These Turkey Smash Burgers are the BEST lean burgers you will ever have. Thin crispy ground turkey burgers topped with melted cheese in a bun with all your favorite burger fillings. So easy to put together and they cook in under 10 minutes.
Smash burgers are having a bit of a moment, and rightly so! Smashing the ground meat down into the pan means you get the most perfectly crispy edges and it makes a little meat go a lot further too.
We have given a lean twist to them with these turkey smash burgers. ALL the flavor, just lower in fat.
These are definitely not dry turkey burgers. Thanks to the onion and Worcestershire sauce, these are moist and juicy turkey smash burgers. Perfect for burger night when you want something a bit lighter.
Looking for more burger recipes? Try our bun-less Burger in a Bowl, juicy Chicken Pesto Burger or for something a little different, our Salmon Burger.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Turkey - Use lean ground turkey mince for these burgers. You could swap it for ground chicken if you prefer.
- Oil - A little olive oil to cook the burgers in to make sure they get nice and crispy.
- Worcestershire Sauce - A must in all burgers in my opinion.
- Onion - A little finely diced or shredded red onion adds some crunch and flavor to the turkey smash burgers. It also stops them from drying out as it adds moisture. You could use shallots instead.
- Seasoning - You could just add salt and pepper, but why not try making your own Burger Seasoning? It adds the best flavor to these turkey burgers.
- Buns - Any hamburger buns you like.
- Lettuce - We used a soft round lettuce. But, if you wanted some crunch then iceberg lettuce would work too.
- Tomatoes - Big slices of beef tomato. You could use sun-dried tomatoes instead for a more intense tomato flavor.
- Pickles - We added homemade Pickled Cucumbers and Pickled Red Onions.
- Cheese - We like to avoid that plastic burger cheese, so we added mature cheddar because it melts well. Swiss works well too.
- Sauce - It has to be Homemade Burger Sauce! Equally, you could add our Healthy BBQ Sauce or Healthy Tomato Ketchup.
Variations
Cheese - You can swap the cheddar for Swiss, mozzarella or even a soft goat cheese.
Toppings - There are so many topping options when it comes to a burger. Some of our other favorites are avocado, bacon, fried egg or mushrooms. Kimchi is great on top too.
Bun - Why not swap a regular burger bun for a Homemade Bagel. For a low carb version, use a couple of leaves from an iceberg lettuce for a bun-less option.
As you can see from the above picture - I even managed to include this bun-less burger in one of my Picky Plates!
How To Make Turkey Smash Burgers - Step by Step
- Step 1: In a bowl, combine the ground turkey, Worcestershire sauce, seasoning and chopped red onion.
- Step 2: Form into two patties.
- Step 3: Heat the oil in a pan and add the burger patties. Smash the patty down with an oiled spatula. Fry over a medium-high heat for 4 minutes.
- Step 4: Flip the burger over and cook for a further 4 minutes.
- Step 5: Add the cheese to the burgers.
- Step 6: Cover the burger with a cloche (we used a saucepan lid), and cook for one more minute. This will help the cheese to melt.
- Step 7: Toast the buns and then build your burger. Spread some sauce on both bun halves, then add the lettuce, tomato and pickles.
What To Serve with Turkey Smash Burgers
All your favorite burger sides work here too. When it comes to potatoes you can't go wrong with our Sweet Potato Fries, Air Fryer Fries or Cheesy Chips.
Why not try making some Oven Baked Onion Rings, Grilled Corn with Herb Butter or No Mayo Coleslaw to go on the side? You can't go wrong with a Little Gem Salad either.
Our Chipotle Southwest Sauce is also amazing on these burgers.
Extra Tips
- Make sure your spatula is well oiled before using it to smash down the burgers, otherwise it will stick to it and pull it apart.
- Make sure to smash them down into thin patties.
- Don't worry if all the edges look uneven when you smash it down, as that's meant to happen. You get more crispy bits that way.
- Use a meat thermometer to make sure that the burgers are cooked all the way through. Ground turkey is cooked when it has an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- Make sure your pan is really hot before adding the burgers, as you want them to start sizzling right away.
Frequently Asked Questions
Once the burgers are made up in the bun with the toppings, they need to be eaten right away. However, the burger patties themselves can be wrapped up and stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze them wrapped up in a freezer bag for up to 3 months, however they will dry out when defrosting. If you want to freeze these, then I recommend freezing the patties raw, with a sheet of baking paper between each one and then stacked in a freezer bag.
Yes - make these burgers up and then follow our recipe for Air Fryer Burgers to cook them.
Yes, you can use ground beef instead.
More Turkey Recipes
If you’ve tried this turkey smash burger recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Turkey Smash Burgers
Ingredients
- 250 g (8.75 oz) Turkey mince
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoon Red onion - finely diced
- 1 tablespoon Burger seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Olive oil
- 50 g (1.75 oz) Light mature cheddar - (slices)
- 2 Burger buns
- 70 g (1 cups) Lettuce
- 1 Beef tomato - sliced
- 40 g (0.25 cups) Pickled red onions
- 40 g (0.25 cups) Gherkins - sliced
- 2 portion Burger sauce
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine 250 g Turkey mince, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon Burger seasoning and 2 tablespoon Red onion.
- Form into two patties.
- Heat 1 teaspoon Olive oil in a pan and add the burger patties. Smash the patty down with an oiled spatula. Fry over a medium-high heat for 4 minutes.
- Flip the burger over and cook for a further 4 minutes.
- Add 50 g Light mature cheddar to the burgers.
- Cover the burger with a cloche (we used a saucepan lid), and cook for one more minute. This will help the cheese to melt.
- Meanwhile, toast the 2 Burger buns.
- Build your burger. Spread 2 portion Burger sauce on both bun halves, then add 70 g Lettuce, 1 Beef tomato (sliced), 40 g Pickled red onions and 40 g Gherkins.
Recipe Tips
- Make sure your spatula is well oiled before using it to smash down the burgers, otherwise it will stick to it and pull it apart.
- Make sure to smash them down into thin patties.
- Don't worry if all the edges look uneven when you smash it down, as that's meant to happen. You get more crispy bits that way.
- Use a meat thermometer to make sure that the burgers are cooked all the way through. Ground turkey is cooked when it has an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- Make sure your pan is really hot before adding the burgers, as you want them to start sizzling right away.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
ashleigh riri says
Just use beef!!
Ive recently been successfully switched to a high protein, low fat and carbs diet. Ive been craving burgers and decided although strange this would be worth trying. Well, I honestly don't know what i expected. I genuinely think this could be great but turkey and worcestershire sauce - like the way the two mix just isn't it.
I wish i had simply made this with lean beef and maybe without the worcestershire sauce. I get this was probably lower calorie but not worth it...
lesson learned - i thankfully made a small batch so not much waste. will stick to beef in future but at least i tried...?
Dannii Martin says
I am not sure what the problem is, as this is turkey burgers, not beef burgers. We have beef burger recipes, and they don't taste like turkey - the same as turkey won't be anything like beef. People don't eat beef for MANY different reasons. The worcestershire sauce is essential for giving flavor.