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Turkey Smashburger Recipe

Crispy on the edges and incredibly juicy on the inside, 30-minute turkey smash burgers are a must for holiday lunch. Stacked with melted cheddar, crunchy fresh slaw, and a sweet-and-spicy hot honey aioli, they’re the perfect easy dish you’ll want to make on repeat.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cheesy, comfort food, quick, Spicy
Servings: 4 burgers
Author: Karina Carrel

Equipment

  • 1 Burger press

Ingredients

Coleslaw

  • 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

Hot Honey Aioli Sauce

  • 3 large cloves garlic, grated
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup Mayo light
  • 1/2 tbsp Hot honey
  • Pinch of salt

Turkey Patty

  • 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

Assembly

  • 8 leaves Lettuce baby cos
  • 12 slices Sliced dill pickles
  • 8 slices Good quality cheddar cheese
  • 4 Burger buns brioche style
US - Metric

Instructions

Aioli

  • 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.
    A glass bowl containing mayonnaise, garlic, and hot honey ready to be mixed into a smash burger sauce.
    • Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

Coleslaw

  • Mix all shredded vegetables with yogurt, lemon juice, parsley, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Set aside.
    A glass bowl of shredded red and green cabbage mixed with carrots and yogurt dressing to serve with healthy turkey burgers.
    • You can prep the slaw 24 hours in advance.

Turkey Patties

  • Combine ground turkey with onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, mustard powder, salt, and pepper.
    A glass bowl containing raw ground turkey topped with dry spices ready to be mixed for a turkey burger recipe.
  • Create balls of the meat and let them ready to start cooking.
    Eight raw seasoned turkey meat balls arranged on a brown plate, ready to be pressed into flat hamburger patties.

Cooking & Assembly

  • 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.
    A hand wearing a black glove uses a metal spoon to spread creamy hot honey aioli onto a toasted hamburger bun.
  • Spray a high-heat pan with oil. Place meatballs in the pan and press firmly with a burger weight until very flat. Cook for 3 minutes, until browned.
    A hand wearing a black glove uses a heavy wooden-handled burger press to flatten a raw turkey meatball in a hot black skillet, demonstrating the smash burger technique.
  • Flip, add a slice of cheddar to each, and stack two patties together once cooked.
    Hands wearing black gloves use a spatula to stack two cooked patties topped with melted cheese in a hot skillet while making turkey smash burgers.
  • On the bottom bun, place 2 lettuce leaves and 3 pickle slices. Top with the double turkey patty.
    Hands wearing black gloves use a spatula to stack two cooked patties topped with melted cheese in a hot skillet while making turkey smash burgers.
  • Add a generous portion of coleslaw.
    Tongs placing coleslaw onto a burger patty topped with melted cheese and lettuce, with sauced buns in the background.
  • Close the burger with the top bun and enjoy!
    Hands wearing black gloves holding an assembled turkey burger with a bowl of hot honey aioli in the background, showcasing the final result a smash burger recipe.

Notes

Storage, Reheating & Make Ahead

Thanksgiving is about preparing EVERYTHING during the day, and this is not the exception.
  • Make Ahead: Form the turkey meatballs up to 24 hours in advance and store them in the fridge in an airtight container.  Same with the coleslaw. The hot honey aioli can also be whisked together up to 3 days ahead.
  • Fridge Storage: Keep leftover cooked patties in the fridge for up to 3 days. Always store your coleslaw, sauce, and buns separately so nothing gets soggy before assembly.
  • Freezer: To freeze raw turkey meatballs, place them on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before smashing them in the hot pan.
  • Reheating: Reheat cooked patties in a skillet over medium heat. Add a tiny splash of water and cover the pan with a lid to steam them slightly; this prevents the lean turkey meat from drying out.
Happy cooking! Xx
Place a small piece of parchment paper over the turkey ball right before you press down with your burger weight. This guarantees the raw meat won't stick to the bottom of the press, keeping your patty perfectly intact for the ultimate crust.