Turkey Burger Sliders
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These juicy Turkey Burger Sliders will solve your weeknight dinner dilemma. They are easy, healthy, delicious, freezer-friendly, and done in 20 minutes. What more could you ask for in a recipe!?
“I was surprised at how much I liked these! Such a healthy dinner (or lunch idea). I chopped up the leftovers and tossed them into my pasta the next night. So good!” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. – Emily
About This Recipe
It had been an uneventful dinner so far. Everyone…yes, picky eaters and all…munched away on these easy Mini Turkey Cheeseburgers, which I served alongside some Simple Roasted Veggies that night. Uneventful dinner = a RAGING success these days. 🙂
P.S. This recipe can be made in the air fryer too! Check out our Turkey Burger Air Fryer recipe here.
Ingredients
- Ground turkey – As with all of our ground turkey recipes like our Instant Pot Turkey Chili and Turkey Stuffing Casserole, we recommend NOT using the 99% lean ground turkey. It’s much better to get turkey that’s less lean, so the burgers are more moist and flavorful.
- Minced garlic – I buy the jarred kind to save time.
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley – Curled leaf will work as well.
- Dried oregano
- Lemon juice – Fresh is always best.
- Salt & pepper
- Whole wheat Panko breadcrumbs – make your own breadcrumbs using this method.
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Avocado oil or olive oil
- Sliced provolone – Mozzarella will work as well.
- Mini ciabatta rolls or dinner rolls
- Optional toppings: lettuce or arugula, tomato slices, mayo, thinly sliced red onion
Assemble the Turkey Burgers
In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey burger ingredients. Use your hands for this step. Make sure to not pack the patties together too tight.
Cook them on the Stovetop
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmery. Add half of the patties and cook for 4 minutes on each side until browned and cooked through.
If desired, add 2 little pieces of cheese to the top of each burger in the last minute of cooking. Transfer to a plate and loosely cover with foil. Add more oil to the pan and repeat with remaining patties.
How to Know When Burgers are Done
Burgers are done when they have no more pink inside or register 165°F internally. If the patties brown before they’re cooked through, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and continue to cook for a few minutes more.
FAQs
Turkey burgers are often considered to be healthier than beef burgers because they are generally lower in fat and calories.
Yes! Turkey Burgers can be made in the air fryer. In fact, we have an entire post walking you through how to make Air Fryer Turkey Burgers.
Yes! Use almond flour in place of the bread crumbs or make your own gluten-free breadcrumbs using toasted, gluten-free bread. I have found that store-bought gluten-free Panko breadcrumbs (made with rice flour) stick to the pan and don’t yield good results, so I don’t recommend those.
Yep! Use breadcrumbs or almond flour in place of the Parmesan cheese and add 1/4 teaspoon salt to the mixture. I’ve also found that nutritional yeast can add some cheesy flavor, so feel free to sub in a few tablespoons to your dry mix.
How to Freeze Turkey Burgers
You’ve come to the right place if you’re looking for make-ahead freezer meals.
Not only have we written two freezer meal cookbooks, but we also have some amazing 1 Hour Freezer Prep Plans that walk you through how to make 6 meals in one hour.
Freeze For Later: Form the patties (steps 1-2) and freeze uncooked burgers in single layers between parchment paper either in a gallon-sized freezer bag or freezer container. Seal well and freeze.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours. Cook according to instructions in steps 3-4.
Side Dish Ideas
Serve your delicious Turkey Burger Sliders up with a few of these side dish ideas.
Make 6 Dump-and-Go Freezer Meals in 1 Hour!
- Shopping & equipment lists
- Step-by-Step instructions & video tutorial
- Serving suggestions & dietary substitutions & more
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Turkey Burger Sliders
Turkey Burger Sliders are a fun size for kids or adults. They’re juicy, super flavorful, and a little healthier than your standard burger.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pounds ground turkey*
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (remove stems)
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed in hand
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 cup whole wheat Panko breadcrumbs (or make your own breadcrumbs)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup avocado oil or olive oil
- 4–5 slices of Provolone, cut into 4 pieces each
- 8–10 mini ciabatta rolls or dinner rolls
- Optional toppings: lettuce or arugula, tomato slices, mayo, thinly sliced red onion
*We recommend NOT using the 99% lean ground turkey. It’s much better to get turkey that’s less lean, so the burgers are more moist and flavorful.
