredients until they are combined. Overmixing can result in dense patties.
- Let the burgers rest. Allow the burgers to rest for just a few minutes before serving. This will allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, resulting in a juicier burger. It’ll also give you some time to make your potato salad and healthy creamy coleslaw!
- Be patient. When cooking caramelized onions, they can take time. Be patient and allow them to cook as long as is needed to reach a completely soft texture.
Ingredients
- Ground turkey: I like to use lean ground turkey meat that is at least 10% fat. Anything leaner than 90% can lead to a burger that is on the dry side.
- Kosher Salt & Pepper
- Onion powder: Using onion powder for this recipe adds a lightly sweet, savory flavor to the final dish with a more nuanced onion flavor than fresh onions.
- Garlic powder: Adding garlic powder provides an aromatic and savory flavor to the turkey mixture.
- Sundried Tomatoes: Using about 6 sundried tomatoes adds richness and sweetness to the dish.
- Lettuce
- Hamburger Buns: Choose your favorite burger buns for this recipe, whether that is a regular sesame seed bun, a whole wheat bun, or a brioche bun.
- Unsalted Butter
- Olive Oil: I typically use olive oil for my caramelized onions, but you can also use a neutral oil like grapeseed or avocado oil.
- Onions: I like to use about 2 pounds of yellow onions, cut in half lengthwise and sliced ¼ inch thick. You can also make this recipe with sweet onions.
- Sugar
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- Different Burger Toppings: Try this recipe with whatever toppings appeal to you most. You can use soy sauce, ketchup, mustard, pickles, red onion, cheese, Worcestershire sauce, this easy BBQ sauce recipe, or a mayo or aioli. A fried egg, fresh parsley, some bacon, or smoked paprika might also be a welcome addition! And let’s not forget about the cheddar cheese possibilities!
- Air Fryer: You can also make this recipe in the air fryer. Line your air fryer with parchment paper and cook each burger for about 4 minutes per side at 400°F.
- Gluten-Free: You can make this recipe gluten-free by either using gluten-free buns or serving the burgers as a lettuce wrap.
How to Make This Turkey Burgers Recipe
Use these instructions to make the perfect turkey burger every time! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below and in this full post on how to caramelize onions!
Step 1: Make the caramelized onions: melt butter and olive oil in a Dutch oven or non-reactive pan over medium-high heat, stirring as needed.
Step 2: Add onions, stirring to coat. Spread them out in as even a layer as possible, sprinkle with sugar and cook, stirring as needed to keep the onions from sticking. Continue to cook until the onions are soft, deep golden brown and smell fragrant and sweet, about an hour.
Just a teaspoon of regular sugar will aid in the caramelization process. If you do not have sugar on hand, the onions will just take a bit longer to reach the correct texture.
Step 3: Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper and top those burgers!
Step 4: Prepare and cook the burgers. First, mix together the ground turkey, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Form into 4 equal patties. Flatten to about ¼ inch thick. This will help get a nice, juicy turkey burger.
Step 5: Preheat a grill, grill pan, or skillet over medium-high heat with about a tablespoon canola oil until hot. If using a grill pan or a grill, brush the oil on the grates right before adding the burgers.
Step 6: Sear both sides of the burgers until a nice crust forms, about 2 minutes a side. Reduce the heat on the stovetop to medium or move to a preheated oven (350°F) and continue to cook the burgers until a thermometer registers an internal temperature of 165°F or the insides are no longer pink. This cook time will depend on how thick you form your patties. Mine took approximately 12 minutes total.
Step 7: While the burgers cook, prepare your toppings.
Allow the burgers to rest for just a few minutes before serving so the juices can redistribute.
Step 8: Top buns with a burger, caramelized onions, sun-dried tomatoes, and lettuce. Enjoy!
Chef Lindsey’s Recipe Tip
Ground turkey has less saturated fat than other cuts of meat, making it easier for turkey burgers to dry out. Be sure to make your patties thin (about ¼ inch thick) so they cook quickly and evenly without becoming tough.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftover turkey burgers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Store turkey patties, onions, and buns separately. You can also freeze turkey burgers. It is best to freeze patties before they are cooked. Freeze them on a parchment-lined sheet tray, then wrap them individually in plastic wrap, transfer them to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Turkey burgers are great with a wide variety of side dishes, from salads to sweet potato fries. Try them with roasted potatoes, brussels sprouts and leeks, or lemon roasted cauliflower for a healthy dinner. They’d also be amazing with sweet potato fries or French fries (of course)!
Keep your turkey burger moist by choosing ground turkey that is no more than 90% lean. I make my turkey burgers moist and flavorful by using sundried tomatoes and a mixture of spices.
You can use an instant-read thermometer to test the doneness of your turkey burger. Be sure the internal temperature has reached 165°F before serving.
If you tried this recipe and loved it please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love hearing from you; your comments make my day!
Juicy Turkey Burger
Ingredients
- 2 lbs yellow onions
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 6 sundried tomatoes sliced
- 4 brioche buns
Instructions
- Make the caramelized onions: melt butter and olive oil in a Dutch oven or non-reactive pan over medium-high heat, stirring as needed.
- Add onions, stirring to coat. Spread them out in as even a layer as possible, sprinkle with sugar and cook, stirring as needed to keep the onions from sticking. Continue to cook until the onions are soft, deep golden brown and smell fragrant and sweet, about an hour.
- Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper and top those burgers!
- Prepare and cook the burgers. First, mix together the ground turkey, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Form into 4 equal patties. Flatten to about ¼ inch thick. This will help get a nice, juicy turkey burger.
- Preheat a grill, grill pan, or skillet over medium-high heat with about a tablespoon canola oil until hot. If using a grill pan or a grill, brush the oil on the grates right before adding the burgers.
- Sear both sides of the burgers until a nice crust forms, about 2 minutes a side. Reduce the heat on the stovetop to medium or move to a preheated oven (350°F) and continue to cook the burgers until a thermometer registers an internal temperature of 165°F or the insides are no longer pink. This cook time will depend on how thick you form your patties. Mine took approximately 12 minutes total.
- While the burgers cook, prepare your toppings.
- Top buns with a burger, caramelized onions, sun-dried tomatoes, and lettuce. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Before You Go
I hope you enjoyed this professional chef-tested recipe. Check out our other delicious, chef-developed sandwich recipes!
These burgers with caramelized onions were fabulous! Juicy & so tasty!
Hi Janey! Thanks so much for taking the time to rate and comment! I’m so happy to hear that these burgers turned out fabulous!
Looks delicious. So these are the turkey burgers you were making those caramelized onions for that one time! I take it that your caramelized onions have been perfectly mastered now.
When we make patties for family meal at work, this is how we eat them too, on baguettes….since our bakery side sells baguettes and we use the leftovers for family meals and croutons or whatever.
Indeed it was 🙂 I would eat my finger on a baguette…not really, that’s gross, but you get the idea!
The idea was to have some left overs of this baguette for French onion soup but we ate it all!
This looks amazing! And the combination…I have to try it! Love your photos!
Thanks, Adriana! I hope you do try it!
I would definitely say that goat’s cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and caramelized onions are my perfect gourmet trifecta too! Can’t wait to try this with some ground chicken soon. These burgers look delicious!!
Haha! There is just something about the combo that makes me feel so posh! I hope you do try them!
These certainly do look gourmet! I love that you served them on a baguette! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks, Monet! I am all about the baguette!