Learn how to make flavorful, juicy Grilled Turkey Burgers with a secret ingredient and no breadcrumbs!  They’re gluten-free, paleo-friendly and can be made entirely in advance!

Healthy grilled turkey burgers in lettuce wrapped

I make burgers weekly because they’re incredibly quick and easy, and especially because everyone in the family loves them.

I dedicated a post on how to grill burgers several years ago in order to get perfectly juicy hamburgers every single time, and since I love Grilled Turkey Burgers just as much (if not more), I decided to dedicate a post to grilling perfect turkey burgers as well.

Ground turkey burgers are lighter and a bit leaner, and when they’re cooked correctly they’re incredibly juicy as well.

Truth be told it takes a little more effort to impart moisture and flavor to ground turkey, but it’s definitely worth a few minutes extra time in my opinion.

This grilled turkey burger recipe gives you another delicious option for your next burger night!

Grilled turkey burgers on a platter

Why you’ll love this recipe:

  • Grilled turkey burgers are juicy, flavorful and take just a few simple ingredients.
  • They’re light, lean and gluten-free, and they can be served in lettuce wraps or your favorite buns.
  • They come together quickly and can be assembled completely in advance.
  • They’re freezer-friendly and can be cooked from frozen.

Recipe ingredients

There are just a few ingredients included in this grilled turkey burger recipe, and they can all be customized based on your personal preferences and what you have on hand.

Grilled turkey burgers recipe ingredients
  • Ground turkey.  For best results, use lean ground turkey as it includes dark meat. This adds moisture and flavor to your ground turkey burgers. Extra lean ground turkey breast is lower in fat and calories, but will result in dry turkey burgers.
  • Almond flour. This is used to bind the ground turkey together. It can be substituted with regular or gluten-free breadcrumbs.
  • Mayonnaise.  This is the secret ingredient to incredibly moist turkey burgers. It can be substituted with Greek yogurt or even basil pesto sauce, or add a bit of grated onion or zucchini.
  • Coconut aminos.  Adds savory depth of flavor. Sub with Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce or tamari.
  • Garlic powder.  Sub with fresh minced garlic or omit to make this recipe low FODMAP.

How to make grilled turkey burgers

This healthy turkey burger recipe comes together in minutes with just a few ingredients. If your ground turkey is very sticky, be sure to follow the pro tip below.

Pro tip: Ground turkey meat can be quite sticky, so be sure to oil the plate and both sides of the burgers to keep them from sticking to the plate and each other once they’ve been formed into patties. Brush the grill grates with oil as well to ensure that they don’t stick to the grill.

See the recipe card below for full instructions.

How to make grilled turkey burgers
  1. Place ground turkey, almond flour, mayo, garlic powder, coconut aminos, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.  Using your hands, gently combine the ingredients to avoid overworking the meat.
  2. Coat a plate with oil. Form the burgers into 1/4 lb. patties and brush both sides lightly with oil. Place on the oil coated plate and chill for a minimum of 10 minutes.
  3. Preheat the grill to medium high, or about 400 degrees.  Brush the grill grates with oil and place the turkey burgers on the grill. Cook on one side for 5 minutes.
  4. Flip and cook for 5 minutes more or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Grilled turkey burgers on a plate with condiments surrounding

Recipe FAQs

Are turkey burgers healthy?

Lean ground turkey is essential for a juicy turkey burger as it includes more fat, which translates to moisture and flavor. Extra lean ground turkey breast is lower in fat, but it will result in dry turkey burgers.
This healthy grilled turkey burger recipe includes almond flour instead of breadcrumbs for a binder, a bit of avocado oil mayo to provide moisture, and garlic powder and coconut aminos to provide depth of flavor. This recipe is low carb, paleo and Whole30 compliant, and gluten-free as well.
Sustainably raised ground turkey combined with quality added ingredients definitely makes grilled turkey burgers a healthy choice.

How do I keep my turkey burgers from falling apart?

Turkey burgers require a binder that will help keep them from falling apart.  Egg and breadcrumbs are often used, but I chose to use avocado oil mayonnaise and almond flour to make the the burgers gluten and grain free.

How do you keep turkey burgers from sticking to the grill?

My pro tip here is to brush the tops and bottoms of the turkey burger patties lightly with oil, then place on an oil coated plate and chill for a minimum of 10 minutes.  This is essential if the meat is very sticky, and it will keep the burgers from sticking to plate as well.

