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Skillet Turkey Burgers

Ground turkey is full of moisture—more so than ground beef—but since you have to cook it to 160 degrees, it's virtually impossible to keep the juices in the meat unless you give it some help.
For juicy turkey burgers, we started by adding baking soda and gelatin to help keep the meat moist as it cooked. A few tablespoons of panko bread crumbs broke up the texture to keep the meat from binding together too firmly. Gently tossing the ingredients together and lightly shaping the patties also helped create a texture that was pleasantly coarse, loose, and tender.
A bit of melted butter added richness while soy sauce and Parmesan contributed savoriness. We also devised an unusual cooking method: Starting the patties in a cold skillet meant the exteriors could slowly start to brown while the interiors had time to reach the 160-degree serving temperature. Covering the skillet enveloped the burgers in steam so they cooked evenly from top to bottom.
Servings: 4
Author: America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon water
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 pound 93 percent lean ground turkey
  • 1½ tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
  • 3 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
  • 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ teaspoon unflavored gelatin
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ⅛ teaspoon table salt
  • 4 slices American cheese optional
  • 4 hamburger buns

Instructions

Prepare the turkey:

  • Place oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet and set aside.
  • Combine water and baking soda in a small bowl.
  • Place turkey in large bowl.
  • Using your hands, break up meat into rough ½-inch pieces.
  • Drizzle the baking soda mixture evenly over the turkey, followed by the soy sauce and melted butter.
  • Evenly sprinkle the panko, Parmesan, gelatin, pepper, and salt over the turkey mixture.
  • Using your hands, gently toss to combine.

Form the patties:

  • Divide the meat into 4 lightly packed portions, about 4 ounces each.
  • Gently flatten 1 portion into a patty about ½ inch thick and about 4 inches in diameter.
  • Transfer the patty directly to the prepared skillet and repeat with the remaining portions.

Cook and serve:

  • Heat the skillet over medium heat.
  • When the patties start to sizzle, cover the skillet and cook until the patties are well-browned on the bottom, about 2½ minutes (if patties are not browned after 2½ minutes, increase the heat).
  • Carefully flip the patties, cover, and continue to cook until the second side is well browned and the burgers register 160 degrees, 2½ to 3 minutes longer.
  • Place 1 slice of cheese on each burger about 1 minute before the burgers finish cooking.
  • Transfer the burgers to a plate and let them rest for 5 minutes, then transfer to the buns and serve.

Notes

  • When mixing and shaping the patties, do not overwork the meat, or the burgers may become dense.
  • A pair of fish spatulas work well for flipping the burgers.
  • Serve with your favorite burger toppings and Pickled Avocado, if desired.