BBQ turkey burgers are juicy, flavorful and just 5 basic ingredients. These easy burgers are sure to be a new favorite!

This post is sponsored by the National Turkey Federation. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

You maybe already know this, but I have a serious affinity for turkey burgers. I just love them so much.

I’ve shared fiesta turkey burgers, zucchini turkey burgers and Greek turkey burgers with tzatziki sauce here on the blog before.

And today, it’s another family favorite: BBQ turkey burgers!

These burgers are super easy to make, require just 5 basic ingredients, and cook up juicy and delicious every time!

They are sure to be a hit this summer – or anytime you want to have a burger night!

(We do burgers year round. You can grill them or do them in a skillet so it doesn’t matter the season or the weather!)

These burgers are perfectly seasoned with just a few spices, plus the punch from the BBQ sauce. They also have small cheese cubes mixed right into the patties, a trick I use a lot.

It adds extra richness and little pockets of gooey cheesy goodness in each bite of burger.

Swoon!

(You can certainly skip that if you prefer and just do cheese on top. We just like cheese in and on our burgers!)

I’m also thrilled to be partnering with the National Turkey Federation again this year to share some delicious turkey recipes.

So y’all know that I’m a health and nutrition editor, in addition to being a food blogger. And I love to get a little nerdy and sneak in some extra healthy benefits with my food when I can.

Health benefits of turkey:

• Turkey is naturally low in fat and provides immune-boosting nutrients like iron, zinc and potassium.
• Turkey is naturally high in B vitamins, which help your body produce energy.
• Being a lean protein, turkey helps you feel full for longer. In fact, 50% of your daily value of lean protein is found in a single serving of turkey.

Bonus: Did you know? It’s illegal for hormones or steroids to be added to turkey. In fact, it has been since the 1950s.

Gotta love a healthy, natural protein that loves us back. 🙌

But of course, as with all raw meats, be sure to practice your food safety tips of CLEAN (wash hands and surfaces), SEPARATE (don’t cross-contiminate), COOK (to a safe internal temp of 165 degrees F) and CHILL (refrigerate any leftovers promptly).

OK, let’s get back to the burger at hand and get cooking!

Now, I’ve got some notes and tips coming up below on how to make BBQ turkey burgers. Just tryin’ to be helpful.

If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.

Notes on BBQ turkey burgers:

• I use 90% or 93% lean ground turkey for burgers, but 85% lean would work too. I don’t recommend using a 99% lean ground turkey; it doesn’t have enough fat to make these burgers flavorful.
• These burgers can be cooked in a pan on the stove or outside on the grill. (Did you know that July is National Grilling Month?)
• You can use homemade BBQ sauce or your favorite store-bought variety. (I just like to check and make sure to get a brand that doesn’t have high-fructose corn syrup in it.)

As mentioned, the recipe calls for cubed cheese in the burgers, but you can skip this if you’d rather.

I love serving these BBQ turkey burgers with coleslaw – both on top of the burger and on the side. You can use the creamy coleslaw in the recipe card or go with my easy no-mayo coleslaw; whichever you prefer!

Do keep in mind though that coleslaw is best made a bit in advance so all the flavors can meld and the slaw softens a bit. So please plan accordingly.

And while coleslaw is a go-to, while we’re on the subject of toppings…

You know I want to share some additional burger toppings with you. Load these burgers up!

Topping ideas for BBQ turkey burgers:

• Extra cheddar cheese
• Extra BBQ sauce
• Ketchup or mustard
• Lettuce and tomato
• Pickled red onions
• Caramelized onions
• Cooked bacon slices
• Pickles
• Avocado slices or guacamole

Or any other burger fixings you love!

Ready to eat? Let’s round out the meal so we can dig in!

Side dishes for BBQ turkey burgers:

– Perfectly creamy potato salad

– Spicy roasted potatoes

– Air Fryer tater tots

– Classic spaghetti salad

– Summer veggie pasta salad

– Easy summer salad with blueberries

– Foolproof corn on the cob

I hope you give these delicious turkey burgers a try soon. I think they’ll be a new favorite.

Enjoy!

XO,

Kathryn

Yield: 4 servings

BBQ turkey burgers with slaw

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BBQ turkey burgers are juicy, flavorful and just 5 basic ingredients. These easy burgers are sure to be a new favorite!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Total Time 22 minutes

Ingredients

For the burgers:

• 1 lb. lean ground turkey (such as 93% lean)
• 1/4 cup prepared BBQ sauce
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (see notes)
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon canola oil

For the coleslaw:

• 1 (12 oz.) bag of coleslaw
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (low-fat is fine)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or plain vinegar)
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For serving:

• 4 burger buns
• Optional toppings: sliced cheese, sliced tomatoes, lettuce, pickled red onions, BBQ sauce or ketchup, etc.

Instructions

1. To make the coleslaw: Combine the mayonnaise, sugar, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and mix well to combine and to dissolve the sugar. Add the coleslaw and stir well to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, to allow the flavors to combine.
2. To make the burgers: Combine the ground turkey, BBQ sauce, cheese, paprika, onion powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir first with a fork to get everything mixed, then use your hands to finish combining the ingredients. Do not over mix.
3. Shape the burgers into 4 equal patties.
4. Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the patties and cook 6-7 minutes, then flip and cook an additional 5-6 minutes, until cooked through. Alternatively, you can grill these on a well-greased grill over medium-high heat, flipping once, until cooked through. If using cheese on top of these burgers, add it when you flip the burgers.
5. Serve burgers on buns, with desired toppings and coleslaw on top.

Notes

I use 90% or 93% lean ground turkey for burgers, but 85% lean would work too. I don’t recommend using a 99% lean ground turkey; it doesn’t have enough fat to make these burgers flavorful.

These burgers can be cooked in a pan on the stove or outside on the grill.

You can use homemade BBQ sauce or your favorite store-bought variety. (I just like to check and make sure to get a brand that doesn’t have high-fructose corn syrup in it.)

The recipe calls for cubed cheese in the burgers, but you can skip this if you’d rather.

I love serving these BBQ turkey burgers with coleslaw – both on top of the burger and as a side. You can use the creamy coleslaw in the recipe card or go with my easy no-mayo coleslaw; whichever you prefer!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1 burger
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 334Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 125mgSodium: 462mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 0gSugar: 6gProtein: 33g

The nutrition information is for the burger patties only, not the coleslaw, buns or any toppings.