Smash Burgers
Sam Sifton
2639 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
2,639
20 minutes
Advertisement
Combine the turkey, salt, pepper and parsley in a large bowl and mix with a fork or clean hands to season evenly. Add the egg and milk and stir to combine.
Divide the meat into four portions with damp hands and gently pack into four round patties, about ¾-inch thick. (It will feel very sticky because of the egg, which helps burgers hold their shape as they cook.) Place burgers on a parchment-lined baking tray or plate. Cut the butter into slices and 1 slice of the cheese into 4 thin squares, about 1 inch across. (The butter and cheese should be the same size.) Press a piece of each into the center of each burger. Shape the meat around it to cover across the top. Refrigerate for 10 minutes while you prepare the griddle.
Heat a flat-top griddle or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add enough butter just lightly coat the griddle or pan. Add the burgers to the griddle and cook until browned and just cooked through and a thermometer inserted into the meat (not the cheese in the center) reaches 165 degrees, about 4 minutes per side. In the final 2 minutes of cooking, add the remaining 4 cheese slices to the burgers, to melt.
Remove the burgers from the heat and layer onto the buns with the avocado and any other burger toppings you desire. Serve warm.
I made these last night, and they were *really* wonderful. It's true, the meat *is* really sticky after adding the egg and milk, so it's a little tricky shaping the patties. Next time, I'll coat my hands with a little olive oil to keep it from sticking to my hands so much. I cooked each burger about 3 minutes/side and they were perfect.
Reporting back that they freeze well. I just ate one that had been frozen 2 weeks ago (I made a double batch), and it was excellent.
It’s a lot easier to just mix all the ingredients together instead of pressing something in the middle. Use latex gloves to shape the patties and then chill for an hour, not 10 min.
I was surprised by how good these ended up tasting I used horseradish cheddar and ground turkey thigh meat, not the lean white meat. I also topped with some nice bacon slices along with the other suggested toppings and served with oven waffle fries. Really great meal; even the teenagers in the house gave it a thumbs up.
I always opt for crumbled feta when making cheese stuffed turkey burgers. For toppings, I saute red peppers, onion, and garlic and switch out lettuce for arugula. Add some salt & pepper krinkle cut chips with pasta salad and you may just want to eat this meal every day for the rest of your life <3
Hint: For Burgers,Meat Loaf, Meat Balls it’s always a good idea to test the seasoning before cooking. Take a teaspoon of raw mince and cook it in the microwave for 13 to 15 seconds. On tasting, you will soon realize that it could use a little more this or that. At this stage it’s not too late to adjust your seasoning.
I never thought I would be writing a five star review (or any review at all) for a turkey burger, but I’m here to say this was juicy, flavorful, and just plain delicious! I recommend wetting your hands to prevent the meat mixture from sticking to them while you form patties. Then place each patty on a small square of parchment so all you have to do is flip it over into the hot pan and peel off the paper. The burger mixture is a blank canvas for whatever flavors strike your fancy.
When you freeze these, do you cook them first?
I made this twice, most recently with ground chicken. Very good recipe. Using shredded cheese and mixing it into the burgers works better than pressing a piece into the patty.
By using ground turkey thigh, I think you can eliminate the butter/cheese stuffing. Instead, I grated a little chipotle cheddar (about 1 ounce) and added it to the meat mixture (I think the burgers cook more evenly that way.) Chilled for 1 hour in the frig. Used butter+canola oil in the pan to raise the cooking temperature. After flipping the burger and adding the cheese on top, I covered the pan with a lid for more even cooking. Leftover avocado went into a side salad.
Very good! Made as directed using sharp cheddar and because I was wishing I had horseradish cheddar I dressed the bun with pre-made horseradish sauce. Not a big fan of Hawaiian rolls so I used Martin’s Potato buns, seemed an appropriately delicious sub! Just keep a small bowl of water nearby when shaping and dip your fingers frequently and the stickiness won’t be a problem. Save the water for when you add the cheese and butter, your hands will need it then too.
Wow, very tasty. Followed the advice to grate and mix the cheese into the mixture. Delicious!
This is an awesome turkey burger. Every time I make them, they are a HIT! I have also frozen them, raw, and they taste just the same, plus you can grill them outside when it's hot. My teens actually ask for these and they don't love my other turkey burgers.
Good! Because we were cooking this on the grill, I grated the cheese and (frozen) butter and mixed in. Didn’t have dried parsley, so used about 1/4 tsp of dried garlic/parsley blend that was in my spice cabinet. Would try the recipe’s method if/when I make this in a pan, but the mixing together worked great for the grill.
I’m not a fan of those who review a recipe that is completely changed with many substitutions…HOWEVER I made these burgers with Z’atar rather than dried parsley, which I did not have. Fantastic! And juicy! I found the two pats—cheese and butter—sunk into the turkey patties was not terribly difficult to execute and worked very well. The butter dissipated and left the burger juicy, while the interior cheddar lost a little weight but survived as a sliver of deliciousness in a few of the bites.
These were delicious! Next time I’ll grate the cold butter and mix it into the meat to avoid the pocket of butter bursting. Loved the melted cheese centers. Served with horseradish sauce, chili crisp aioli, avocado, tomato, and dill pickle. I only eat meat once per week, and these have earned a spot in the rotation!
I have made these several times and found the easiest way to handle them is take a ball of meatball mixture in the left hand, spread it slightly, place cheese and butter in the middle, and mold the sides around and over. It can be slightly flattened on its way to the frying pan, without putting it down anywhere else. I add garlic and onion powder, and leave the milk out of the 1-lb. package of ground turkey sold here.
I mashed up some black beans from the fridge and added them to the burger mixture since I only had 1 lb of ground chicken. These were really tasty! I could see myself going 50/50 on beans and meat next time.
Made per the recipe. My husband isn't so fond of turkey burgers - but he LOVED this one. (The fresh avocado was the perfect topping)
So delicious. The butter, cheese, Hawaiian rolls, and avocado slices make this extraordinary, especially for a turkey burger.
These were delicious and even the dedicated red meat guy who has rejected other turkey burgers loved these. I followed some others' comments and shredded the cheese, couldn't find the cheese listed so used a basic pepper jack. Didn't add butter and cooked in avocado oil vs butter and they were still delectable. Easy to make too, compared to some other good but more involved chicken burgers we've made. Highly recommend.
Excellent, flavorful, easy. Just a little messy. I served with aioli. Yummmmm....
Someone in the notes suggested using latex gloves. Latex can be incredibly useful when sheathing certain body parts in a variety of situations. But I assure you, they are not necessary when making these turkey burger patties.
Made this ! substituted mozzarella cheese for Cheedar and hummus for the avocado, lettuce, tomato ,pickles gluten-free multigrain bun insanely great !
These have become a favorite. A few alterations give a more hamburger taste. I use 2 lb of ground turkey to make 6 1/3 lb burgers. I skip the milk and I add 1 T Worcestershire sauce, 2 T cream horseradish, 1t onion powder, 1t garlic powder and 1t Montreal steak. I use the the other recommended ingredients (doubled) but half the salt. EVOO on the hands make forming the patties easier and agree with individual cut parchment papers. Save a little to help cover the butter / cheese additions.
So delicious, this is the best turkey burger recipe! Thank you!
Advertisement