Juicy Turkey Burgers - Healthy Recipes Blog (2024)

FAQs

Can turkey burgers be healthy? ›

"Ground turkey contains less saturated fat than ground beef, giving it a more beneficial fat profile," says Beaver. "In its place, ground turkey instead contains more polyunsaturated fat, which is a protective, healthier type of fat."

A Note About Ground Turkey

Typically the leaner the turkey, the 'drier' it is. So, for ease, use a leaner ground turkey. Adding milk to the patty and stuffing each patty with butter will help keep your turkey burgers moist and juicy.

Add a spoonful of mayonnaise.

Most recipes use egg to bind ground turkey, helping the meat to form into cohesive, juicy patties.

Just like in a traditional meatloaf, you need something to hold the meat together. Try adding some dry breadcrumbs to the turkey mixture before you shape the patties.

Ground beef and turkey are both nutritious meats that provide protein, fat, and a variety of vitamins and minerals. Turkey is generally lower in saturated fat than beef. As such, it may be a better choice for heart health. Fat-free turkey is also the lowest calorie option if you're interested in weight loss.

If you're a purist, you may not favor ground turkey itself, even in burgers. But lean ground turkey — which usually contains 7 percent fat, compared with the 20 percent fat content of 80 percent lean ground beef — is a cinch to disguise. The lower the saturated fat, the less detrimental it is to your cholesterol level.

2. Ensure Pleasing Texture and Richer Taste. Even 93 percent lean ground turkey—often the fattiest preground turkey you can buy—can still taste too lean and can easily dry out during cooking. To temper those effects, we added 2 tablespoons of melted butter to the meat, along with a panade of milk and panko.

More not-dry turkey burgers

Mashing avocado into the turkey mixture helps prevent the meat from shrinking and drying out during cooking, which is why these stay awesomely juicy, even when they're cooked all the way through.

Turkey can remain pink even after cooking to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F. The meat of smoked turkey is always pink. To understand some of the causes of "pinking" or "pinkening" in fresh turkey, it's important to know first what gives meat its natural color.

Just half a beaten egg in the raw meat will work as a binder to hold it all together. Just be sure to mix it into the meat well before forming patties. Turkey burgers are really worth the extra effort. When they turn out well, they are a fantastic burger that stand alone as great BBQ food.

Why are my turkey burgers rubbery? ›

Make sure you have enough fat in your burger blend

The high heat cooking needs fat to melt into your burger or you will end up with dry, rubbery, bland burgers every time.

Secret Ingredients – My secret to juicy burgers is mixing olive oil and Worcestershire sauce into the meat prior to cooking! This locks in the moisture and amps up the flavor. Try it and taste the difference. Seasonings – I keep it simple with sea salt, black pepper, and a little garlic powder.

So to answer the question – “Are turkey burgers actually healthy?” The answer is an affirmative yes! Ground turkey has less saturated fat than ground beef and is even leaner than ground chicken. The only “downside” is that turkey tends to be a lot drier than beef.

Leaner meats like turkey and chicken have less fat to keep the meat moist as it cooks, which can result in tougher, easily overcooked, dry burgers. By adding super finely chopped mushrooms, you are putting back a lot of water content that cooks out of lean meats like turkey.

If we're getting really granular, ground turkey is generally a little leaner than ground chicken. It has fewer calories, less sodium, more iron, and more protein.

“Venison burgers are extra lean and truly from a free-range farm: the wild,” Cipullo says. Venison, or deer meat, has fewer calories and less fat than 90 percent lean beef, but with all the protein and iron. Make it better: Venison cooks faster than beef and can dry out, so keep a close eye.

Ground turkey is a great food choice for individuals looking to shed excess weight. It offers several health and nutritional benefits, including: High protein content: Ground turkey is an excellent source of lean protein — a crucial component of any weight loss diet.

Turkey and chicken are often recommended as healthy alternatives to red meat. But if they are preserved, they count as processed meats and are harmful.