Barefoot Contessa's Turkey Burger Recipe: Revamp Your Burger Game

Burgers are the cornerstone of American cuisine, and when it comes to that, who’s better than Ina Garten herself? Barefoot Contessa’s turkey burger recipe is as good as burgers get.

Perhaps the best thing about Barefoot Contessa’s turkey burger recipe is that it successfully avoids the common pitfalls of burgers. It’s not dry and moist, the ingredients are minimal so you get to choose your fillings without overwhelming your burger, and the meat is not overworked. Let’s take a look.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Pro Tips
• Barefoot Contessa's Turkey Burger Recipe
• Comments

Ingredients

• Garlic powder — ½ tsp.
• Onion powder — ½ tsp.
• Salt — ½ tsp.
• Black pepper — ½ tsp.
• Worcestershire sauce — 2 tsp.
• Egg — 1 pc., beaten
• Olive oil — 1 tbsp.
• Burger buns — as needed
• Ground turkey — 1 pound

Instructions

1. Combine the first six ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix until combined.

2. Then, add the ground turkey to the mix.

3. Mix gently until combined, so that the meal will not fall apart.

4. Divide the burger mixture into four equal pieces and form your patties.

5. Heat the olive oil in your pan.

6. Transfer the burgers to the pan, and cook for five minutes per side. Cook an additional minute or two for medium-well done.

7. Serve the patties in burger buns.

Substitutions

• Egg — The egg will not only act as a binder for the ingredients, but it will also provide your dish with some much-needed moisture. With all due respect to Ina Garten, we’ve tried a different version in which we used breadcrumbs as a binder and added one or two tablespoons of Greek yogurt into the mix to give the dish some moisture. It was perfect.

• Olive oil — If you don’t have olive oil, then you can substitute almost any oil, such as canola, avocado, or coconut. If the lack of flavor isn’t a problem, a cooking spray can also be used to grease the pan.

• Worcestershire sauce — Barefoot Contessa’s turkey burger recipe calls for Worcestershire sauce, so if you are after an authentic experience, we’d recommend sticking to it. However, we have also tried this recipe using soy sauce instead, and although the classic Ina Garten flavor wasn’t there, it was still delicious.

Variations

• The fillings — Admittedly, Barefoot Contessa’s turkey burger recipe makes a filling meal, but some might prefer to have their burger with more fillings. While condiments like ketchup, mayonnaise, or even BBQ sauce will work well, vegetables like tomatoes, onions, and lettuce are always reliable when it comes to a turkey burger.

• Go Greek — Greek turkey burger is a huge thing, and it’s only getting more popular, so give this version a try. The star of this dish would be the crumbled feta cheese: Two tablespoons of that would be a breath of fresh air. Add herbs and spices like cumin and mint into the mix.

• Make it spicy — Admittedly, spicy wouldn’t be the word we’d use to describe Barefoot Contessa’s turkey burger, but that shouldn’t be the case. If you’d like to increase the heat, consider ditching ketchup and using Sriracha instead.

Equipment

• Measuring spoon

• Mixing bowl

• Large pan

Storage

• Once they have cooled completely, wrap the burgers in plastic wrap. Transfer the leftovers to an airtight container.

• Once stored in your fridge, the leftovers will last for four days.

Pro Tips

• The ground turkey — Keep in mind that ground turkey, by its nature, is fragile and it’s prone to breaking apart easily. To avoid ending up with a mess on your hands, keep in mind to combine the burger mixture gently and swiftly.

• The moisture — Eggs might not cut it when it comes to providing the moisture your dish desperately needs. Although Barefoot Contessa’s turkey burger recipe avoids this common pitfall, if you find yourself in doubt, you can always increase the condiments.