Juicy, healthy turkey burgers for your Memorial Day or summer BBQ? I’m thinking YES!
This recipe is back from 2019 when Tony made his first video appearance on Ambitious Kitchen. He was such a trooper during the process — be sure to watch the full video below because there are some fun moments involved (including Tony referencing Forrest Gump).
I don’t know about you guys, but I LOVE TURKEY BURGERS. In fact, more than regular burgers because I love the flavor. And guess what? I revamped these already-incredible jalapeño curry turkey burgers and they are insanely delicious. They’re loaded with curry spices, turmeric, jalapeño, fresh cilantro and an addicting curry tahini sauce that’s going to BLOW YOUR MIND.
I know that burgers may seem complicated, especially if you’re new to cooking them, but I promise you they’re super easy and hopefully the video, tips (and gorgeous photos) will convince you to make these ASAP!
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Everything you’ll need to make these jalapeño curry turkey burgers
These aren’t your average frozen patty turkey burgers. They’re loaded with tons of delicious herbs & spices, and topped with both a fresh homemade slaw and a lip-smacking-good curry tahini sauce. Here’s what you’ll need to make them:
- Ground turkey: I typically use 94% lean ground turkey so that the burgers are still juicy. Ground chicken works just as well!
- Herbs & spices: we’re mixing a diced jalapeño, chopped cilantro, a little coconut sugar, ground turmeric, cumin, yellow curry powder, salt & pepper right into the turkey burger mixture. Flavor BLASTED.
- For the curry sauce: this savory, creamy sauce is made with tahini, fresh lemon juice, garlic, a little pure maple syrup, yellow curry powder, fresh ginger, turmeric, cayenne pepper, salt & pepper. Yes, you’ll want to put it on everything.
- For the slaw: gotta have a fresh, crunchy topping! The homemade slaw has shredded carrots, cabbage (red or green), green onion, cilantro, apple cider vinegar, toasted sesame oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper.
- To serve: feel free to use any buns you’d like (including gluten free). I love a good seedy hamburger bun!
More ways to serve these turkey burgers
I’m always #TeamBun when it comes to burgers, but you could also serve these curry turkey burgers with:
- A big lettuce wrap
- A collard green leave (more tips on this here!)
- Over rice or quinoa for the ultimate burger bowl
Tips for making the best healthy turkey burgers
- Season the meat. It’s SO important to use plenty of herbs and spices in the ground turkey mixture to ensure that it packs flavor. My go-to everyday turkey burger is a mix of cooked diced onions, cumin, cayenne pepper, garlic, a little dijon mustard and salt and pepper. It’s delicious!
- Don’t go too lean. To ensure the burgers stay moist and juicy, you don’t want to use 99% lean turkey meat, otherwise, the burger will most likely dry out and lack the juiciness of a burger we all know and love. I recommend 93-94% lean ground turkey, and if you want them to stay extra moist, you can try and use 1/2 cup shredded zucchini in the burgers (just make sure you squeeze it of excess moisture).
- Use a binder as needed. This burger recipe doesn’t require an egg, but if you feel like you may need one to help bind them together, then you can add 1 egg and 1/4 cup breadcrumbs of choice (I love panko).
How to cook these curry turkey burgers
- On the grill: preheat your grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate. Once the grill is hot, add burger patties and cook until turkey is no longer pink, about 4-5 minutes per side. Serve immediately. Burgers are done when a meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees F. Remember to get all of my best tips & tricks for grilling burgers here!
- On the stove: add 1/2 tablespoon oil to a nonstick skillet. Cook burgers over medium heat for 4-5 minutes per side, or until no longer pink. Burgers are done when a meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees F.
How to store & meal prep turkey burgers
I LOVE making turkey burgers for meal prep because they’re so easy and delicious. Simply cook burgers according to the recipe, then allow them to cool to room temperature before transferring them to a meal prep container and placing them in the refrigerator. Burgers will stay good in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Once ready to serve, reheat in the microwave for about 1 minute on high, or on the stovetop. Serve with buns or lettuce wraps!
