Skillet Turkey Burgers – BEST EVER!
Do you think turkey burgers are usually dry and either tasteless or have seasonings that make it taste like meat loaf? I had just about given up on turkey burgers when I stumbled on this recipe from Cook’s Illustrated. Why I didn’t just go to their site in the first place is beyond me. The title of their recipe is Skillet Turkey Burgers, but I added “BEST EVER” because they truly are!
With a little magic from a couple of ingredients you don’t usually find in a burger and an unusual cooking method, these turkey burgers cook up moist and tender. In addition, breaking up the turkey into ½-inch pieces, adding some panko bread crumbs, and lightly handling the patties so as not to compress them too much, all contributed to a wonderful texture.
A little soy sauce, some melted butter, and grated Parmesan cheese added delicious flavoring to the toothsome burger. Hubby and I have fallen in love with these turkey burgers and have made them three times so far this summer, and they will be in regular rotation for the foreseeable future.
Obviously, once you cook them, you can add whatever burger toppings suit your fancy. The first time I made them, I added American cheese to mine. I have to admit that the American cheese didn’t do anything for me. I think it tricked my taste buds into anticipating a beef flavor which wasn’t coming. The second time I made them, I had the turkey burger with lettuce, tomato, and mayo which made my taste buds very happy. Hubby and I have enjoyed them that way ever since.
In case you haven’t gotten the message by now—these burgers are simply frantastic!
Skillet Turkey Burgers – BEST EVER!
Ingredients
- 2 tsp. vegetable oil
- 1 tsp. water
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey
- 2 1/4 tsp. soy sauce
- 1 tbl. unsalted butter, melted
- 3 tbl. panko bread crumbs
- 3 tbl. grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp. unflavored gelatin
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 4 slices American cheese, optional (I didn’t care for the burger with cheese but loved it with lettuce, tomato & mayo)
- 4 hamburger buns
Note
When mixing and shaping the patties, do not overwork the meat, or the burgers may become dense. A pair of fish spatulas works well for flipping the burgers.
Directions
Place oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet and set aside. Please note that you will be adding the turkey burgers to the cold skillet. This ensures that the burger exteriors brown slowly in order to give the inside of the burgers time to come up to the required 160 degrees for serving.
Combine water and baking soda in small bowl. Place turkey in large bowl. Using your hands, break up meat into rough ½-inch pieces. Drizzle baking soda mixture evenly over turkey, followed by soy sauce and melted butter. Evenly sprinkle panko, Parmesan, gelatin, pepper, and salt over turkey mixture. Using your hands, gently toss to combine.
Divide meat into 4 lightly packed portions, about 4 ounces each. Gently flatten 1 portion into patty about 1/2 inch thick and about 4 inches in diameter. Transfer patty directly to prepared skillet and repeat with remaining portions.
Heat skillet over medium heat. When patties start to sizzle, cover skillet and cook until patties are well-browned on bottom, about 2½ minutes (if patties are not browned after 2½ minutes, increase heat). Carefully flip patties, cover, and continue to cook until second side is well browned and burgers register 160 degrees, 2½ to 3 minutes longer. If using cheese, place 1 slice on each burger about 1 minute before burgers finish cooking. Transfer burgers to plate and let rest for 5 minutes, then transfer to buns and serve.
Source: A recipe from Cook’s Illustrated