Spicy Avocado Turkey Burgers Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best binder for turkey burgers? ›

Use a Binder

Fresh breadcrumbs (made from fresh bread pulsed in the food processor or torn into small bits) are best here, as they retain some moisture which helps to keep them from drying out the burger.

Add a spoonful of mayonnaise.

A spoonful or two of mayonnaise, mixed right in with the ground meat. Now hear me out. Most recipes use egg to bind ground turkey, helping the meat to form into cohesive, juicy patties.

Just like in a traditional meatloaf, you need something to hold the meat together. Try adding some dry breadcrumbs to the turkey mixture before you shape the patties. The crumbs will absorb the moisture and, together with the egg, will act like glue and help your burgers maintain their shape on the grill.

More not-dry turkey burgers

Mashing avocado into the turkey mixture helps prevent the meat from shrinking and drying out during cooking, which is why these stay awesomely juicy, even when they're cooked all the way through.

One of the most common substitutes is breadcrumbs, but sometimes the breadcrumbs can fall off when the burgers are cooking if there are too many or they are too dry. Other popular substitutions for eggs include cornstarch, flour, ketchup, porridge oats, cracker crumbs, and ground flaxseed.

Since turkey burgers tend to be drier than their ground beef counterparts, we added an egg to ours to help it hold together and give it more moisture. We also use 94% lean ground turkey in our patties—we don't recommend any higher than that, or your burgers might not hold together.

The secret to keeping your patties together is to use binding agents like eggs to add moisture that helps the burgers from falling apart.

A few tablespoons of panko bread crumbs break up the finely ground turkey; gently tossing all the ingredients together and using a light touch to shape the patties helps keep the texture loose. Baking soda and gelatin keep the meat moist; help with browning, richness, and savory flavor; and provide a juicy mouthfeel.

Handling the meat too much.

Whether you're making burgers, meatballs, or meatloaf, it's best to keep the meat handling to a minimum. It has a direct impact on the texture of the finished recipe: When over-handled, the meat compacts and the result is a tough finished product.

The raw ground meat will not automatically “stick together” unless the protein is mixed (or worked) a little. Hand mix your raw meat a little more before forming patties. Not too much, but a little more than just portioning and forming patties.

How do you keep homemade patties from falling apart? ›

Go easy on the shaping. When you're making your burgers, try not to manhandle them too much or else you'll end up breaking the meat into smaller pieces than you have to. We recommend simply shaping the beef into a vague burger shape with the least amount handling as possible.

Add 1 egg yolk per pound of hamburger. It won't add appreciably to the fat content and will bind the meat beautifully. The other thing you can do is add canned, drained, crushed black beans or chickpeas to the hamburger. The starch from the beans will bind the meat together and add an interesting taste.

There are plenty of easy ground turkey recipes out there. But, you will always need spices like olive oil, kosher salt and pepper, chili powder, and garlic powder. You can add minced garlic, and freshly chopped onions and peppers, for an extra edge.

Adding some fat in the form of healthy oil would work, as would adding a flavorful liquid such as chicken stock or vegetable stock. You can also add finely chopped vegetables which retain moisture, such as mushrooms, zucchini or eggplant.

Use a thermometer to ensure you don't overcook and dry out the turkey burgers. They'll continue cooking for a few minutes after being taken off the heat, so cook them to an internal temperature of 160°F. Allow them to rest a few minutes until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F.

Egg: An egg lends moisture and helps bind the patties together. Seasonings, herbs, and sauces: These hamburgers are flavored with an envelope of dry onion soup mix, fresh garlic, garlic powder, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, dried parsley, dried basil, dried oregano, crushed dried rosemary, salt, and pepper.

Eggs: Binders don't always have to be limited to the outside of the meat. For ground beef, from meatloaf to hamburgers, adding a few eggs will keep the meat together while also providing plenty of moisture that will better allow salt and pepper to stick during the cooking process.

An easy way to get the perfect balance without using eggs is to use natural binders like fat — whether that's animal fat or olive oil – combined with dry agents like bread crumbs.

Yellow or dijon mustard – You will often see this listed as the binding agent, especially for smoked brisket, pulled pork, and pork ribs This is my preferred binding agent and I even use it on ribeyes and beef ribs. It's a perfect combination with any of our spice and rub ranges.