How-to Make Turkey Burgers {And Freeze Them Too!}

When we say "burger" in our house, it's 90% of the time turkey--we just aren't huge red meat eaters.  For non-turkey fans, I feel there is a misconception that they are super dry, hockey pucks.  SO not true!

There are a few varieties of ground turkey to purchase: Lean (93/7), Extra Lean (99/1) and a fattier variety that uses dark and white meat (85/15).  Most of the time, the lean variety is preferred.  It's very healthy, but still has a bit of fat to it.  If you are subbing for a beef recipe, I highly recommend Lean over Extra Lean, which can be dry.

 

My favorite tip for getting perfectly seasoned burgers is to get a big bowl out and put all seasonings in BEFORE adding the meat.  Since I use steak sauce and spices, I want to make sure they are all blended well.  Otherwise some burgers will be salty, while some could be under seasoned.  It's truly a life saver!

Speaking of spices, I tend to use 2-3 but if you don't have a huge spice collection AT LEAST use Montreal Chicken seasoning.  It has tons of tasty spices in it and will give it some good flavor.  The steak sauce adds a depth of flavor and some moisture the ground turkey needs.

Since this is just the basics, once you make these burgers you can play around with other seasonings.  We love spicy turkey burgers with black beans and jalapenos, or Jerk flavored ones. Have fun so you don't get bored!!


Here's what you'll need (for 4-5 burgers)

• 1 package Jennie-O lean ground turkey
• 1 teaspoon each: Montreal Chicken Seasoning, Hamburger spice, Garlic Powder
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire 
• 1 teaspoon A1 Steak Sauce
• Buns and favorite burger toppings

1.  In a large bowl, whisk all seasonings, steak sauce and Worcestershire together
2. Add ground turkey and mix until all spices are evenly distributed. Try to avoid over-mixing, though! 1 minute should be plenty
3. Shape into patties, leaving a thumb indentation in the center. There should be 4 large patties or 5 medium sized.
4. Two options:

• To Freeze: place patties on a parchment lined cookie sheet and freeze 4-5 hours or overnight. Once frozen, place in a baggie.  I really love the Ziploc perfect portions bags to individually freeze items like burgers and chicken.  It makes it much easier to pull out one or two burgers at a time.  After putting them in the perfect portion bag, I place all of the burgers in a gallon sized bag.  You can grill frozen or defrost.
• To Grill: use a Foreman or regular grill and cook completely, trying to avoid pressing down on the burgers (it releases all of the juices!).  The thumb indentation made when you formed the patties will keep the burgers from turning into a softball shape.

Other turkey recipes you'll love:

• Turkey Tacos
• Turkey Italian Sausage + Lentil Soup
• Turkey Chili Mac
• Turkey Meatballs

What's your favorite ground turkey recipe?