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Juicy turkey burgers made with Greek yogurt, breadcrumbs and olive oil. Grilled up and served on a bun with pickled onions and mayo, these are a perfect summer dinner.

Photograph of turkey burgers on a large white platter with buns, lettuce, and yogurt sauce

Photograph of turkey burger with steak knife stuck through the top

So how do you make a juicy turkey burger?

I found the key was adding moisture, but not just any kind of moisture. I needed an ingredient that had binding properties, added liquid, and wasn’t full of fat.

America’s Test Kitchen and Julia Turshen add ricotta to their turkey burgers and turkey meatballs (respectively) to keep them tender and moist. Brilliant! 

However, I wanted to take it one step further. Ricotta is delicious, and a great way to create tender turkey burgers, but it also isn’t wildly convenient. So I turned to Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt:

  • Adds moisture
  • Helps bind the meat
  • Adds some tang
  • Adds a little bit of fat
Photograph of turkey burger with pickled red onions, sauce, and lettuce

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Photograph of turkey burger with steak knife stuck through the top

Juicy Dijon & Thyme Turkey Burgers

4.67 from 3 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Yield 4 burgers

Description

These turkey burgers are super juicy thanks to the combination of greek yogurt, breadcrumbs and olive oil. A great go-to recipe.

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Ingredients

For the burgers:

  • 1 pound lean ground turkey 93%
  • ½ cup 2% or full-fat greek yogurt
  • ½ cup Panko bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds crushed

For the sauce:

  • ½ cup Greek yogurt
  • 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon minced fresh garlic
  • ¼ teaspoon honey
  • 4 whole-wheat buns or multigrain hamburger buns toasted
  • Bibb or green leaf lettuce
  • Quick pickled red onions

Instructions

  • Combine turkey, ½ cup yogurt, bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons Dijon, oil, thyme, Worcestershire, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and fennel seeds (mixture will be fairly wet). 
  • Divide meat into 4 equal portions, gently form each into a ball, then lightly flatten into 1-inch-thick patties. Press finger through center of patties (this helps them patties flat) and transfer to a plate; chill patties at least 15 minutes or up to 2 hours.
  • Meanwhile, combine ½ cup yogurt, 4 teaspoons Dijon, lemon juice, garlic, and honey for the sauce; season with salt and pepper.

For a gas grill:

  • Heat grill over high for 15 minutes; clean and oil grill grate. Transfer patties to grill and cook, covered, without pressing down, for 5–7 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking.
  • Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, covered, until an instant-read thermometer, such as the Thermapen, inserted into the center of the burgers reaches 160°, 5–7 minutes more.
  • Transfer burgers to a plate, tent with foil, and let rest 5–10 minutes.

For a skillet or grill pan:  

  • Heat a cast-iron skillet or grill pan coated with nonstick spray over medium until nearly smoking.
  • Transfer burgers to grill pan and cook, without moving, until bottom sides are dark brown and crusted, 3–4 minutes. Flip burgers and cook until starting to brown, but not crusted, 3–4 minutes more.
  • Reduce heat to low, cover pan with lid slightly ajar to let steam out, and cook 8–10 minutes more, flipping as needed to prevent burning, until an instant-read thermometer, such as the Thermapen, inserted into the center of the burgers reaches 160°, 7–10 minutes more.
  • Transfer burgers to a plate and let rest 5–10 minutes.  
  • Turn grill to low (or use skillet/grill pan) and grill buns, cut side down, until toasted 1–2 minutes.
  • Serve burgers on toasted buns, with sauce, lettuce, and pickled onions.

Nutrition

Like this? Leave a comment below!I love hearing from you and I want to hear how it went with this recipe! Leave a comment and rating below, then share on social media @zestfulkitchen and #zestfulkitchen!

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About The Author

Lauren Grant is a professional culinary food scientist, food writer, recipe developer, and food photographer. Lauren is a previous magazine editor and test kitchen developer and has had work published in major national publications including Diabetic Living Magazine, Midwest Living Magazine, Cuisine at Home Magazine, EatingWell.com, AmericasTestKitchen.com, and more.

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4.67 from 3 votes

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Can we talk about how delicious these are?! Thank you for another great recipe, my family loved these!!

  2. 4 stars
    We grilled these last night. They were delicious. I love the flavor combos from the ingredients in the patties + the sauce. I also served the pickled red onions. Our side was grilled zucchini. A perfect combo!

    1. Hi Jenn! I’m so happy to hear you enjoy them!! Love the idea of serving these on a bed of arugula, that sounds delicious!