What to serve with healthy turkey burgers
- Sesame Garlic Grilled Sweet Potato Fries with Yogurt Curry Dip
- Street Corn Pasta Salad with Cilantro Pesto & Goat Cheese
- Grilled Corn Salad with Avocado, Goat Cheese & Hot Honey Vinaigrette
- Vegan Curried Broccoli Chickpea Salad
- Spicy Maple Dijon Grilled Brussels Sprouts
Get even more side dishes here, and salads here!
See how to make the jalapeño curry turkey burgers
Freezer-friendly curry turkey burgers
- Freeze before cooking: shape your turkey burgers and place them in an airtight, freezer-friendly container or bag. If you’re stacking the burgers I’d recommend putting wax or parchment paper in between the layers so that they don’t stick together. Freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, you can either let them thaw in the fridge before cooking or cook them directly from frozen – you may just need to cook them a bit longer from frozen.
- Freeze after cooking: let your burger patties cool completely before placing them in airtight, freezer-friendly containers or bags. As I mentioned above, put wax or parchment paper in between the layers of burgers if you’re stacking them. Freeze them for up to 3 months. To reheat, let them thaw in the fridge before reheating in the microwave or on the stovetop for a couple of minutes on each side. You can also reheat these directly from frozen – I recommend doing so on the stovetop.
More grilling recipes you’ll love
- Buffalo Zucchini Chicken Burgers
- Grilled Tahini Chicken Caesar Sandwiches
- How to Grill Pizza that’s Crispy, Chewy and Ready in only 15 Minutes
- Crazy Good Street Corn Chicken Tacos
- Firecracker Salmon with Peach Avocado Salsa
Get all of my grilling recipes here!
I hope you love these incredible jalapeño curry turkey burgers! If you make them be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked them. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Jalapeño Curry Turkey Burgers
Ingredients
- For the burgers:
- 1 pound 94% lean ground turkey
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 jalapeño, finely diced (seeds included or leave out seeds if you don't like spicy food)
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
- 1/2 tablespoon coconut sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon yellow curry powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- For the sauce:
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup, to sweeten
- 1/2 teaspoon yellow curry powder
- ½ tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1-2 tablespoons warm water, to thin sauce as necessary
- For the slaw:
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup shredded red cabbage (or green works)
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
- Freshly ground salt and pepper
- To serve:
- 4 4 whole grain or gluten free seedy hamburger buns
Instructions
- Make the slaw while the chicken is cooking: In a medium bowl combine carrots, cabbage, cilantro, green onion, apple cider vinegar, sesame oil, maple syrup, and salt and pepper. Place in the fridge to marinate while you make and cook the burgers.
- In a large bowl, add the lean ground turkey, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, coconut sugar, turmeric, cumin, yellow curry powder, salt and pepper. Mix together with clean hands and form 4 large patties, about 1/3 inch thick. Sprinkle patties with a little more salt and pepper.
- Preheat grill to medium high heat or about 400 degrees. Lightly oil grill grate.
- Place burgers on the grill and cook for 5 minutes per side or until completely cooked and no longer pink. A meat thermometer should reach 165 degrees F.
- While the burgers are cooking you can make the curry sauce: In a small bowl, mix together the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, maple syrup, yellow curry powder, ginger, turmeric, cayenne pepper and salt and pepper. Add a little water to thin, about a teaspoon at a time, if necessary.
- Place each patty on a bun, then drizzle with a little sauce and top with the slaw and remaining bun. Enjoy. Makes 4 burgers.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on Juen 25th, 2018, republished on May 22nd, 2019, and updated & republished on May 14th, 2023.
86 comments
Can’t wait to try that tahini sauce!
It’s SO GOOD!
These look amazing and I love all of your helpful tips! Thank you!
They’re so so good! Hope you love them!!
I love that you shared how to meal prep these. They look delicious!
Absolutely! They’re sooo delish 🙂
YUM! I have made jalapeno turkey burgers, but the added curry sounds so good!
The curry is seriously amazing in here!!
You guys are so cute together. Keep up coming!
Aww thanks Debbi! 🙂
You are right. These are mind blowing! One delicious turkey burger!
