Turkey Smashburger

a reliable burger is always homemade, and this Turkey Smashed Burger is only going to take you 30 minutes to make.

This is a reliable burger recipe, and it is good for your Friendsgiving celebration or a fun, casual menu.

Why This Recipe Works

After making our beef burger recipewe got a real passion for exploring different versions of homemade burgers.

To be honest, we don't like to overcomplicate our recipes, and of course, homemade hamburgers are easy to make already. But we wanted to keep the simplicity of a burger while taking the flavor to another level.

Of course, the secret to creating a reliable burger is about testing. It took some serious trial and error to figure out how to lock in the moisture and create truly juicy hamburger patties EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. You want to feel and taste EVERYTHING with the yummy, melty cheese once you take the first bite.

As a cook, we love the feeling of making something THIS GOOD from scratch, and it goes so well with some potato wedges.

What is a Smash Burger?

A smashburger is a style of burger made by pressing balls of ground beef into a large cast-iron skillet. They usually have a reliable crispy edges, and you end up with a thin patty that cooks so fast, needing only 3 minutes in the skillet. Crazy, right?

The toppings are simple: a classic slice of American cheese, and stick to double portions to keep it like authentic street food.

Best Meat for Burgers

You can use ground beef; just be sure it has a high fat content, like 20% or more.

Since we love burgers, we love to see more quality options for our body. A turkey burger was our choice for this recipe because lean ground turkey is much lower in fat and calories, but the protein is basically the same.

With Thanksgiving coming, we thought it was a great idea to have some unstuffed options this year.

You can also prepare the burger patty mixture a day before, so you can cook everything at the same time you are preparing your stuffed turkey or your Thanksgiving dinner.

On the stove

Let's be honest, there is no complicated science behind building a burger. This is more about how we build the burger and the three different stages:

• The Hot Honey Aioli Sauce
• Coleslaw
• Turkey Patty

Smash Burger Sauce

The key to a good burger is the burger sauce. That's why hamburgers like the Big Mac are so popular, just for their signature dressing (which we recreated in our burger bowlbtw).

Now it is time to make the Hot Honey Aioli, a quick 30-second sauce that makes every bite EXPLODE.

Mix the grated garlic, lemon juice, light mayo, hot honey, and a pinch of salt. If you're a fan of spicy, not-that-hot things, this sauce is the good replacement for classic BBQ sauce.

Fresh Coleslaw

This is when the veggies shine. It is completely optional, but PLEASE, you have to try it. Mix the shredded red and green cabbage, carrot, more lemon juice, low-fat Greek yogurt, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Tip: You can prep the slaw 24 hours in advance.

Smash Burger Technique at Home

When it comes to making smash burgers, the technique is EVERYTHING.

First, we gently combine the ground turkey with onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, mustard powder, salt, and pepper. This is the base for the homemade patties.

Because we want a pure, juicy patty, there is NO egg or filler in this mixture. We want a true burger, not a meatloaf.

Once we form the mixture into small balls (since we want to have a medium burger), it is time to cook. To get those lacy edges, place the turkey balls on the hot griddle and press them down firmly.

You can use a burger press/burger weight to get them super thin.

Let them sear undisturbed for about 3 minutes. When it is time, use a sturdy metal spatula to flip the burger, making sure to scrape up all that good crust from the pan.

Then, add a slice of good quality cheddar cheese right in the center of each patty.

How to Cook: Smashburger on Grill vs. Skillet

We have options when it comes to making our favourite burgers.

While the smash technique in a hot cast-iron skillet creates those lacy and crispy edges we all crave, but you can also adapt this recipe for an outdoor cookout.

The goal is always the same: keeping those juicy burger patties intact without drying out the lean turkey. Since turkey cooks differently than high-fat beef, managing your heat is crucial.

Here is a quick guide to ensure you get a reliable results no matter which method you choose:

How to Assemble

Then, assembling. You can put your burgers together any way you like, but we truly believe the order matters.

Since we are working with double portions, we like to follow everything in exact layers: Bottom bun → aioli sauce → lettuce & pickles → patty → cheese → patty → cheese →coleslaw → aioli sauce → top bun.

Serve it with

When we make a batch of these burgers, we love to keep the pairings classic.

You can serve them alongside onion rings sweet potato friesor crispy fries. If you are looking for a fresh second side a simple tomato salad is one of our favorites to serve with the meal since it's light. (But we love to stick with the potatoes).

Cook notes

The technique originated at a Dairy Cheer hamburger shop in Ashland, Kentucky, in the 1950s. An employee named Bill Culbertson discovered that using a heavy bean can to press a beef ball flat against the hot grill created a crispier, more flavorful crust for the patties.

Yes. The main feature of the technique is pressing the meat extremely thin against a high-heat surface to maximize browning (that's called the 'Maillard reaction'). Because the patty is so thin, it cooks entirely through in three minutesmaking a pink center impossible if you want the signature crispy edges.

No. The physical smashing process requires a solid, flat and extremely hot surface, like a flat-top griddle, to trap the extra fat and build a crust. An air fryer depends on circulating hot air through a grated basket, which prevents you from pressing the meat flat and will yield a standard baked patty.

5 from 1 vote

Turkey Smashburger Recipe

What you need

• 1 cup Green Cabbage shredded
• 1 cup Carrot shredded
• 1 cup Red Cabbage shredded
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp Greek yogurt low fat
• 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 3 large cloves garlic, grated
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup Mayo light
• 1/2 tbsp Hot honey
• Pinch of salt
• 1.4 lbs Ground Turkey 8 x 80g patties
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 8 leaves Lettuce baby cos
• 12 slices Sliced dill pickles
• 8 slices Good quality cheddar cheese
• 4 Burger buns brioche style

Method

1. Combine grated garlic and lemon juice with a pinch of salt. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes. Strain the mixture into a fresh bowl, pressing the garlic to extract juice, then discard the solids. Stir in mayo and hot honey.
2. Mix all shredded vegetables with yogurt, lemon juice, parsley, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Set aside.
3. Combine ground turkey with onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, mustard powder, salt, and pepper.
4. Create balls of the meat and let them ready to start cooking.
5. Halve the brioche buns and toast the insides on a high-heat pan or plancha until crispy and golden. Spread the aioli on both bun halves.
6. Spray a high-heat pan with oil. Place meatballs in the pan and press firmly with a burger weight until flat. Cook for 3 minutes, until browned.
7. Flip, add a slice of cheddar to each, and stack two patties together once cooked.
8. On the bottom bun, place 2 lettuce leaves and 3 pickle slices. Top with the double turkey patty.
9. Add a generous portion of coleslaw.
10. Close the burger with the top bun and enjoy!