If you’re in search of a healthy and delicious burger recipe, these easy smoked turkey burgers are the ultimate choice.

We take these delicious homemade turkey patties to the smoker for a fantastic treat. The soky environmet will enhance the flavor while keeping the turkey burgers tender and juicy. Enjoy them snuggled in a lightly toasted bun, or wrap them in crisp lettuce leaves for a hearty, carb-conscious meal.

Which ground turkey is best for smoked turkey burgers?

We recommend using a combination of dark and lean ground turkey, or 80/20. It’s best to avoid extra lean ground breast meat as it can result in dry burgers. The darker meat will produce juicy, flavorful burgers.

What is the best wood for turkey burgers?

Use apple, cherry, or pecan wood for poultry. These burgers cook for a short time and, because they are small, will absorb smoke flavor quickly. More robust woods, like hickory or mesquite, will result in a bitter aftertaste.

Tip: Use your favorite BBQ rub for this recipe, or use one of our quick and easy homemade rubs! We highly recommend our Easy Creole Turkey Rub!

Ingredients

• Ground turkey, 80/20 (combination light and dark meat)
• Turkey rub
• Olive oil (about 1/2 to 1 tsp)
• Hamburger buns (standard-size – sub with brioche, onion, or pretzel buns)
• Provolone, swiss, or pepper jack cheese
• 1 large tomato (2 medium)
• Iceberg lettuce leaves, sub with green leaf lettuce
• Smoked garlic sauce (a delicious garlic mayonnaise) sub with your favorite condiments

You will need either a flat-top griddle pan or a large cast-iron skillet to sear these turkey burgers on your pellet grill or smoker. As always, keep a reliable meat thermometer close by!

How to make it

• Prepare your pellet grill or smoker for 250 degrees F. Use recommended wood chips or pellets: apple, cherry, or pecan.
• Form ground turkey into four equal-sized patties. They will be a little soft, but that’s okay!
• Place the patties onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, and season them with BBQ Rub.

Smoking turkey burgers

• Oil the skillet or flat-top griddle.
• Place it on the grill and heat until you see a wisp of white smoke.
• Using a spatula, carefully transfer turkey patties into the skillet (or on the griddle).
• Close the lid, and smoke the burgers for 35-45 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
• You’ll notice that juices have formed around the burgers. If this happens, remove the burgers from the skillet and place them directly on the grill grates. They will be set up enough to do so.

• Next, add cheese slices to the patties. Depending on the size, you might need to trim the cheese to fit.
• Close the lid once more and let the smoked turkey burgers cook for 3-4 more minutes.
• Once the cheese has melted, they are done.
• Remove the turkey burger patties and place them on lightly toasted buns. Top them with garlic sauce ( or your favorite condiment), lettuce, and tomato. Serve and enjoy!

More topping ideas

Serve these juicy turkey burgers with applewood smoked bacon, smoked onions, guacamole, pickled jalapenos, or queso. Our delicious comeback sauce and fried pickles are also great on these burgers!

Storing leftovers

Store the leftover smoked turkey burger patties in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days after cooking. Reheat them in a skillet or microwave until warmed all the way through.

More Recipes!

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Print

Smoked Turkey Burgers

If you’re looking for a healthy and delicious burger, look no further than these smoked turkey burgers.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American BBQ

Keyword smoked burgers, smoked turkey burgers, turkey burgers

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4

Calories 392kcal

Equipment

• 1 Grill or smoker
• 1 cast-iron skillet or griddle pan

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pound ground turkey 80/20 (combination light and dark meat)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons BBQ rub
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• 4 hamburger buns standard-size
• 4 slices of provolone swiss, or pepper jack cheese
• 1 large tomato sliced
• Iceberg lettuce leaves about 4-5
• Smoked garlic sauce

Instructions

• Prepare your pellet grill or smoker for 250 degrees F.
• Form ground turkey into four equal-sized patties. They will be a little soft. That’s okay! You will be cooking these on a flat surface to start.
• Season with BBQ rub.
• Oil the skillet or flat-top griddle. Let it heat up on the grill until you see a wisp of white smoke.
• Using a spatula, carefully transfer turkey patties into the skillet (or griddle). Close the lid, and smoke the burgers for 35-45 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
• You’ll notice that the juices have formed around the burgers. If this happens, simply remove the burgers from the skillet and place them directly onto the grates. They will be set up enough to do so.
• Next, add cheese slices. You might need to trim the cheese to fit.
• Close the lid once more and let the smoked turkey burgers cook for 3-4 more minutes.
• Once the cheese has melted and the internal temperature of the patties reaches 170 degrees F, they are done.
• Remove, and place them onto buns with garlic aioli, lettuce, and tomato. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Additional topping ideas

Serve these juicy turkey burgers with applewood smoked bacon, smoked onions, guacamole, pickled jalapenos, or smoked queso. Our heavenly comeback sauce and fried pickles are great on these burgers!

Nutrition

Calories: 392kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 50g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 439mg | Potassium: 677mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 498IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 243mg | Iron: 4mg

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