Honestly, I never really was a huge fan of turkey burgers. I always found them to be pretty dry and lack flavor. No more! These patties are juicy and flavorful from shredded zucchini and fresh grated onion and garlic. This is another one of my absolute favorite “sneaky vegetable” recipes! In fact, there’s such a high veggie content that you get five patties out of one pound of burger meat which usually only yields four. That’s a serious bonus!
These burgers are healthy, delicious and super quick to throw together for a weeknight meal. The raw patties also keep well in the freezer when you’re in a clutch for dinner. Serve them with your favorite burger toppings – I’m all about lettuce, tomato, avocado, cheese and some kind of spicy mustard – on a soft bun or in lettuce wraps for a lower carb version. If you plan on grilling your burgers, you definitely want to make these patties a few hours ahead to give them some time to set up and gel together. Even better if you make them the night before so that they hold their shape.
Helpful Tips
- I highly recommend using a mixture of half turkey breast and half thigh meat.
- After you grate the zucchini, sprinkle it with a little salt to draw out the water. Give it a good squeeze through a clean dish towel.
- The best way to mix up burger meat is with your hands. Do it just enough to combine the ingredients, don’t over work it or you’ll have tough burgers.
- Get your pan or grill screaming hot before you put these on for a good sear!
- Coat the patties lightly with oil and turn a few times to prevent burning.
- Turkey burgers must ALWAYS be cooked well done to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees.
Zucchini Turkey Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey half breast, half thigh
- 1 cup grated zucchini
- ½ red onion grated
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- burger buns and toppings
Instructions
- Grate zucchini and put it in a bowl. Sprinkle with salt and let stand for 10 minutes. Squeeze out all of the excess moisture with a clean dish towel.
- Add remaining ingredients to the zucchini and gently combine with your hands. Form 4-5 equal size patties. Place in a single layer in a dish and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for a minimum of one hour or as long as overnight.
- Right before cooking, coat each cold patty lightly in oil. Grill or pan fry for about 5 minutes per side, turning frequently to prevent burning, until the internal temperature reads 160 degrees.
- Serve immediately with favorite burger toppings on warmed buns.
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