Juicy. Flavorful. Dairy Free. Healthy gluten free turkey burgers loaded with veggies and flavor. Simply mix them up and pop them in the oven!
I like to serve them as lettuce wrap turkey burgers but sometimes I put them on gluten free buns or over a delicious greek salad.
I was SO tired of flavorless and dry turkey burgers... which lead to me experiment on how to take my favorite Greek salad flavors and pack them into a juicy turkey burger made from scratch.
The secret ingredient is grated zucchini which adds amazing texture and moisture to the burger to keep it meaty and juicy.
This recipe is a favorite for meal prepping or batch cooking. I love doubling the recipe and freezing a batch so that I can quickly create a healthy meal on crazy days.
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Buying high quality ground turkey
When you eat meat you are consuming whatever the animal was fed or medicated with. So do your research to know how the turkey was cared for. When possible, I aim to buy turkey that is never given antibiotics, steroids or added hormones. Look for "pasture raised" and "humanely raised" on the label. USDA organic is also a good label to look for but not always necessary if the turkeys are pasture raised since the turkeys eat whatever is in their natural environment and not organic feed.
To simplify things, I've been purchasing my meat from ButcherBox for years so that I always have the highest quality meat right in my freezer. It makes meal prep super easy!
The higher the fat content of the ground turkey the juicer the burger will be. However, the grated zucchini adds a lot of moisture to these burgers so I use lean ground turkey which are still amazingly juicy.
Ingredients
How to make gluten free turkey burgers
- Add all ingredients to a large bowl.
- Mix everything gently with clean hands or a large spoon. Do not over mix, mix just enough for everything to be combined.
- Shape the mixture into burger shapes on sided baking pan with parchment paper or lightly covered in oil.
- Bake for approximately 30 minutes at 400° F. Using a meat thermometer ensure the middle of your burger is 165-180° F. If the middle of the burger is lower than 165° F keep cooking them until the temperature is reached. Once cooked, let the burgers sit for 10 minutes before serving so the juices disperse throughout the burger.
Turkey burger toppings
I typically make a lettuce wrap turkey burger that is Greek inspired and top it with hummus, cucumber, red onion, lettuce, olive tapenade and Trader Joe's garlic spread!
Here are some other topping ideas:
- Hummus (fat free)- super easy, only 4 ingredients + water!
- Vegetables - thinly sliced cucumber, red onion, tomato, lettuce, spinach, olives, pepperoncini peppers, caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, avocado
- Pesto
- Olive tapenade
- Roasted red peppers
- Trader Joe's garlic spread
- Cranberry sauce
- Guacamole
- Fried egg
- Garlic mayo
Turkey burger sides
Below are a few of my favorite sides but if you are looking for more ideas check out this roundup of 15 turkey burger sides.
- Greek salad - Plop your turkey burger on top of a big Greek salad. Mine usually includes mixed greens, red onion, pepperoncini peppers, Kalamata olives, bell pepper, homemade hummus and Yasou Greek dressing.
- Sautéed or roasted veggies - Serve with your favorite vegetables. My favorites are sautéed green beans or asparagus.
- Sweet potato fries - I like to make mine in the air fryer! But you can also roast some sweet potatoes in the oven.
- Greek pasta salad - Toss together some gluten free pasta, Kalamata olives, red onion, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, pepperoncini peppers and Greek dressing.
FAQs
The higher the fat content of the ground turkey the juicer the burger will be so feel free to get the 93% lean 7% fat ground turkey if you don't mind some dark meat. However, the grated zucchini adds a lot of moisture to these burgers so I use 99% lean ground turkey which are still amazingly juicy.
Turkey burgers will last in the fridge for up to 3 days in an air tight container.
Cooked turkey burgers can be frozen for up to 3 months in an air tight container. Reheat by placing your frozen burger in a 400°F oven for 5 minutes or until fully warm.
Expert Tips
- If you have time to spare, the turkey burgers are easier to form if the mixture is chilled in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
- Use a food processor with a shredding plate to quickly shred the zucchini.
- If you have a circular mold you can spoon the mixture into the mold on the pan to help shape the patty.
More healthy meals you'll love
- Thai Sweet Potato Glass Noodle Salad
- Dairy Free Chicken Fajita Enchiladas
- Healthy Dairy Free Shrimp Pasta
Looking for more ground turkey recipes? Check out our roundup of 10 gluten free ground turkey recipes for some ideas.
I hope you love this gluten free turkey burger! If you make it I’d love if you could leave a rating & connect with me on Instagram @passthesprouts!
Recipe
Healthy Gluten Free Turkey Burgers
Equipment
- Knife or chopper
- Large bowl
- Large sided baking pan
- Meat thermometer optional
- Parchment paper or a non-stick reusable baking mat optional
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey raw
- 1 egg chicken
- ¼ cup Kalamata olives pitted & chopped
- ⅔ cup zucchini grated or finely minced
- 2 tablespoons red onion finely chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
- ½ cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce if you cannot find gluten free, mix equal parts gluten free soy sauce or coconut aminos with ketchup!
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 400° F.
- Mix: Gather and chop all of your ingredients. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix with clean hands or a large spoon until everything is combined. Be careful to not over mix, mix just enough to combine the ingredients.
- Form: Using your hands form the turkey burgers into burger shapes on a sided baking pan. The mixture will be a gloopy consistency but do your best to form patty shapes on the pan. To avoid sticking you may want to use parchment paper, a non-stick reusable baking mat or a little oil on your pan.
- Bake: Bake for approximately 30 minutes at 400° F. Using a meat thermometer ensure the middle of your burger is 165-180° F. If the internal temperature is lower than 165° F keep cooking them until the temperature is reached. Once cooked, let the burgers sit for 10 minutes before serving so the juices disperse throughout the burger.
Recipe Notes
- Red onion substitution: same amount of shallot, white onion, yellow onion or green onion
- Worcestershire sauce substitution: olive brine (juice from a jar of olives)
- Parsley substitution: you can omit the parsley with minimal impact to the flavor
- Storage: up to 3 days in an air tight container in the fridge. Up to 3 months in the freezer in an air tight container. Reheat by placing your frozen burger in a 400°F oven for 5 minutes or until fully warm.
Meaghan says
Super easy to double the recipe and freeze for easy meal prep. Really love these - thank you!!