The Mistake You Might Be Making When It Comes To Turkey Burgers

Turkey is the white meat that's often overlooked because it can dry out when it's cooked. If you've ever had a dry turkey burger, there's a good chance you don't want to try one again. But there's a trick to cooking juicy turkey burgers that can be a refreshing break from hamburgers. The key to ensuring turkey burgers are juicy is to avoid pressing them with a spatula or other utensil while they're cooking. This will also keep turkey burgers intact.

When you press down on a turkey burger (or any burger, really) while it's cooking, you release all of the juices, which gives these burgers flavor and moisture. It can be tempting to press down on burgers to try and get them to cook faster, but this method is a flavor killer — and it will likely turn you off from making turkey burgers again. 

Put down the spatula, and let your burgers cook undisturbed until they're ready to be flipped.

Like chicken, turkey will absorb any flavor that it's marinated or spiced with, which means you can make some excellent turkey burgers if you play around with sauces and spices. Add several dried spices or a new rub to burgers for extra zing. Because turkey tends to be on the crumbly side, adding a binder or two to burgers is also a good idea. (It may not be necessary if you add cheese, which helps keep turkey meat together.)

You can use eggs or breadcrumbs to bind loose turkey meat together and to break up the tough quality that turkey burgers tend to have. There's no accurate measurement for binders, but you want the meat to look closer to hamburger meat when raw, so add breadcrumbs or eggs accordingly.

Another trick is refrigerating turkey patties for a few minutes before cooking to help solidify the meat.

Burgers made with ground turkey tend to fall apart quickly in the oven, so grilling turkey burgers is the best option. Make sure the grill is greased before adding the burgers, as turkey can stick to a grill. 

Another great trick is to coat each burger with a bit of flour (an old-school chef secret) to achieve that crusty texture on the outside that makes burgers so delicious as it seals in the juices.

Turkey has a lower fat content than ground beef, which is why it can be on the drier side. But the more moisture you add (think of Thanksgiving turkey and how much butter is added to brown the bird and retain moisture), the juicier your turkey burgers will be. Every once in a while, throwing some turkey burgers on the grill is an excellent, healthy, refreshing alternative to beef.