Grilled these up for the 4th of July and omg they were so delicious! Such a hit. So much flava and that tahini curry sauce though- I’m obsessed. These will definitely be on rotation this summer. SO GOOD!
Yes!! Perfect for the 4th 🙂 Glad you loved them!
Has anyone baked these in the oven? What temp/time would you suggest?
I’d suggest 375 for about 25-30 minutes (flipping once!)
These burgers look gorgeous! What kind of buns did you use?
They’re delicious!! I just picked up multi-grain buns from Whole Foods 🙂
Made the turkey burgers tonight and they were spectacular! Perfect balance of spice and freshness. Added avocado because why not? Boyfriend said “my favorite thing I’ve ever eaten with ground turkey!” Now that is a genuine compliment 🙂 Thank you for all of your awesome posts, I have been following your blog for over 6 years now!
Avocado on top = the best! So happy you both loved these (they’re my husband’s favorite too). Thanks for following along Camille! <3
These are for real. This is my new go to turkey burger recipe. The sauce is incredible. I served the burgers with the sauce, onion, spinach and hummus. I made roasted sweet potatoes and peppers as a side. Simple, filling, delicious.
The real deal right here! That full meal sounds amazing (love the toppings).
Made these last night and they were incredible! I LOVE the tahini sauce! I was searching for all of the things I could dip in it!
That sauce is my favorite! Sweet potato fries are perfect for dipping too 😉
Yumm! The burger looks too good but I think it is missing something. Maybe adding tomato can change the flavour a little bit! What do you suggest?
It’s delicious the way it is, but feel free to experiment with different spices and/or toppings if you’d like!
Can i use capsicum and tomato to add the flavor?
I would not add tomato to the burgers themselves. You can add bell pepper though!
Monique! These were excellent. They will definitely be in rotation for future meals.
Glad you loved these, Lisa! Great for summer grilling 🙂
I’m always looking more good grilling recipes and this looks fantastic! Honestly I prefer turkey burgers over beef. Looks great as always Monique!
Thanks so much, Ashlyn! Hope you get a chance to make this recipe soon!
One of the best burgers I’ve ever made. That sauce was 100. Maybe 110, extra credit to you, Monique!
Amazing! So happy to hear that, Jenn 🙂
In case anyone is wondering, this burger tastes as good as the photographs look. And that curry tahini sauce 🤤 phenomenal.
So happy to hear that, Emma! One of my all-time favs.
Amazing. First off, easy. Second, so much flavor! I feel like turkey burgers can be kind of…lacking in the flavor department. BUT NOT THESE. The tahini sauce is fantastic. Will be in our regular rotation, especially in the summer!
Totally agree that turkey burgers can lack flavor, which is why I had to share these! So happy that you enjoyed 🙂 Perfect for summer!
These are amazing! My husband said they are some of the best burgers he’s ever had (and that’s is coming from a red meat lover).
So happy to hear that! My husband says the same 🙂 turkey burger converts!
Perfect for summer!
Omg these were delicious.!!! The flavors just burst in my mouth, I couldn’t put the burger down. Instead of the red onion I added cucumber slices and made it a cheeseburger with provolone. So glad I made these tonight! Thank you!!!
So happy you loved these! Great idea with the toppings – YUM.
Can these be put in the freezer? Sooooo good!
Yes, absolutely!
I’m crazy about these burgers. So much flavor! They’ve been a big hit with all the guests we’ve served them too as well. I love the curry sauce and usually put on lots of cilantro and add some pickled onions or shallots too for a bit of that tangy acidity. So yum!
Amazing! The pickled onions sound delicious. Glad you love these!
These were delicious! I love curry, and I loved the combination of flavors! I subbed honey for the maple syrup in the sauce, and it worked just fine.
Perfect! So happy you loved these!
This recipe was absolutely delicious and easy to make. I also melted Swiss cheese on the burgers and havarti would be great too. We did lettuce, tomatoes and mayo in addition to the fresh cilantro as toppings. I think slices of apple might be delicious too.