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Instructions
Make It Now:
- Make Mixture: In a large bowl, use clean hands to combine the ground turkey, garlic, parsley, oregano, lemon juice, salt, pepper, breadcrumbs, and Parmesan cheese.
- Form Patties: Form the mixture into 8-10 small patties (about 3 inches across). (Freezer meal instructions begin here.)
- Cook Sliders: Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmery. Add half of the patties and cook for 4 minutes on each side, or until browned and cooked through*. If desired, add 2 little pieces of cheese to the top of each burger in the last minute of cooking. Transfer to a plate and loosely cover with foil. Add more oil to the pan and repeat with remaining patties.
- Serve: Remove from the skillet, place on the buns, and add desired burger toppings.
*Burgers are done when they have no more pink inside or register 165°F internally. If the patties brown before they’re cooked through, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and continue to cook for a few minutes more.
Freeze For Later: Form the patties (steps 1-2) and freeze uncooked burgers in single layers between parchment paper either in a gallon-sized freezer bag or freezer container. Seal well and freeze.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours. Cook according to instructions in steps 3-4.
Notes/Tips
- How to Know When They Are Done: Burgers are done when they have no more pink inside or register 165°F internally. If the patties brown before they’re cooked through, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and continue to cook for a few minutes more.
- Turkey Burger Air Fryer instructions can be found here.
- Leftover Tips: If you have leftover cooked patties, wrap tightly and freeze. Warm at 50% in the microwave until heated through.
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Gluten-Free Version: Use almond flour in place of the bread crumbs or make your own gluten-free breadcrumbs using toasted, gluten-free bread. I have found that store-bought gluten-free Panko breadcrumbs (made with rice flour) stick to the pan and don’t yield good results, so I don’t recommend those.
-
Dairy-Free Version: Use breadcrumbs or almond flour in place of the Parmesan cheese and add 1/4 teaspoon salt to the mixture. I’ve also found that nutritional yeast can add in some cheesy flavor, so feel free to sub in a few tablespoons to your dry mix.
- Where We Get Our Ground Turkey: We get our meat from ButcherBox. The poultry is organic and curated from small, trusted farms. We highly recommend this service to source healthy meat–like uncured bacon, wild salmon, and grass-fed beef–and have used it for years ourselves. Read my honest review here.
Michele says
I would classify my cooking skills as beginner and with little kids, I much prefer quick options. This meal was so easy and quick to make. Even my picky eater ate it all. I will definitely be adding this to our meal rotation.
Carla from Thriving Home says
Love hearing this! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. 🙂
Jen says
Emily says
I was surprised at how much I liked these! Such a healthy dinner (or lunch idea). I chopped up the leftovers and sprinkled them into my pasta the next night. So good!
Harold Burton says
Looks yummy!You list garlic in the ingredients list, but I don’t see where you add it to the recipe. I would guess that you add it to the partially sautéed onions?Thanks!
Harold Burton
Rachel Tiemeyer says
Hi Harold. Which recipe are you referring to? There are no onions in these burgers. I’d love to fix the issue, if you can let me know which recipe. Thanks!
Holly says
I love this recipe and even my veggie-averse toddler will eat them. Have you had any success cooking them on the grill? I’m wondering if they would hold together or if they would just stick or fall apart.
Rachel says
I haven’t tried it on the grill yet. You’ll probably just need to grease the grates first to help them from sticking.
Kathy Peck says
We LOVE this recipe. Making it for the freezer again. Small burgers work great for senior appetites. Only change is that I bake them until JUST done, THEN freeze them. After thawing, I throw in a skillet or on a grill to finish giving the color on the outside, which only takes a couple minutes at the most. Thanks!
Rachel says
Thank you for the feedback, Kathy. Love hearing this!