Juicy, delicious Barbecue Turkey Burgers are easy to make and cook on your grill. Learn how to make barbecue turkey burgers with tons of flavor and serve them on buns with BBQ sauce and all the toppings.

Barbecue turkey burger cut in half on wood cutting board surrounded by arugula

We love our burgers around here and love to grill them all year,but as much as we love beef, we like to lighten things up and make turkey burgers instead. Or, more specifically, these BBQ turkey burgers loaded with all the toppings.

Turkey burgers can have a bad reputation because they’re not always juicy and delicious. Turkey is lean and tends to dry out when you grill it, but I’ve figured out how to make turkey patties, so they cook up juicy every time.

Table of Contents
  1. The Best Turkey Burger Recipe
  2. Ingredients
  3. Three Easy Steps!
  4. Tips for Grilling Burgers
  5. Other Dinners You’ll Enjoy
  6. Barbecue Turkey Burgers Recipe Recipe

The Best Turkey Burger Recipe

These are not your average burgers! Grilled turkey burgers are topped with cheese, BBQ sauce, and toppings like arugula, tomatoes, and onions. They’re like a restaurant-style burger that is easy to make yourself at home.

A homemade barbecue turkey burger is healthier than those restaurant ones but tastes just as great! What makes this recipe so good is the turkey burger seasoning. Instead of just making plain patties, I add a mix of seasonings to give them a flavor punch.

Close up of barbecue turkey burger on cutting board with top bun off to the side to show toppings

Ingredients

  • Ground turkey
  • Jarred BBQ sauce
  • Breadcrumbs
  • Sliced cheddar cheese
  • Garlic powder
  • Salt and pepper
  • Sliced tomatoes
  • Arugula
  • Sliced red onion
  • Hamburger buns

Three Easy Steps!

Mix: Mix the turkey, breadcrumbs, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Form the mixture into four patties of equal thickness.

Grill: Heat the barbecue to medium heat and coat the grates with barbecue cooking spray. Cook the burgers on one side for five to seven minutes. Turn them over and cook them for five to seven minutes longer. Top each with a slice of cheese in the last two minutes of the cooking time.

Assemble: Place the arugula, onion, and tomato on the bottom hamburger bun. Place the burger on top and drizzle some BBQ sauce over it. Add the top bun and serve!

Barbecue turkey burger cut in half on wood cutting board surrounded by arugula

Tips for Grilling Burgers

When you mix and form the patties, be careful not to overwork the meat or pack too tight. You want the patties to hold together when they cook, but you shouldn’t press them so much that they end up dense. So, use a light hand when mixing and making them.

Make sure you preheat the grill. It’s easy to forget, but you definitely want it nice and hot when you cook the burgers. That way, you get those nice grill marks. Plus, the burgers will cook faster.

I highly recommend using a meat thermometer to check the burgers. If your burgers overcook, they will be dry, which you definitely don’t want. So, keep an eye on them and use the thermometer to check them – as soon as the temperature hits 165°F take them off the grill.

We love sliced cheddar cheese on our burgers, but you can sub another good melting cheese like American, pepper jack, Monterey jack, or even Provolone or Havarti. Are you ready to fire up your grill and make some barbecue turkey burgers for dinner this week? You are going to love the flavor!

Barbecue turkey burger on cutting board with top bun off to the side to show toppings

Other Dinners You’ll Enjoy

Close up of barbecue turkey burger on cutting board with top bun off to the side to show toppings

Barbecue Turkey Burgers Recipe

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Barbecue Turkey Burgers are not your average burgers! Grilled to perfection and topped with cheese, BBQ sauce, tomatoes, and onions – these can’t be beat!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Yield 4 servings
Serving Size 1 serving

Ingredients
 

  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 1/3 cup barbecue sauce of your choice separated
  • 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
  • 4 cheddar cheese slices
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 beefsteak tomato slices
  • 1 – 1-1/2 cups arugula
  • 4 red onion slices
  • 4 hamburger buns
  • Cooking spray

Instructions

  • Combine the ground turkey, breadcrumbs, garlic powder, salt and pepper into a large mixing bowl. Make 4 equal portions and shape into burger patties that are the same thickness.
  • Pre-heat barbecue to medium high heat. Use barbecue cooking spray to coat the grates. Cook the burgers for 5-7 minutes on each side or until done cheese on top of each burger with about 2 minutes of cooking time left. The internal temperature should be 165°.
  • Build your burger by putting the arugula, then onion, then tomato on the bottom portion of the bun. Put the burger on top. Then use the remaining barbecue sauce to drizzle on the top of the burger. Put top bun on and enjoy!

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 428kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 600mg | Potassium: 1426mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 2914IU | Vitamin C: 55mg | Calcium: 166mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword burger, grilled, grilled dinner, ground turkey, healthier burger, turkey burger
Barbecue turkey burger cut in half on wood cutting board surrounded by arugula with recipe title on bottom of image

Barbecue Turkey Burgers are not your average burgers! Grilled to perfection and topped with cheese, BBQ sauce, tomatoes, and onions – these can’t be beat!

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