Juicy Turkey Burgers - Healthy Recipes Blog (2024)

FAQs

What is the best binder for turkey burgers? ›

While raw egg can be used to bind the burgers, mayonnaise does the trick while also adding an irreplacable dimension of creaminess, moisture, and flavor. When the patties cook, the mayo melts into the pockets of the meat to create a wonderfully juicy patty. Goodbye, dry turkey burgers.

Since turkey burgers tend to be drier than their ground beef counterparts, we added an egg to ours to help it hold together and give it more moisture. We also use 94% lean ground turkey in our patties—we don't recommend any higher than that, or your burgers might not hold together.

"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."

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.

One of the most common substitutes is breadcrumbs, but sometimes the breadcrumbs can fall off when the burgers are cooking if there are too many or they are too dry. Other popular substitutions for eggs include cornstarch, flour, ketchup, porridge oats, cracker crumbs, and ground flaxseed.

Keep your burgers from falling apart.

We recommend adding a raw egg and a handful of breadcrumbs.

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.

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.

Add 1 egg yolk per pound of hamburger. It won't add appreciably to the fat content and will bind the meat beautifully. The other thing you can do is add canned, drained, crushed black beans or chickpeas to the hamburger. The starch from the beans will bind the meat together and add an interesting taste.

The bottom line is yes—it is okay to include ground turkey in your diet regularly, though as with any food, it's crucial to eat it in moderation and variety in your food choices. Eating a diverse range of nutrient sources helps ensure you obtain all of the essential nutrients needed for enhancing overall health.

What is the healthiest ground meat? ›

The Bottom Line

If you're eating for a healthy heart, lean ground turkey—which is lower in saturated fat—is the better pick for you. Of course, you can still enjoy ground beef from time to time, but choosing lean ground turkey more often will help your heart in the long run.

Cover and chill the turkey or carve it and chill in an airtight container no more than 2 hrs after eating for safety, and to help keep it at its juiciest.

That's because ground turkey must be cooked to 160 degrees. At that temperature, nearly all the turkey's abundant moisture will have been squeezed out by contracting proteins. Thorough mixing also causes the myosin (a sticky protein) in the ground turkey to link up tightly, so the burger turns dense.

Mushrooms! Ground mushrooms to be exact. Trust me, with this juicy recipe, you will fall head over heels in love with ground turkey. Mushrooms add moisture, mouthfeel, and umami (beefy) flavor to the otherwise dry ground turkey.

The crumbs will absorb the moisture and, together with the egg, will act like glue and help your burgers maintain their shape on the grill.

I usually enjoy using mustard as my binder, but this turkey needed something milder. Mayonnaise is a great binder when you don't want to add extra flavor, just something to help the spices stick. I use full-fat mayonnaise for the best results.

In my experience, the best way to prevent your burger patties from falling apart during cooking is to use both egg and breadcrumbs to make them. You can add eggs to the mixture and then, coat them with breadcrumbs before shaping them into burger patties.

Oil the meat

Oiling your meat is the easiest way to keep it from sticking to the grates. Before oiling, make sure the meat is dry. Use clean paper towels to remove any excess moisture from the meat before oiling. Then, lightly coat the meat with oil before putting it on the grill.