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Sharing a favorite turkey burger recipe today that doesn’t even need a bun! This turkey burger bowl is healthy and makes a great meal prep for quick lunches during the week!

Turkey Burger Recipe

This bowl of turkey burger goodness has quickly become a summer favorite around our house. I like to prepare double the recipe to have enough for lunches to meal prep at the beginning of the week. I used a cast iron skillet to cook my turkey burgers, but an indoor or outdoor grill works great if you prefer!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe!

This recipe is a healthier option that a regular hamburger.
The added vegetables are delicious paired with the turkey burger.
Not only is this recipe delicious, it’s simple to prepare in the kitchen!

Try my Turkey BLT Sliders too! Follow Picky Palate on Instagram for daily recipe inspiration.

What Is Best To Make With Ground Turkey?

Ground turkey is a versatile ingredient that can be rolled into meatballs, shaped into burgers and meatloaf, and crumbled into sauces. And in the right form, it proves to be the lean, lighter alternative to ground beef. It has the potential to make for a flavorful meal, as long as it’s used correctly.

What You’ll Need

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make turkey burgers at home. See the recipe card located at the bottom of the post for full details and instructions.

ground turkey– Find ground turkey in the meat department near the chicken. You can substitute ground beef or chicken too.
onion– I use white onion for this recipe. Make sure you chop it very fine for best results.
Feta Cheese– Find crumbled Feta Cheese in the cheese section of the grocery store.
fresh cilantro– Fresh cilantro adds to the freshness of the burgers and makes a nice garnish on top. Finely chop for best results.
hot sauce– I like to use Cholula for the hot sauce here.
black pepper– For best tasting results use freshly cracked black pepper.
garlic salt– Lawry’s is a great garlic salt brand. It’s what I use in all of my cooking.
red pepper flakes– Red pepper flakes add a touch of heat to the burgers. Can be optional if needed.
sweet potato– Peel and cube your sweet potatoes. They’ll get sauteed until fork tender. They’re a delicious addition to the burger bowl.
broccoli florets– I like to grab the bag of broccoli florets in a bag for quick usage. You can cut your own florets as well.
zucchini- You’ll give zucchini slices a quick saute for the bowl. They take just a couple minutes.
red bell pepper– Thinly slice the red bell pepper. They’ll be sauteed for the bowl as well.
jalapeño– These are optional, but such a great addition. Thinly slice and saute for just a couple minutes.
green onion– Add sliced green onion to the burger bowl.
avocado– I added thin slices of avocado to the top of my burger. Make sure you select an avocado that has a little give when slightly pressed in your hand.

Recipe Tips For Success!

Whether you’re making burgers, meatballs, or meatloaf, it’s best to keep the meat handling to a minimum. It has a direct impact on the texture of the finished recipe: When over-handled, the meat compacts and results in a tough finished product.

When mixing the ingredients and shaping meatloaf, burgers, and meatballs, handle the meat as little as possible. Lightly oiled hands and a soft touch is is the goal.

For my turkey burgers today, I’ve added some feta cheese, chopped onions, cilantro and some seasonings. They come out perfectly flavorful!

How To Make Turkey Burgers

Preheat Grill. Preheat indoor or outdoor grill to medium heat. You can also use a cast iron skillet on the stovetop.

Prepare Turkey Burgers In Mixing Bowl. Place turkey, onion, feta, cilantro, hot sauce, salt, pepper, garlic salt and red pepper flakes into a large mixing bowl. Gently combine all ingredients mixing gently until just combined.

Form Into Patties. Form into 3-4 inch patties and place onto a plate or tray to get ready for grilling/cooking.

Cook Burgers. When grill or skillet is hot, grill/cook each patty until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees, flipping half way through. When done, transfer to a clean plate/tray and keep warm with foil over top while cooking the rest of the patties.

How Long Do I Cook Turkey Burgers?

Because of its low fat content, ground turkey isn’t very forgiving when it’s cooked for a few minutes too long. When overcooked, ground turkey quickly gets dry and crumbly, and loses its flavor. Keep on eye on the time as you cook, and keep an instant-read thermometer handy.

Turkey Burger Temperature

To prevent dry meat, cook ground turkey until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. I cooked my burgers about 5 minutes per side over medium heat, checking to make sure internal temperature was 165 degrees F.

Cook Vegetables. While the burgers are grilling/cooking saute your vegetables you want in your burger bowl. I sautéed diced sweet potatoes, broccoli, zucchini, bell pepper rings and a few jalapeños. Use your favorite vegetables for your own bowl.

How To Serve

Serve turkey burger bowl for any occasion where burgers are wanted. These are honestly great enjoyed all year round. They’re great for weeknights and weekend entertaining!

Leftovers

Refrigerate. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Reheating Instructions. Reheat turkey burgers and leftover vegetables on a heat proof plate, covered for 60-90 seconds, until hot.

Freezing Instructions. Freeze any leftover burgers in an airtight freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw before reheating.