Juicy Turkey Burger with Sundried Tomatoes and Lemon-Basil Mayo
My turkey burger recipe is great for a quick family dinner option or for burger night with friends. It features a rich turkey patty in a toasted brioche bun with zesty lemon-basil mayo, melted cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and arugula.
Serve it with crispy fries, thick-cut potato wedges, or a crunchy green salad, and get stuck in!
First, Assemble Your Ingredients
To make my turkey burger, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Turkey Burgers
- Ground Turkey – 1 lb ground turkey (I used 93% lean/7%fat ground turkey)
- Buns – 4 brioche buns
- Sundried Tomatoes – 1/3 cup sundried tomatoes
- Garlic – 2 garlic cloves
- Salt – 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- Pepper – pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- Oil – 1 tbsp oil (a neutral oil like light olive oil or sunflower oil)
Lemon-Basil Mayo
- Mayo – 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- Lemon Juice – 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Basil – 2 tbsp finely chopped basil
- Salt – a pinch of kosher salt
Turkey Burger Toppings
- Arugula – 1 cup (packed) arugula
- Avocado – 1 avocado
- Tomatoes – 1-2 tomatoes
- Cheese – 4 slices of cheese (provolone, low-skim mozzarella, and gouda are all good options)
Next, Let’s Make the Burger in 7 Easy Steps
Step 1 – Make the mayonnaise topping by combining the mayonnaise, fresh lemon juice, salt, pepper, and finely chopped basil.
Step 2 – To the ground turkey, add the chopped sundried tomatoes, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper.
Step 3 – Divide the ground turkey mix into 4 equal portions and shape them with your hands into patties (slightly bigger than your burger buns as the patties will shrink when cooking).
Step 4 – To a cast iron pan (or grill pan or frying pan/skillet) over medium heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the patties, and cook for about 5 minutes per side until fully cooked. The turkey patty is fully cooked when the internal temperature, when measured with a meat thermometer, is 165°F (or 74°C).
After cooking it on the first side for about 5 minutes, flip and add the cheese slices on top to melt.
To make sure the cheese melts better, you can cover the pan with a lid but this step is optional.
Step 5 – Toast the buns in a pan for a couple of minutes until golden. If using brioche buns, you don’t need additional butter or oil as the buns have a higher content of butter/fat. But you can optionally use some if you want a more indulgent toasted bun!
Step 6 – Prepare your turkey burger assembly board: cooked turkey patties with melted cheese, toasted buns, avocado (cut in half and sliced), sliced tomatoes, arugula, and the lemon-basil mayo.
Step 7 – Assemble the turkey burger, spreading some of the lemon-basil mayo on the inside of each half of the toasted bun and then adding the cooked turkey patty with melted cheese, a couple of slices of tomato, a fourth of an avocado (sliced thinly), and a handful of arugula.
I understand why many people shy away from cooking with turkey, as the meat can often become dry. However, this burger is actually so juicy Just look at those layers!
Serve them up to your guests, and bite in for a mouthful that is creamy, juicy, and so, so satisfying!
Here’s What to Serve it With
You can absolutely enjoy these burgers on their own. However, what’s a burger without a side of crispy fries or rosemary potato wedges, right?
For something a little lighter, try my air fryer carrot fries or my red cabbage slaw (without mayo).
Love a Burger Night? Try these Recipes!
If you want to cook some more burgers, take a look at my delicious burger recipe roundup for ideas. I’ve got recipes for lots of different patties, from a stuffed beef burger to a fried halloumi burger.
Let me know in the comments which one you’re most excited to try for dinner!
Get the Recipe Here
Ingredients
Turkey Burgers
- 1 lb ground turkey I used 93% lean/7%fat ground turkey
- 4 brioche buns
- 1/3 cup sundried tomatoes
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp oil a neutral oil like light olive oil or sunflower oil
Lemon-Basil Mayo
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp finely chopped basil
- a pinch of kosher salt
Turkey Burger Toppings
- 1 cup packed arugula
- 1 avocado
- 1-2 tomatoes
- 4 slices of cheese provolone, low-skim mozzarella, and gouda are all good options
Instructions
- Make the mayonnaise topping by combining the mayonnaise, fresh lemon juice, salt, pepper, and finely chopped basil.
- To the ground turkey, add the chopped sundried tomatoes, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper. Mix with your hands until combined.
- Divide the ground turkey mix into 4 equal portions and shape them with your hands into patties (slightly bigger than your burger buns as the patties will shrink when cooking).
- To a cast iron pan (or grill pan or frying pan/skillet) over medium heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the patties, and cook for about 5 minutes per side until fully cooked. The turkey patty is fully cooked when the internal temperature, when measured with a meat thermometer, is 165°F (or 74°C). After cooking it on the first side for about 5 minutes, flip and add the cheese slices on top to melt. To make sure the cheese melts better, you can cover the pan with a lid, but this step is optional.
- Toast the buns in a pan for a couple of minutes until golden. If using brioche buns, you don’t need additional butter or oil as the buns have a higher content of butter/fat. But you can optionally use some if you want a more indulgent toasted bun!
- Prepare your turkey burger assembly board: cooked turkey patties with melted cheese, toasted buns, avocado (cut in half and sliced), sliced tomatoes, arugula, and the lemon-basil mayo.
- Assemble the turkey burger, spreading some of the lemon-basil mayo on the inside of each half of the toasted bun and then adding the cooked turkey patty with melted cheese, a couple of slices of tomato, a fourth of an avocado (sliced thinly), and a handful of arugula.
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Don’t forget to save my turkey burger recipe to one of your dinner idea boards, ready for when you want to make burgers next.
