Air Fryer Turkey Burgers
Can you air fry turkey burgers? Yes! Learn my tips to make air fryer turkey burgers moist and juicy, with no breadcrumbs and no oil.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground turkey (454 grams; I use this dark meat ground turkey)
- 8 ounces zucchini (227 grams)
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- cooking oil spray
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon sriracha (choose one with no added sugar)
- lettuce, tomato slices, red onion slices, burger buns (optional)
Instructions
- I prefer to let the ground turkey rest at room temperature at one hour so it cooks faster. Peel 8 ounces (227 grams) of zucchini. Grate the zucchini. Chop the shredded zucchini a little smaller if you wish.
- Put the zucchini on some paper towels or a clean piece of cheesecloth. Thoroughly squeeze all of the moisture out of the zucchini over the sink. (This is important for consistent recipe results!)
- Put the ground turkey in a big bowl. Add the chili powder and then the grated zucchini. Mix well with clean hands until thoroughly combined. (Messy!)
- Shape the turkey mixture into four burgers. They should be about 3.5 inches (8.9 cm) in diameter. Don’t make bigger burgers; they may dry out before they finish cooking through.
- You can make a depression in the middle of each patty prior to cooking. This may help prevent the burger from bulging in the middle as it cooks.
- Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 375°F (190°C). Mist a hot air fryer tray with cooking spray and gently place the burgers on the tray. I was able to fit all four burgers on one tray in a single layer.
- Place the tray in the top position in your air fryer oven and air fry for 10 minutes at 375°F (190°C). Then gently flip each burger and air fry on the top rack for 8-10 more minutes at 375°F (190°C).
- Check that your turkey burgers are done with a meat thermometer. The safe minimum internal temperature for poultry is 165°F (74°C). Give them a little extra air frying time if they need it.
- After air frying, let your burgers rest for 5-10 minutes.
- While the burgers rest, mix the mayo and sriracha together to make the sriracha mayo. Prepare any additional burger toppings.
- To serve: top each of the burgers with an equal amount of the sriracha mayo. I used a few lettuce leaves, a bit of thinly sliced red onion, and sliced tomatoes to top the burgers. Serve in lettuce wraps or burger buns. Enjoy!
Notes
This is a level 1 recipe (may help support fat loss). The nutrition information for this meal includes the turkey burger and mayo topping only. I photographed this burger with a brioche bun for aesthetics. If you want a low-calorie meal, I recommend choosing a turkey burger without the bun.
Using these turkey burgers as a protein base, you can easily modify side dishes to meet the needs of different family members. This can be helpful if you’re using a low carb diet for weight loss but also feeding teens with higher energy needs. For example:
- For those who need more energy (i.e., higher calories): add in energy-dense whole grains and starchy vegetables. You can also add more healthy fats (avocado, nuts, seeds, olive oil, etc.).
- For those with lower energy (i.e., lower calorie) needs: cut back on added fats and add more non-starchy veggies. It is not extremely difficult to cover the B vitamins in grains with meat. Eating fewer grains can be an easy way to create a lower-calorie diet without having to count anything.
Nutrition
Calories: 269kcalCarbohydrates: 3.4gProtein: 19.9gFat: 20.4gSaturated Fat: 4.8gSodium: 203mgPotassium: 185mgFiber: 1.2gVitamin A: 16.8% DVVitamin C: 10.2% DVCalcium: 9.7% DVIron: 10% DV
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