Description

Made without any egg, bread crumbs, oil, or mayonnaise, these turkey burgers remain moist and juicy when cooked and are so incredibly flavorful! They take no time to throw together and they’ve become a favorite family weeknight meal for their ease and deliciousness.

Notes

I’ve adapted the recipe from this one featured on Katie Couric Media. The original recipe is credited to Chef Taryn of the Kismet Table and was popularized by both Oprah Winfrey and Mindy Kaling.

The original recipe called for 1.5 pounds of ground turkey, so I’ve scaled the recipe up to call for 2 pounds of ground turkey, and I’ve made a few other teensy changes:

I love this Burlap and Barrel garlic powder, so I use 2 teaspoons of it in place of the fresh garlic. Use what you wish. If you do use garlic powder, make sure it’s salt free otherwise the burgers may be too salty.
To ensure the burgers are not too spicy for the kids, I use regular chili powder in place of chipotle chili powder. Again, use what you wish.

Other Cooking Methods:

The original recipe calls for using a heavy skillet, preferably cast iron. I have not tried this.
To broil: Preheat your broiler with a rack on the highest shelf for at least 15 minutes. Lightly oil a small sheet pan or a sizzle pan with neutral oil. Place however many burgers you want to cook on the pan. Broil for 4 minutes. Flip. Broil for 4 minutes more.
To Grill Outdoors: These burgers, in their uncooked state, are very moist and slightly difficult to handle — I would worry that they might stick to an outdoor grill or get very mangled in the process. When I have grilled them outdoors, I used one of these grill mats, which worked great. See photo above.
I have never used a thermometer for these burgers, but if you wish to, an inserted thermometer should register 165°F. This is my favorite instant-read thermometer.

Ingredients

For the burgers:

1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro (about 1.5 ounces)
3 tablespoons mango chutney
1 tablespoon + 1.5 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari
1½ teaspoons kosher salt (Diamond Crystal Brand, use half as much if using Morton)
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder, see notes above, or 3 garlic cloves, grated
1 small honey crisp coarsely chopped (4 to 5 ounces post chopping)
4 scallions, coarsely chopped
2 pounds ground dark-meat turkey
neutral oil of choice (grapeseed, organic canola oil, avocado oil)

For serving:

8 brioche buns (store bought or homemade), pretzel buns (store bought or homemade), English muffins, or bun of your choice
lettuce, ketchup, relish, or other condiments — I love it with raita or tzatziki

Instructions

Process cilantro, mango chutney, soy sauce, salt, curry powder, chili powder, garlic, apple, and scallions in a food processor until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape sides as needed.
Combine apple mixture and turkey in a large bowl, and mix with hands until thoroughly combined.
Lightly oil a 1/2 cup dry measuring cup (inside and out), then use it to scoop the mixture into 8 portions. You can place the portions on a parchment-lined sheet pan or onto two dinner plates (4 portions on each plate… I like the dinner plate option, because I can tuck the entire plate into a ziptop bag and store each in the fridge until I need them.) Using lightly oiled hands, pat and shape each portion into a burger shape — the mixture will be very wet/mushy. At this point you can cover the burgers and transfer them to the fridge (for as long as 3 days), or you can cook them right away.
Heat a large grill pan over medium to medium-high heat. (See notes above re other cooking methods such as using an outdoor grill or the broiler.) Add 1 tablespoon of oil, and brush to coat; add patties — they should sizzle when they hit the pan. Cook for 8 minutes total. I like to flip after 3 to 4 minutes — the burgers will be lightly charred… this is OK. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes on the other side. Flip again if necessary once or twice at the end. My burgers consistently are done in 8 minutes but err on the side of over-cooking them — they are forgiving and you want them to be cooked all the way through. Remove the burgers from the pan, and let rest on a plate for 4 to 5 minutes. Note: The burgers will continue to cook as they rest. And as noted above, I have never used a thermometer for these burgers, but if you wish to, an inserted thermometer should register 165°F.
Meanwhile, toast the buns and pull out any and all condiments. Assemble your burgers and enjoy.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Category: Dinner
Method: stovetop
Cuisine: American