I also recommend brushing the grill grates with additional oil after the grill has been preheated to be on the safe side!

What temperature do you grill turkey burgers?

Preheat the grill to medium high heat, or about 400 degrees. The turkey burger temperature will be 165 degrees when they’re done.

How long does it take to grill a turkey burger?

Turkey burger grill time is roughly 10 minutes.  Simply cook 5 minutes, flip the burger, and cook 5 minutes more until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

Can I freeze turkey burgers?

Once the turkey burger patties have been formed, they may be frozen. To freeze, place uncooked ground turkey burgers on a parchment or waxed paper lined baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 1 hour.  From there, place them in a zip top bag or container with parchment paper between them and store for up to 3 months. 

Grill frozen turkey burgers 7-8 minutes per side at about 400 degrees, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

Healthy turkey burgers in lettuce wraps

Serving suggestions

There are a number of delicious ways to serve these grilled turkey burgers!

Recipe notes

  • Pro tip: Ground turkey meat can be quite sticky, so be sure to oil the plate and both sides of the burgers to keep them from sticking to the plate and each other once they’ve been formed into patties. Brush the grill grates with oil as well to ensure that they don’t stick to the grill.
  • Form the turkey burger patties up one day in advance to make this recipe go even more quickly.
  • This recipe is Whole30 and paleo-friendly using avocado oil mayonnaise.  Not a fan of mayo?  Substitute it with grated onion or even basil pesto sauce.
  • Customize grilled turkey burgers with lettuce wraps, your favorite buns, burger sauce and toppings.
Grilled turkey burgers wrapped in lettuce wraps

More burger recipes you’ll love:

Did you try this recipe?  If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram

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Healthy grilled turkey burgers in lettuce wrapped

Grilled Turkey Burgers

Grilled Turkey Burgers are perfectly juicy and flavorful every single time! They can be assembled completely in advance and they're gluten-free!
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Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons oil divided; plus more as needed
  • 1 lb. lean ground turkey
  • 2 tablespoons almond flour substitute with bread crumbs if desired
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise I used avocado oil mayo
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder sub with fresh minced garlic or omit to make this recipe Low FODMAP
  • 1 tablespoon coconut aminos substitute with Worcestershire sauce, low sodium soy sauce or tamari
  • 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • Lettuce wraps and your choice of toppings including tomato, avocado, red onion and pickles

Instructions 

  • Coat a plate with half a tablespoon of the oil.
    1 1/2 tablespoons oil
  • Place the ground turkey, almond flour, mayonnaise, garlic powder, coconut aminos, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Using your hands, combine the mixture gently to avoid overworking the meat. The mixture will be sticky.
    1 lb. lean ground turkey, 2 tablespoons almond flour, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon coconut aminos, 3/4 teaspoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • Form the meat into (4) 1/4 lb. patties and place on the oil coated plate, brushing a light coating of oil over the top and bottom of the burgers to prevent sticking. Chill a minimum of 10 minutes in the refrigerator.
  • Preheat the grill to medium high heat, or about 400 degrees. Once heated, brush the grill grates with oil as needed. Place the burgers on the oiled grill and grill for 5 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Remove from heat. Serve in lettuce wraps or buns with your desired toppings. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Pro tip:  Form the turkey burger patties up one day in advance to make this recipe go even more quickly.
  • This recipe is Whole30 and paleo-friendly using avocado oil mayonnaise.  Not a fan of mayo?  Substitute it with grated onion or even pesto sauce.
  • Customize grilled turkey burgers with lettuce wraps, your favorite buns, burger sauce and toppings.
  • How to freeze turkey burgers.  Place uncooked ground turkey burgers on a parchment or waxed paper lined baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 1 hour.  From there, place them in a zip top bag or container with parchment paper between them and store for up to 3 months.  Note:  Frozen turkey burgers will take 7-8 minutes per side to cook, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

Nutrition

Serving: 1burger, Calories: 247kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 65mg, Sodium: 624mg, Potassium: 347mg, Fiber: 0.5g, Sugar: 0.2g, Vitamin A: 34IU, Vitamin C: 0.01mg, Calcium: 13mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Did you try this recipe?Be sure to tag @flavorthemoments with the hashtag #flavorthemoments on Instagram so I can see what you made!

**This post was originally published August 2019. The photos have been updated to include step by step instructions and the text has been modified to include more recipe information.

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