This delicious turkey smash burgers recipe is the best I've ever tasted. Turkey patties are smashed onto a hot cast iron skillet to produce a caramelized exterior that's crisp, savory, and delicious. Serve on a toasted bun with your favorite toppings and condiments!
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Why You'll Love This Dish
This is seriously the best turkey burger recipe I've ever tried.
Turkey burgers have a tendency to be dry and a bit bland, but with the addition of grated onion and Worcestershire sauce, these turkey burgers are moist with a lightly caramelized and crisp exterior.
Turkey burgers are a great recipe when you're looking for something lighter than beef burgers. Plus, because they're not cooked on the grill, you can make them any time of year.
They're also quick and easy, only cooking for a few minutes on each side. Finally, you can make turkey smash burgers in advance and use them for meal prep throughout the week!
What You'll Need for Turkey Smash Burgers
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- Ground Turkey I have tested this recipe with both 85/15 and 90/10 blends, and both work well.
- Onion This will be grated. Yellow, sweet, red, or white onion will work well here.
- Worcestershire Sauce This is key to the browning on the exterior of the burger, so don't leave it out!
- Kosher Salt My preferred brand is always Diamond Crystal.
- Black Pepper Fresh black pepper is a great addition to the burger.
- Neutral Oil Like grapeseed oil or avocado oil.
- Hamburger Buns
Toppings for Turkey Burgers
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- Onion
- Mustard
- Ketchup
- Mayo
- Cheese
You can also add whatever other toppings you may like - pickles, avocado, and kimchi are some of our favorites.
Recommended Equipment
Cast Iron Skillet or Stainless Steel Pan (you can also use a griddle pan)
How to Make Homemade Turkey Smash Burgers
Step One Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat. Grate half of a medium onion using the smallest holes of a box grater.
Step Two Measure two tablespoons of the grated onion, leaving behind any liquid.
Step Three Add the ground turkey, Worcestershire sauce, grated onion, salt and pepper to a bowl.
Step Four: Mix the burger mixture well, trying not to overwork the turkey meat.
Step Five Divide the turkey into four equal portions.
Step Six Add the burgers to the cast iron skillet. As soon as they hit the pan, smash turkey burgers flat using the back of a spatula.
Step Seven Cook for about 4 minutes per side.
Step Eight Toast the buns.
Step Nine If adding cheese, add it in the last two minutes of cooking.
Step Ten Remove the finished burgers from the pan, measuring with a meat thermometer to ensure they have reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step Eleven Build your burgers, adding your preferred toppings and condiments.
Step Twelve Serve right away!
Variations & Substitutions
- Add a tablespoon of ketchup to your turkey burger meat for added sweetness.
- Make a traditional turkey burger by forming patties and adding them to the pan without smashing them.
- You can make a classic smash burger by swapping the ground turkey for ground beef.
- If making this turkey smash burger recipe on a grill, don't smash the burgers. You can use the same cook time.
How to Store
Fridge You can refrigerate leftover turkey burgers in an airtight container 3 to 4 days. Be sure to store the buns and burgers separately.
Freezer You can freeze cooked turkey burgers if needed, but they may become overcooked or dry in the process of thawing and reheating. I recommend freezing turkey burger patties raw instead.
Reheat the patties from the fridge in the microwave or in a pan with a bit of oil.
FAQ
Yes! You'll want both sides of the turkey burgers to be cooked for the same amount of time. This will create the nice caramelization and lightly crispy exterior that makes these the best turkey smash burgers.
There are a few things you can add to ground turkey to keep it moist. I recommend using a combination of Worcestershire sauce and grated onion. You can also use ketchup.
Unfortunately no. Turkey needs to be cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit for food safety reasons. Use a reliable meat thermometer to check the temperature of your turkey burgers before serving.
How to Serve
Try these fantastic turkey burger toppings:
Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms
Expert Tips
- Make sure your cast iron skillet is super hot before cooking your turkey smash burger. You can also use a stainless steel skillet if you do not have a cast iron available.
- Work in 2 batches if needed, only cooking as many patties at a time as will fit in the pan without crowding.
- To taste for seasoning, cook a tiny bit of the uncooked turkey in the skillet. Taste this piece for seasoning and add more salt if needed before cooking all of the burgers.
- To prevent the burgers from sticking to the spatula, you can put a bit of fat on the spatula itself, like a bit of oil or non-stick cooking spray.
Other Recipes You'll Love
Looking for sides to have with your turkey burgers? Try these recipes!
📖 Recipe
The Best Turkey Smash Burgers
Equipment
- Large Cast Iron Skillet or Stainless Steel Pan
- Meat Thermometer
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil like grapeseed or avocado oil
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- ½ onion
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- fresh black pepper
- 4 hamburger buns
Optional Toppings
- American cheese
- lettuce
- tomato
- onion
- ketchup
- mustard
- mayonnaise
Instructions
- Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
- Grate half of a medium onion using the smallest holes of a box grater.
- Measure two tablespoons of the grated onion, leaving behind any liquid.
- Add the ground turkey, Worcestershire sauce, grated onion, salt and pepper to a bowl.
- Mix the burger mixture well, trying not to overwork the turkey meat.
- Divide the turkey into four equally portioned balls.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high to high heat. Add a bit of oil and add the burgers. As soon as they hit the pan, smash the burgers flat using the back of a spatula.
- Cook for about 4 minutes per side. Flip the burgers halfway through.
- Meanwhile, toast the buns.
- If adding cheese, add it the last two minutes of cooking.
- Remove the finished burgers from the pan, measuring with a meat thermometer to ensure they have reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Build your burgers, adding your preferred toppings and condiments. Serve right away.
Notes
- Estimated calories are for one burger and bun with no toppings.
- Work in two batches if needed to avoid crowding the pan.
- To taste for seasoning, cook a tiny bit of the uncooked turkey in the skillet. Taste this piece for seasoning and add more salt if needed before cooking all of the burgers.
- To prevent the burgers from sticking to the spatula, you can put a bit of fat on the spatula itself, like a bit of oil or non-stick cooking spray.
- Fridge You can refrigerate leftover turkey burgers in an airtight container 3 to 4 days. Be sure to store the buns and burgers separately.
- Freezer You can freeze cooked turkey burgers if needed, but they may become overcooked or dry in the process of thawing and reheating. I recommend freezing turkey burger patties raw instead.
- Reheat burgers from a pan into the microwave or in a pan with a bit of oil.
Shilpa says
I love recipes that are easy to make, yet unique and delicious- this turkey burger is just that! Perfectly cooked patties and the toppings were just right.
Genevieve says
That's such a lovely compliment - thank you, Shilpa!
Genevieve says
Amazing, so happy you enjoyed it, Shilpa!
Gina says
Love a good smash burger! Using turkey was a fun change rather than beef and of course, all the toppings made the meal.
Genevieve says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed, Gina.
Sarita says
This was so good that even my meat-and-potatoes-only husband asked me to make it again!
Genevieve says
Haha, that's a victory for sure! Thank you Sarita!
Kris says
Wow were these good! Came out so tender, too. 🙂
Genevieve says
I'm so happy you enjoyed them, Kris!
Addison says
Ground turkey is my favorite so I absolutely loved these smash burgers! They had such a great onion flavor too!