Turkey Burgers with Pickled Cranberries

Jessica Rudolph
By Jessica Rudolph ･ Appears in Cook's Country October/November 2023

Turkey and cranberries aren’t just for special occasions.

SERVES 4

TIME 45 Minutes

Turkey Burgers with Pickled Cranberries

Why This Recipe Works

Store-bought poultry seasoning added unmistakable Thanksgiving-like flavor to these turkey burgers.

Print

try this recommended cooking course

Grilled Turkey Burgers

Gather Your Ingredients

Key Equipment

Key Equipment - The Best Nonstick Skillets
Key Equipment - The Best Dry Measuring Cups

Before You Begin

*

Be sure to use 93 percent lean ground turkey, not 99 percent fat-free ground turkey breast, in this recipe or the burgers will be tough. Top the burgers with your favorite burger toppings, such as thinly sliced red onion and leaves of Bibb lettuce. We like to serve these burgers with sweet potato fries on the side. Reserve any remaining syrup from the pickled cranberries and use it to make another batch of pickles or as an ingredient in vinaigrettes, drinks, or dipping sauces; you can stir a little into a mix of mayonnaise and whole-grain mustard for a tangy dipping sauce for sweet potato fries.

Instructions

1.

Bring cranberries, vinegar, and sugar to boil in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until cranberries just begin to burst, about 2 minutes. Transfer to heatproof bowl and stir in ice. Refrigerate until needed.

2.

Combine turkey, panko, ½ cup Monterey Jack, ¼ cup mayonnaise, poultry seasoning, and salt in bowl. Using your hands, pat turkey mixture into four ¾-inch-thick patties, about 4 inches in diameter. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Transfer patties to skillet and cook until well browned and burgers register 160 degrees, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Top burgers with remaining ½ cup Monterey Jack; cover; and cook until cheese is melted, about 1 minute. Transfer burgers to plate.

3.

Spread remaining ¼ cup mayonnaise evenly over cut sides of buns. Arrange burgers on bun bottoms and use slotted spoon to distribute pickled cranberries on burgers. Cover with bun tops and serve.

Recommended Reading

More From America's Test Kitchen

Crispy Skillet Turkey Burgers
Cranberry Chutney
Ranch Burgers
500 recipes that changed the way America cooks

My Rating

17 Comments

Posting Guidelines
JC
RB

RICHARD B.

6 months ago

The burgers were delicious. My family were not totally sold on them due to the burgers texture. I will make them again thou..
CC

Cindi C.

6 months ago

These burgers were great on a weeknight. The flavors work so well together, especially with the sweet potato fries. I also made cherry smoothies. I had exactly 1 cup of cranberries left over in my freezer from making ATK's Cranberry-Oat Bars. I have made ATK's Skillet Turkey Burgers with other toppings (pickled onions, pickled avocado, and charred avocado relish) and they are always delicious, juicy, and flavorful. This is another great variation. Several folks below did not add ice to the cranberries for a thicker topping, so I chose not to add the ice, and it was fine even after I added some of the liquid to the dipping sauce, which complemented the sweet potato fries well (as noted above).
Image 1
JW

Jenifer W.

8 months ago

Oh my so good! Easy enough for a weeknight but tasty enough to serve a crowd! Don’t change a thing!