Perfect! Sounds delicious 🙂
OMG there aren’t enough adjectives to describe the delicious flavor of these burgers! The only thing I did slightly different was add 1/4 minced red onion to the meat. I cook for a critical crowd of 4, my husband and 3 teenagers- this meal was a home run! The sauce makes up for the lack of ‘juice’ in the lean turkey making each bite mouthwatering good. YUM!
Amazing! So glad everyone loved these!
I have never tried curry in a burger, and typically when I have or make turkey burgers, they turn out dry, but THIS RECIPE came out perfectly! Thank you for the awesome recipe!
So happy you gave this one a try! The perfect dinner 🙂
These have become a staple in our house for an easy and delicious weeknight dinner! Lately my boyfriend has been making these into 5-6 smaller burgers and cooking them “smash” burger style in the cast iron. So good!
Meal prepped these for the week and so good!! I grabbed a container of guac, perfect to top with alongside the sauce.
Love it! Perfect dinner 🙂
WOW. Monique… you really did it with this one! I’m not one to rate products or anything but I just HAD to for this recipe. I made these burgers for dinner with my brothers a while ago and they were begging for seconds! The curry sauce is my go to for so many things now- sometimes I’ll put it on my sandwiches or any veggie platter (i’ll make it a little thicker then)! 10/10 on this one. 👏🏼
Amazing!! So glad you loved this one 🙂 that sauce is one of my favs, too!
Got the biggest pregnancy craving for a burger and this did not disappoint! Really easy to throw together and packed a nice little bit of spice! It was so tasty my partner ate the extra burgers I made for leftovers tomorrow. We will definitely be making this one again 🙂
The best! Glad you both enjoyed 🙂
Fantastic burgers!
Glad you enjoyed!
amazing, mm…………………. One of the my best fastfoot is Jalapeño Curry Turkey Burgers. i love it. ..
i eat it, twice a week
So happy you’re loving them!
These were so good! So much flavor in both the burgers and the sauce. Made the cauliflower tots on the side. Such a good meal!
That sounds like an AMAZING meal! So happy you loved everything 🙂
I’ll be the first to admit- I think turkey is dry EXCEPT when it comes to these burgers. They are a huge hit, little kick with the jalapeños and the tahini sauce just adds more flavor. I love these and they are perfect for meal prep.
This recipe is fantastic! I’ve made a couple times and loved it. The first time I followed the recipe and the second time I added the suggested alternative of the egg plus breadcrumbs, and also added corn and both turned out great! The sauce is perfect and so addictive – also added it to some Mayo to make an aioli for my husband fir round two lunches with leftovers.
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We made these for dinner tonight and they were sooooo good! We served with sweet potato fries and topped ‘em with roasted tomatoes and guacamole. Definitely will be making again in the future!
Oooh that all sounds incredible! Glad you loved them, Jess 🙂
These were PHENOMENAL!! Super tasty. I honestly felt like I was eating at a restaurant!
YUM! So glad you are loving these turkey burgers 🙂
Oh wow, these are incredible!! The perfect marriage of flavors, takes the humble turkey burger to the next level. Honestly, I love all of your recipes. Thanks for another winner!
Ahh yay! This makes me so happy to hear, glad you’re loving these turkey burgers and they turned out great for you!
Well Written & Explained. Thanks.
This is a favorite in our house! Any suggestions for using up the leftover sauce?
So happy to hear that! Head to this post, which has a list at the end with more delicious ways to use the sauce 🙂
I rarely write reviews but wanted to let everyone know to make these. I made them as is and cooked on a cast iron since I don’t have a grill. They are delicious and the sauce is addictive. Even the picky eater in the house loved them.
Amazing! Glad they were a hit!
These better-for-you burgers were unreal! We added a Fresno instead of a jalapeno and it was great. Will be making these again!
Amazing! So glad you loved them!
Easy to prepare, make and cook, and taste absolutely delicious! A bit different and a great mix of flavours
I doubled this recipe bc I had 2lbs of turkey to use, but in future I will always double it bc it’s that freaking good. Every part works, the burgers, the slaw (omg!), and sauce 💗 are all chef’s kiss!
YES so good! Great idea to double 🙂