These Grilled Turkey Burgers are some of the juiciest and tastiest you’ll find anywhere. Onion, garlic, spices, and herbs permeate the meat to enhance the turkey’s overall flavor. I’ve also added Rotel to the recipe which gives it a subtle little kick. If you were like me and wrote off turkey burgers for good, please give these a try.

Two turkey burgers sitting on a wooden tray. Layered with cheese, tomato, avocado and arugula. One top bun with grill marks leans next to one of the burgers.

On the nutritional side of life, I’m bringing in one of my favorite healthy burgers – Juicy Turkey Burgers. Turkey in itself can be quite bland and dry. But the ingredients found in this recipe create a delicious burger that is both juicy and flavorful.

In my younger years, I thought that being healthy just meant losing weight. But the truth is every area of life contributes to my overall health. If I only go after one aspect, say, for instance, working out but my relationships get no attention, I’m not truly healthy. My nutrition, my spiritual life, relationships, productivity in work, my physical well-being, etc – all hold each other in tension. If I allow one segment to eclipse another over an extended period of time the result will be an unbalanced life.

A clear mixing bowl of ground turkey, fresh chopped herbs, rotel tomatoes, spices, chopped onions and garlic. Seasonings and herbs sit next to the bowl.

The ingredients for these Burgers

Lean Ground Turkey. When choosing the package of ground turkey, although it is more pricey, I always grab organic. I appreciate that it’s free of hormones and antibiotics which gives me peace of mind of not putting those unhealthy additives into my body.

And although you normally want some extra fat in a burger, I went with 93% lean with these. With all the other ingredients, especially the Rotel tomatoes which add some juiciness, you don’t even miss the fat.

Chopped Onion and Minced Garlic. These two ingredients are essential in turkey burgers and bring depth of flavor that confronts the ground turkey’s blandness. You will always find onions and garlic in my kitchen. Every time I go to the grocery store, I never pass their bins without snagging several.

Salt, black pepper, and cumin. If you want to intensify the flavor of these grilled turkey burgers, definitely don’t skimp on the seasonings. Salt and pepper are obvious, but cumin becomes the star seasoning of these burgers by enhancing the meat with an earthy, warm savory edge.

Fresh Herbs – cilantro, sage, and parsley. Not only do these add some color, but they also contribute subtly to the overall satisfying taste of the burger.

A can of Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies (drained). Including the canned tomatoes is what give these grilled turkey burgers some nice juiciness. A faint bit of heat comes along with it as well.

For years, turkey burgers really got a bad rap. Truth be told, if you don’t boost its flavor by adding extra ingredients, I fully understand how people can come to that conclusion.

Four raw turkey burger patties sit on a wooden board with a clear mixing bowl of more raw turkey burger meat in it.

Making the Turkey Burger Patties

You gotta get your hands dirty for this process. You’ll notice that the mixture feels very wet and sticky, almost like really thick pudding. I know that sounds odd, but if you don’t know that, you’ll think you’ve done something wrong when you’re mixing it up.

I’m not a wimpy patty kind-of-girl. If I’m gonna make burgers, their gonna have some “meat” to them – usually, I go with 1/2 pound patties. After you’ve added all of the other ingredients, this recipe makes anywhere from six to eight burgers.

How to Grill these Burgers

You can throw them on the grill or cook the burgers inside on an electric one. I prefer the outside grill in the heat of the summer, but I’ve done them both ways, and either one comes out great.

Turn the heat to high (450-500°F) on the gas grill or medium-high on the inside electric grill. You want it hot when you begin. Brush the grill with some olive oil before you place the patties on it, otherwise, they will definitely stick. But be careful when cooking them on a gas grill, because the oil will cause the flame to flare up a bit.

Cook on one side for 5 minutes with the lid closed. Don’t move them around until they’re ready to flip. When you flip them, they should have nice charred grill marks. Cook them for another 4-5 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F. Pull them off the grill and cover with foil. Let them rest for about 5 minutes which should bring the temperature to 165°F.

What to stack on these Grilled Turkey Burgers

You can pretty much add whatever you like on these burgers. I went with simple and chose the following:

Sliced Provolone Cheese. The smooth texture and mild flavor lend themselves perfectly to the turkey burger. Place it on the burger during the last minute or two of grilling for the full melting effect.

Slices of Avocado. The creaminess and flavor of avocados are a great compliment for turkey. When looking for a ripe avocado, it should be slightly soft but not mushy and will yield to firm gentle pressure. Store ripe avocados in the refrigerator if you are not going to eat it that day.

Sliced Tomatoes. If at all possible, choose local home-grown tomatoes. Farmer’s markets or roadside produce stands have the best.

Arugula. Nutty and peppery flavors along with a hearty texture is a nice addition to these burgers. But honestly, you can add whatever leafy lettuce you like.

Mayo.

Other ingredient ideas to add: You can spice it up a little by adding some siracha to the mayo. Red onion adds a nice crunch. Pickles will bring a bringing tang to the burger. Guacamole (instead of avocado), although it’s messy, is a lovely bonus. The list can continue according to your liking.

Bringing it all together is the bun

The ratio of bun to meat should be in balance with any burger. It is difficult enough to fit this mountain of turkey patty in your mouth without adding too much bread to your bite. My favorite way to create the perfect bun is to brush with some olive oil or butter and toast it cut-side down on the grill.

Healthy Means Wholesome Not Boring

Healthy doesn’t mean eating “rabbit” food while we starve ourselves. Healthy means wholesome. There are wonderful recipes out there that add to the quality of our life because of their nutritional value. The flavors found in really good food like these Grilled Turkey Burgers are far more appealing than stuffing our face with something to just appease the hunger.

If you crave recipes that are accompanied by “buns,” you will definitely want to try these:

Bison Burgers with Peppadew Sauce

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Chicken and Waffles

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