Skillet Turkey Burgers
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Juicy and savory with a well-browned crust, these skillet turkey burgers rival the best beef burgers.
If you’re a beef burger lover, you might think that turkey burgers can’t measure up to the real thing – and, in most cases, you’d be correct. But these skillet turkey burgers, modestly adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, are delicious in their own right. They have a juicy texture, deep savory flavor, and gorgeous browned crust. The secret is adding ricotta cheese, a bit of bread crumbs, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce to the burger mix. If you’d like to try some variations, consider adding a few tablespoons of finely chopped fresh herbs, a clove of minced garlic, or thinly sliced scallions. Serve the turkey burgers on buns or rolls, garnished as you like.
For more ways to lighten traditional ground beef recipes by substituting ground turkey, see my turkey meatballs, turkey meatloaf and turkey chili.
What You’ll Need To Make Skillet Turkey Burgers
Step-by-Step Instructions
Place ground turkey in a medium-size bowl. Add salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, ricotta cheese, bread crumbs, and mustard.
Using your hands, mix until well blended.
Divide meat mixture into 4 equal portions. Lightly toss one portion from hand to hand to form a ball, then lightly flatten ball with fingertips into a 3/4-inch-thick patty with a slight depression in the center (this prevents the burgers from puffing up when cooked). Repeat with remaining portions.
Heat a large, heavy, ovenproof skillet over medium heat until very hot, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the oil to the pan and swirl to coat the bottom. Add the burgers and cook over medium heat without moving the burgers until the bottom side of each is dark golden brown and crusted, 3 to 4 minutes.
Turn the burgers over; continue to cook until the bottom side is light brown but not yet crusted, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer the pan to the oven and continue cooking for 7 to 8 minutes, or until burgers are completely cooked (an instant-read thermometer inserted from the side of the burger into the center should register 160°F). Remove the turkey burgers from the pan and serve immediately.
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- Grilled Turkey Burgers
- Smash Burgers
- Korean-Style Beef Bulgogi Burger
- Juicy Steakhouse Burgers
- Southwestern Cheeseburger Sliders
Skillet Turkey Burgers
Juicy and savory with a well-browned crust, these skillet turkey burgers rival the best beef burgers.
Ingredients
- 1¼ pounds 93% lean ground turkey (I use Shady Brook Farms)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup whole milk Ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, for cooking
- 4 hamburger buns (lightly toasted and buttered, if desired)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- Place the ground turkey in a medium-size bowl. Add the salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, ricotta cheese, bread crumbs, and mustard. Using your hands, mix until well blended. Divide the meat mixture into 4 equal portions. Lightly toss one portion from hand to hand to form a ball, then lightly flatten the ball with your fingertips into a ¾-inch-thick patty with a slight depression in the center (this prevents the burgers from puffing up when cooked). Repeat with the remaining portions.
- Heat a large, heavy, ovenproof skillet over medium heat until very hot, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the oil to the pan and swirl to coat the bottom. Add the burgers and cook over medium heat, without moving the burgers, until the bottom side of each is dark golden brown and crusted, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the burgers over; continue to cook until the bottom side is light brown but not yet crusted, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer the pan to the oven and continue cooking for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the burgers are completely cooked (an instant-read thermometer inserted from the side of the burger into the center should register 160°F). Remove the burgers from the pan and serve immediately.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The uncooked burgers can be frozen for up to three months. (Freeze the burgers on a baking sheet or plate so their shape sets, then transfer them to a sealable plastic bag for easy storage.) Defrost the burgers overnight in the refrigerator prior to serving and then cook as directed.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 burger
- Calories: 445
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Sodium: 536 mg
- Cholesterol: 121 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Could you please tell me about the white sauce that is pictured on the bun with the turkey burger?
It’s just a combo of mayo and Dijon mustard. Hope you enjoy the burgers if you make them!
