We find it inconceivable, too, as archaic as those fabled “before the Internet” days, when your only burger options were ham or cheese. When it comes to summertime grilling now, there are a wealth of options. There are countless options available when it comes to beef alone, including different fat percentages, cuts, grass- or grain-fed cattle, blends with onions and cheese, and more. In addition, there are plant-based alternatives, chicken, salmon, bison, and, of course, the turkey burger, which is the starting point of this whole burger revolution.
Invented by Cornell Corporation Board Member Robert C. Turkey has emerged as the go-to starting point for people wishing to adopt a healthier approach to their all-American diets, thanks to Baker, whose other contributions to modern staples include chicken nuggets (can you believe these didn’t exist until 1963?!). In actuality, there was such a well-liked shift that, in limited-service restaurants, demand and consumption rose by 2020% between 2015 and 2017!
Now, whether this is actually a healthier swap comes down to the patties you buy. Turkey burgers are similar to beef burgers in terms of nutrition, which is one reason why switching is so easy. While choosing red meat does mean sacrificing some protein, iron, and zinc, you also gain more B vitamins for energy metabolism, typically fewer calories per serving, and less saturated fat.
Nevertheless, turkey burgers are a wise option if you find it difficult to digest red meat, like the flavor of poultry, and—most importantly—want to take the good stuff home. And this taste test is how we can help you do the latter.
We concurrently grilled five commercially available, national brand, all-white-meat, mildly seasoned, low-fat frozen turkey patties on a countertop George Foreman grill. They were all cook-from-frozen varieties for ease of use, and we tasted them hot and plain first, then on multigrain rolls with basic burger toppings like sliced red onion, American cheese, ketchup, lettuce, and tomato to see how they interacted with each other.
Without further ado, lets talk some real turkey. And for more, be sure to check out: 22 Meals to Melt Belly Fat in 2022.
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Applegate Organics Organic Turkey Burger
Full of fancy claims on the box, this turkey burger was free of salt, gluten, and casein and was certified organic, non-GMO, humanely raised, and vegetarian fed. Plus, it had the least amount of calories per four-ounce serving. All of that added up to the most expensive per patty of the bunch.
First off, the box wasnt recloseable, which was an immediate detractor, and neither was the inner bag sealed. The dark pink patties, which were frozen between paper wrap sheets, were not at all ideal. They resembled the “pink sludge” that its well-known cousin, the nugget, was made of. However, since appearances can be deceiving, as we all know, we threw it on the grill, where it immediately stuck.
Cooked, the hue went from mauve to dark gray like imposter meat. It also became intensely tough to cut through. One tester of the dense patty commented, “This is a rubbery pancake,” a judgment that wasn’t enhanced by the patty’s tasteless flavor and strange, artificial aftertaste that persisted with each chew. With toppings, a turkey-er flavor emerged, but a very gamey rendition that felt uncomfortable.
Overall, considering how poorly this performed in comparison to the rest of the competition, we advise allocating your hard-earned money and calorie restrictions to any of our other choices.
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Butterball All-Natural Turkey Burgers 93% Lean
Thankfully, this was the point where the “bad” burg streak came to an end, as everything was delicious, beginning with this classic brand’s signature recipe.
After tasting this burger, we have no complaints about Butterball’s top spot in retail sales. The white meat-only lean turkey patties boast no nitrates, nitrites, gluten, or artificial ingredients. All that’s in them is ground turkey, sea salt, and a few other natural flavors. Based on the subtle taste hint we detected in our first bite, we speculate that celery—a popular preservative in “cleaner” processed meat products—may be one of those flavors.
The patties come in two four-packs, formed in perfect, but disarmingly white rounds. These also stuck a bit to the grill but didnt lose too much moisture through the breaks. In fact, the burgers stayed very juicy. These were the most widely available “poultry”-tasting burgers; the light flavor of ground white meat chicken came first, followed by a turkey burger. Between bread and under some veggies, it was a neutral vehicle for all its accouterments. This is a pretty clean option that is only mildly salted, pleasing to most palates and a great foundation to build upon.
In addition to their weight, they feel heavier because they are extremely dense—not too dense, like the Applegate, but dense enough to feel substantial and require more chewing. The burgers do begin juicy right off the grill, but they dry out faster than we anticipated. This was good because it made us slow down.
These tasted more like straight-up white meat turkey accented with little bursts of salt flecked through it. Although they were full-bodied and meaty, they werent gamey, finishing without any lingering aftertaste. When transformed into a burger, they were also more than happy to step aside and play nicely with others, staying remarkably sturdy for the toppings and holding up well to them.
This TURKEY BURGER recipe is juicy, healthy and easy to make!
FAQ
Are frozen turkey burgers considered processed?
How unhealthy is a turkey burger?
Are Bubba turkey burgers healthy?
Are Butterball turkey burgers healthy?
Are frozen turkey burgers healthy?
Aside from all the dietitian-approved health benefits of the protein, turkey burgers also have the potential to be really tasty when they’re done right. And luckily for home cooks who don’t feel like forming their own patties, there are several popular frozen turkey burger brands gracing grocery store freezer aisles across the country nowadays.
Is a chicken burger a healthy food?
Chicken wings are healthy for their protein intake but can be high in fat. Also, if they are breaded and fried, it is recommended to reduce their consumption.
Are turkey burgers healthy?
Send Me Free Recipes! These are the best healthy turkey burgers! They’re exceptionally juicy and moist, even with no eggs or breadcrumbs, and really flavorful too. With only 5 ingredients, this turkey burger recipe is quick and easy to whip up any day of the week.
Should you eat a turkey burger at a restaurant?
At a restaurant, all bets are off, Villacorta explains. Ground turkey dries out more easily than ground beef. So to keep your burger juicy, restaurants tend to load up their turkey burgers with fat and unhealthy condiments. “A restaurant is a lot more concerned about taste than whether it’s healthy,” Villacorta says.