A nice big fat, juicy and healthy turkey burgers recipe is so satisfying. And no, it’s not an all-meat burger. However, if you are open to learning how to make the juiciest and most flavorful turkey burger, then keep reading!
How to Make Healthy Turkey Burgers Recipe
Most turkey burger recipes are either bland or lack the juiciness we all want in a burger. There’s a few ingredients, when added to ground turkey, that will transform your dried out burger to delicious!
#1: Mushroom Burger Magic
In the vegan food world, it’s not at all uncommon to see mushrooms used as a meat substitute. Mushrooms make a good substitute for meat because they appeal to our taste for protein thanks to high levels of umami-related compounds.
Umami is an odd-sounding word describing an indescribable deliciousness; savory, rich, yum. Umami also creates both appetite appeal and satiety, the feeling of being gratified to the fullest extent. By the way, if you are into clean eating for weight management purposes, harnessing the satiety power of umami-rich foods is a good idea 😉
Most commonly in the plant-based food world, a thick and meaty portobello would stand in for beef. The portobello would be nestled between a bun and then served as a burger. And yes, die hard meat eaters consider this a humdrum swap out. But since I am not vegan, I wasn’t going for a plant-based nothing-but mushroom burger with my recipe.
A Little Less Meat – A Little More Vegetables
Instead, I wanted a less-meat burger made with ground turkey rather than beef that would also be juicier, tastier and more interesting than the usual ho-hum turkey burgers I have become accustomed to eating. That’s where finely chopped shiitake mushrooms step in.
The health benefits of shiitake mushrooms far exceed those of portobellos. I really think the shiitake mushrooms give the burger a richer and considerably more savory flavor. All mushrooms have umami, but the darker the mushroom the more umami they will have.
Shiitake mushrooms definitely have more umami than portobellos and so even though the burger recipe below uses turkey rather than beef, it still has a more savory flavor when compared to the original recipe.
The Secret to our Healthy Turkey Burgers Recipe
The secret to making a killer this healthy turkey burger recipe with shiitake mushrooms is to use a food processor. This ensures that the mushrooms are in ittty-bitty pieces.
You then want to saute the mushrooms in a little oil to soften them and then mix the mushrooms with the ground turkey or meat. You definitely do not want to mix raw mushrooms with raw meat though.
It is such a flavorful burger that I don’t feel the need to add a whole lot other than a little ketchup and some wilted greens. I also love added a few sauteed peppers, as pictured above.
If I have time I make my own date-sweetened ketchup recipe but if not, Sir Kensington’s is a clean ketchup alternative.
Kitchen Favorites
Healthy Turkey Burgers Recipe
Healthy Turkey Burgers recipe made with minced shiitake mushrooms is tastier and considerably more moist than a plain turkey burger.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 5 1x
- Category: Burger
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup chopped Kalamata olives
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1 cup chopped shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped red bell peppers
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound pasture-raised ground turkey
- 2 tablespoons brown rice flour
- 1/2 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Put the olives and parsley in a mini food processor and pulse several times until finely chopped. Set aside.
- Add the mushrooms, onions, peppers and garlic in a manual food processor (like this one from Pampered Chef) and pulse until very finely chopped. Be careful not to over-process.
- Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat; add the vegetable mixture and saute, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and the liquid has evaporated, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Then, add the olive parsley mixture to the skillet and mix well to blend. Cook for 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and cool, stirring occasionally.
- To the vegetable mixture, add the ground turkey, flour, salt and pepper. Use clean hands to mix the ingredients together. Form into five 4-inch patties.
- Lightly oil the bottom of the skillet and heat over medium-high heat; add the burgers and cook, turning once, about 8-minutes total, until cooked through. Serve warm.
LOOKING FOR MORE CLEAN EATING RECIPES?
If you liked the turkey mushroom burger be sure to check out Clean Cuisine Dinners! The digital cookbook offers a full month of clean eating dinner recipes including weekly menu planner, shopping lists and more!
Lisa says
I love all kinds of veggie and turkey burgers, but I have a hard time finding a descent bun! Any recommendations?
Aimee Harris Niedosik says
Hi Lisa, We LOVE these ones from udi’s made with Brown Rice Flour — https://udisglutenfree.com/breads/whole-grain-hamburger-buns — or these grain frees one are great too: https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/best-paleo-hamburger-buns-one-bowl-easy/
Jenni says
What would be a good substitute for the mushroom? I have a severe allergy to mushrooms and cannot eat them 😔.
Madison Suttles says
Hi Jenni,
While I’ve never tried it in this particular recipe, zucchini can make a great substitute for mushrooms! If you try it out, let us know how it goes!
Madison
M.S. says
I found this recipe after searching Google. I was looking for a turkey burger that would taste meaty and still fit into my dietary restrictions. This was a definite winner! It’s not often I can cook one meal that my entire family can eat and they all actually enjoy it. Thank you
★★★★★
Ivy Larson says
Oh SO very happy to know you (and the whole family!) liked it so much =) It is definitely one of my favorite burgers.