Though these turkey burgers are simple to make, they’re loaded with flavor with a secret ingredient we’re obsessed with. The secret ingredient is fish sauce. We feel this is the best turkey burger recipe and our friends agree. When you’re craving a lighter and flavor loaded burger, these umami turkey burgers will be a hit. It’s an oldie but goodie recipe since 2012.

Best Turkey Burger Recipe or Turkey Hamburger on a cutting board

Best Turkey Burger Recipe

It’s been over 15 years (in 2009) since we last posted our favorite family burger recipe, Ultimate Umami Hamburgers. Our “secret” ingredient of adding fish sauce isn’t so secret anymore. We’re so grateful that over the years, everyone was extremely open to heightening the umami factor in their burgers. It brings us great joy and pride to know that so many of you are grilling for extra flavor! Now we added it to turkey burgers and the flavors are still outstanding. It makes bland turkey or chicken into a flavor bomb burger.

Can you use ground chicken?

Sure! If you can’t find ground turkey or not really a fan of it, then ground chicken will work great. These will be the most flavorful chicken burgers you ever had. Promise. And if you want to use ground pork, lamb or beef, that’s great too!

Don’t Fear the Fish Sauce for Burgers

Fear of fish sauce is still prevalent in many home cooks. Read more about fish sauce here. Without a doubt, we completely understand your cautious curiosity. Fish sauce is pungent and for many of you, it’s on the verge of stink. But once you can get past the aroma you’ll appreciate the value of added umami flavor that fish sauce adds. Once it’s cooked, you won’t taste the “stink”. You’ll be a converted addict sooner than you realize.

It is almost magical when cooked with. Its own fishiness disappears after cooking. In its place the dish’s flavor is mysteriously enhanced and a new depth of flavor emerges.

Video: Umami Turkey Burgers with Fish Sauce

Best Turkey Burger Recipe or Turkey Hamburger Recipe @whiteonrice

More Flavor to Ground Turkey or Ground Chicken

Turkey and chicken, particularly any white meat, was always too dry and bland for us. Though we’d enjoy it occasionally in a turkey bacon sandwich (bacon always makes everything better), the meat alone was never something we’d ever consider as a burger. But over the last year, we were enjoying turkey more in different applications and thought about making turkey burgers better and more flavorful by adding fish sauce.

Again, fish sauce comes to the rescue in this turkey burger! Of course, if you grill with white turkey meat, you’ll get a slightly drier burger. But when made with dark turkey meat in combination with the fish sauce, what you get is a fantastically deep, flavorful and moist burger. With the added brightness of minced rosemary and creamy slices of avocado, this turkey burger is worth being proud of at the grill.

Best Turkey Burger Recipe or Turkey Hamburger on a platter with beer

Do the burgers taste “fishy”?

Like the many of the commenters mentioned in our ultimate umami hamburger post, no one noticed a fishy-sauce flavor in the burgers at all. But what everyone did taste was a meatier tasting burger that was fantastic. The fish sauce adds an depth of flavor which makes the burgers quite delectable. Many commenting that their families declared this the best turkey burger recipe. As the weather warms up and bbq season arrives, we’re hoping that you’ll try adding that extra special touch of fish sauce in all your burgers!

Umami Fish Sauce Turkey Burgers

Yield: 3 Servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 23 minutes
The type of turkey meat you get makes all of the difference between a dry turkey burger and a moist one. We are going for best flavor and texture, so we look for the meat which has either been ground from the dark meat is is labeled as 85/15 (up to 15% fat). The leaner the ground turkey meat, the drier the patties get.
5 from 13 votes
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Ingredients

  • 1 lb. (454 g) Ground Turkey or ground chicken
  • 2 teaspoons (10 ml) finely chopped fresh Rosemary
  • 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) Fish Sauce , or soy sauce but fish sauce tastes better
  • 2 cloves Garlic , minced
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) Sugar , optional
  • fresh cracked Black Pepper to taste
  • Oil for brushing patties and buns *See Note 1
  • 3-4 Hamburger Buns
  • 1 Avocado , sliced
  • Favorite Burger Condiments sprouts, lettuce, tomato, BBQ sauce, ketchup, mayo, mustard, etc…

Equipment

Instructions 

  • In a medium bowl gently combine turkey, rosemary, fish sauce, garlic, sugar, and black pepper (try not to over mix the meat).
    meat mixture for umami turkey burgers
  • Oiling your hands helps the meat from sticking when forming the patties.
    oiled hands
  • Form the meat mixture into 3-4 equal patties.
    forming patties for umami fish sauce turkey burgers
  • Heat grill or pan over medium high heat. Brush or spray both sides of patties and insides of buns with oil and both sides of patties with oil (if grilling, brush or spray grill grates with oil as well).  
  • Cook each side for approx. 3-4 minutes or until cooked through *see Note 2 (time will depend on patty thickness and cooking heat). Or you can pan sear the patties over a skillet on medium-high heat. Cook each side for about 3-4 minutes or until the meat is cooked through.
    Turkey burgers grilling
  • Place buns face down on grill or pan and cook until lightly browned (usually cooks within a minute).
  • Assemble with avocado and toppings of choice. Serve and eat immediately.
    assembling turkey burger

Notes

Note 1: We love using oil sprayers in the kitchen. You can use whichever oil you prefer and it gives you a quick, light, even coat of oil.
Note 2: To test doneness, we’ll use the push test. Gently push on the patty’s center to feel how much give or bounce it has. The firmer it is the more the meat is cooked. After a little experience, you’ll quickly be able to tell when the patties are cooked to your preferred doneness. If you are unsure at first, slice into the center of a patty to check how doneness.

Video

Nutrition Information per Serving

Calories: 404kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 41g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 83mg, Sodium: 765mg, Potassium: 841mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 139IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 77mg, Iron: 3mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 404

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