This is not your average burger recipe! Italian Turkey Burgers are loaded with flavor, grilled until they’re nice and juicy and served on toasted garlic bread. Easy to make and perfect for weeknight dinners!
If you want to put a new spin on burger night these turkey burgers with pasta sauce are the way to do it. Juicy burgers topped with cheese and tomato sauce and served on toasted garlic bread is our way of dressing up a plain old burger.
There will be a lot of burger nights coming up at our house. We love grilling and this Italian turkey burger recipe will definitely be in the dinner rotation. If you’ve been looking for new ground turkey recipes you should definitely give this one a try. They’re easy enough for a weeknight and great for entertaining, too!
Table of Contents
Ingredients for the Turkey Burger Patties
This Italian-inspired recipe starts with the turkey burger patties – you only need four ingredients:
- Ground turkey breast
- Tomato pasta sauce
- Finely chopped red onion
- Breadcrumbs
Many ground turkey burger recipes also call for eggs but you don’t need them for this one because there is plenty of moisture from the sauce. Often eggs are added to keep the meat from drying out, but you won’t have that problem with these egg free turkey burgers.
Just mix the ingredients together in a bowl and then form the mixture into four patties approximately ¾ of inch thick.
Can I make turkey burger patties in advance?
You can make the patties up to one day ahead, but be sure to keep them tightly wrapped in plastic. Also, if you need to stack them, separate the patties with wax paper.
Plan to take them out of the refrigerator 15 minutes before you cook them so they can come to room temperature before you cook them.
Cooking on the Grill vs Stovetop
These burgers taste best cooked on the grill, but if you don’t have one you can also cook them on the stove top.
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Grill instructions:
- Preheat the grill to medium heat and oil the grate so the burgers don’t stick while you cook them.
- Once it’s heated, place the patties on the grill and close the lid. Cook them for 13 to 16 minutes turning them once halfway through the cooking time.
- Once the burgers are cooked through and the temperature 165°F in the middle, add the mozzarella cheese and let it melt on top.
Stovetop instructions:
- Heat some olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Place the burgers in the pan and cook on one side until golden brown on the bottom.
- Flip them over and sear on the other side for a few minutes before covering the pan and lowering the heat to medium. Cook them until the temperature reaches 165°F and then add a slice of cheese and let it melt.
Add All of the Toppings!
We love these burgers on garlic toast buns, but you can use regular hamburger buns, too. For the garlic bread all you do is:
- Combine softened butter with chopped garlic and Parmesan cheese.
- Spread the butter mixture on bread slices and toast them under the broiler for a few minutes until it’s golden and toasty.
For the toppings we love to add some tomato sauce on the bread and top the burger with fresh arugula and sliced red onions. So much flavor!
Ready to get grilling? You will love these Italian Turkey Burgers!
Other dinners you’ll enjoy:
Italian Turkey Burgers Recipe
Ingredients
For the Turkey Burgers:
- 1 pound Ground turkey breast
- 5 Tablespoons tomato pasta sauce
- 2 Tablespoons finely chopped red onion
- 4 slices mozzarella cheese
- 4 small portions of arugula
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 4 slices red onion
- Small portion of tomato pasta sauce optional
For the Garlic Toast:
- 1/2 cube of butter
- 3 Garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon of parmesan cheese
- 4 slices of bread
Instructions
Turkey Burgers:
- Pre-heat the barbecue and oil the grills Using a medium bowl, mix turkey, 5 tablespoons of pasta sauce, chopped onion and bread crumbs. Divide the turkey into 4 equal portions and form into a burger about 3/4 inch thick.
- Cover and grill burger patties over medium heat for 13-16 minutes turning once. Check the temperature of the burgers and once. Using a meat thermometer check the temperature. Once it reaches 165°, put the cheese on the burgers, cover for one minute or until cheese is melted.
- Place garlic toast on plate, place burger on top. Then add sliced onion and arugula. Add additional pasta sauce. You can also serve on any bun of your choice.
Garlic Toast:
- Let butter sit out for 30 minutes to soften
- Using a garlic press, add garlic to the butter. Then add in parmesan cheese. Mix the contents together
- Spread butter onto the bread and place under broiler for 3 minutes. Check the bread often as it can easily burn.
Recipe Notes
Recipe Nutrition
These Italian Turkey Burgers are not your average turkey burgers! They are loaded with flavor, grilled until done and served on toasted garlic bread. The best twist when you want Italian flavors but not a pasta dish.
Making these tonight