These were very delicious!! I had tried turkey burgers before and hated them so had never attempted to make them at home but my young adult son kept asking me to make some so after reading all the great reviews, I thought I would give it a try and so glad I did! Nothing like the horrible one I had before, this one was juicy and so flavorful. I didn’t have Italian breadcrumbs but had panko crumbs and added Italian seasoning to it; otherwise, didn’t change a thing. Served it with avocado, tomatoes, lettuce and a chipotle aioli…Yum!!! This one is a keeper!!!
After years of sporadic attempts to create flavor filled Turkey burgers, once again I succumbed and decided to give Jenn’s rendition a try, from my trust in her cooking eye. Admittedly though, I did this in a snarly/grumbling manner, wondering why do I keep trying Turkey, when it will never rival Beef. What ended up on our dinner plates last night was the biggest game changer ever. These were astounding burgers! We are a family of 2, who would love to dine on grilled or griddled hamburgers often. But for us, Beef is a luxury food, that is eaten only occasionally. These burgers are TRULY every bit as satisfying as any of the tastiest beef burgers I’ve made, and now I can have “burger nights” at my beck and call. My love affair with carbon steel skillets only grows, and this is what I used for last night’s feast. A sincere thank you Jenn, for what you’ve shared with your readers/fans.
Hey Jeff, this is Jeff! We’ve just discovered that I’ve got this burger recipe down to a science, and for the first time made these as Jenn intended, meaning as a recipe for 4. Our best friends were here last night, and after a lengthy cocktail hour, we all meandered into the kitchen together. They kept me company as I got the burgers going. I felt like I was starring in a T.V. cooking show. So double thanks to Jenn for giving us the best Friday night ever! I adorn, just a bit….shaved onion on the bottom half of the toasted brioche bun, a dollop of a diner style burger sauce, my cheesed burger, sliced Avocado and one more dollop of sauce….this is a very juicy burger. P.S. We typically do not have Ricotta cheese in our fridge, but that is about to change….every day of my life, my husband will say “Breakfast plans?”….we’re always thinking about the next meal. He suggested toasted slices of my homemade white bread, with Ricotta and Orange marmalade…wow did we have a great breakfast with mugs of black coffee!
🙂 Glad they were a hit and made for a fun Friday night!
Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you! This is, by far, the best replacement for beef burgers. We are restricted from eating beef and we miss our burger nights. Not any more! It is so umami AND I didn’t use full fat ricotta cheese. I can’t wait to make these again!
OMG !!!!! Made this last night & was blown away. I stopped eating ground beef years ago. I’ve been eating ground turkey & never was satisfied with any burgers I made with it….till now. This is a remarkable game changer. I followed the recipe & only added sautéed shallot & garlic to the mix. I think a food thermometer is a must to not overcook them. I will add the ricotta to my turkey meatballs and meat loaf & see how it tastes. It’s certainly a magic ingredient here. Many, many thanks for this. A BIG fan, Nancy
Excellent. I made the mixture into meatballs. Cheated and used stewed tomatoes for a sauce-lightly crushing the tomatoes and put over zucchini noodles. Hubby and I loved it. I did reduce the pepper by half and used cottage cheese. Thank you.
Loved this recipe! I noticed in the picture that you garnish it with a creamy dressing. Can you share what kind it is? Many thanks~
Hi Raphaela, It’s just equal parts Dijon mustard and mayo. (And glad you like the burgers!)
The skillet turkey burgers amazing
I love your recipes
Aidan
Hope you enjoy if you make them! 🙂
These are terrific exactly as written. I want to mention that these are turkey burgers so if you want them to taste like a beef burger then add in some A1 steak seasoning. I have a beef allergy but in past years loved a good cheeseburger. Once I found out the cause of my issue tick borne beef allergy I was off all beef products. This recipe with this one added ingredient plus a good slice of cheddar and you will be in faux beef heaven !
I’m on a low carb diet and was wondering what I could substitute for the bread crumbs and ricotta?
Hi Tim, those ingredients are pretty important here. You may want to give these turkey burgers a try. Hope you enjoy if you make them!