Spicy Turkey Burger

This post contains links to affiliate websites, such as Amazon, and we receive an affiliate commission for any purchases made by you using these links. We appreciate your support!

This Spicy Turkey Burger is not your typical bland, dry turkey burger! It’s super juicy and bursting with flavor with just a handful of ingredients! It’s quick and easy and on the table in less than 30 minutes!

Spicy turkey burger with avocado, onion and tomato on a cutting board with Texas Pete® Hot Sauce and french fries.

Turkey burgers have gotten a bad rap for being dry and tasteless. All that changes RIGHT NOW!!!! This amazing spicy turkey burger is juicy and BURSTING with flavor! Texas Pete® Original Hot Sauce is mixed right into the meat keeping it juicy and flavorful, without being over-the-top spicy!

Build your burger with your favorite toppings then drizzle on lots of of the “special sauce” to make extra spicy! This burger would be perfect for fall football watching, but also makes a quick and easy weeknight meal.

These turkey burgers have become one of my favorite burger recipes! Need a another super easy burger for busy weeknights? You have to make easy frozen burgers in the oven (with my secret sauce!).

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE

  • It’s super quick and easy making it the perfect weeknight meal or great for entertaining!
  • The turkey burgers are super juicy–NOT DRY!!
  • These burgers are packed with bold flavor, thanks to just a few ingredients including Texas Pete® Hot Sauce
  • You can adjust the spice level to your liking.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this delicious Spicy Turkey Burgers Recipe:

INGREDIENT NOTES

Turkey: Typically ground turkey comes “lean,” usually 90% lean or more. I try not to get TOOO lean– 90-93% lean works best.

Mayo: This is the secret ingredient to getting your turkey burgers juicy!! Just a couple of tablespoons works wonders! If you have extra lean turkey (96% lean or more) you might want to throw in a little extra 🙂

Toppings: Lettuce/greens, tomato, onion and mashed avocado are my toppings of choice but use whatever you like!

Turkey burgers and all toppings on a table with Texas Pete® Hot Sauce

HOW TO MAKE THIS SPICY TURKEY BURGER: STEP BY STEP

Here are some quick visual instructions. Remember that full instructions with exact ingredients will be in the recipe card below!

How to make spicy turkey burgers step by step

Step 1: Stir together ranch dressing and Texas Pete® Original Hot Sauce, Refrigerate until ready to use.

Step 2: In a bowl, add ground turkey, seasoning salt, Worcestershire sauce, mayo and hot sauce.

Step 3: Using a spoon, or your hands, mix everything together until well-combined.

Step 4: Shape into 4 even patties about 4 inches across and about 1/2 inch thick.

Spicy turkey burgers in a skillet--one picture are raw burgers, next picture is cooked burgers.

Step 5: Place burgers in a skillet over medium-high heat.

Step 6: Cook burgers about 2 minutes on the first side. Then reduce heat to medium low, flip burgers and continue to cook 4-6 minutes on the second side or until a meat thermometer registers 165 degrees. You can use an Instant Read Thermometer like this one to check–it’s such a handy kitchen tool!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can you store leftover burgers?

Yes, you can! Keep burgers in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat for 40-60 seconds in the microwave.

How spicy is Texas Pete® Original Hot Sauce?

The bottle says “Medium” and I agree with that! It has a bold flavor, but isn’t over the top spicy!

Can I substitute the mayo?

Mayo is key in keeping the turkey burgers juicy. However, you can also substitute it with 2 tablespoons of olive oil or vegetable oil.

How long do you cook these burgers?

Cook these turkey burgers on medium high heat for 2 minutes on the first side. Then flip, reduce heat to medium low and cook another 4-6 minutes until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

What do you serve with these spicy burgers?

French fries or sweet potato fries are always my go-to! This Sweet Corn Salad, Green Goddess Salad or Macaroni Salad are also perfect pairings 🙂

RECIPE TIPS & TRICKS

  • When you mix the turkey with mayo and spices, the meat will be very “wet.” It helps to get your hands a little damp so the meat doesn’t stick.
  • As you shape your turkey patties, place the completed patties on a piece of wax paper. This makes it super easy to remove your patties to place them in the pan.
  • Feel free to customize the amount of hot sauce you use in your burgers! The spiciness mellows out during cooking, but still leaves behind the great bold flavor. 1-2 tablespoons is still kid-friendly!

STORAGE & REHEATING

  • Storage: Store leftover turkey burgers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
  • Reheating: To reheat burgers, you can use the microwave or reheat in a medium skillet over medium for 1-2 minutes on each side or until heated through.
  • Freezing: These burgers can be frozen! Freeze cooked turkey burgers in a freezer bag, sealed tightly for up to 2 months.

ADDITIONS & SUBSTITUTIONS

  • Turkey: Lean ground beef can also be used.
  • Buns: My personal fave are Brioche buns, but if you want to go healthier whole wheat buns are a great option.
  • Cheese: You can never go wrong with a slice of cheese added to these turkey burgers! Use sliced pepper jack for even more spice!
  • Spice: Any brand of hot pepper sauce works (such as Tabasco).

GET MY FREE 7-DAY MEAL PLAN

In a dinner rut? I’ve got a Free Meal Plan with 7 of my most delicious, easy recipes! Sign up for my email list and I’ll send it over now along with weekly dinner recipes!

I hope you love this Spicy Turkey Burger! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!

A spicy turkey burger with lettuce, tomato, onion, and secret sauce dripping on a bun.

Spicy Turkey Burger with Secret Sauce

Casey Rooney
This Spicy Turkey Burger is not your typical bland, dry turkey burger! It's super juicy and bursting with flavor with just a handful of ingredients! It's quick and easy and on the table in less than 30 minutes!
4.93 from 14 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Dinner, lunch
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 548 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the burgers

  • 1-1 1/4 lbs. lean ground turkey breast 90% lean or more
  • 2-3 tbsp hot sauce See Note 1
  • 1 tsp seasoning salt
  • 2 tbsp mayo
  • 2 tsp Worchershire sauce
  • 2 tsp olive oil/vegetable oil/canola oil
  • 4 burger buns brioche buns work great!
  • lettuce/greens, tomato, avocado, red onion for topping
  • black pepper, optional

For the "secret sauce"

  • 1/4 cup Ranch dressing
  • 1-3 tbsp hot sauce I love Texas Pete but any hot sauce is fine!

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl, stir together ranch dressing and hot sauce. The amount of hot sauce will depend on your spice tolerance. 1 tbsp is fairly mild, while 3 tbsp is pretty hot! Refrigerate until ready to use.
  • In a large bowl, combine turkey, seasoning salt, black pepper (if using), Worcestershire sauce, mayo and hot sauce (again, amount of hot sauce will depend on your spice tolerance). 2 tablespoons is still kid-friendly at my house! Stir together using a spoon or use your hands until well-mixed.
  • Form turkey into 4 equal sized, medium patties, approx. 4 inches across and 1/2 inch thick. Pro Tip: Mixture is very wet, so dipping your hands in a little water will help keep the mixture from sticking to your hands. (I like to place finished turkey patties on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper while forming the other burgers).
  • In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat 2 tsp olive oil or vegetable oil. Place turkey burgers in the hot skillet and cook 2 minutes on the first side. Flip patties, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook 4-6 minutes on the second side. Check to ensure internal temperature reaches 165 degrees using an Instant Read Thermometer like this one.
  • Slather buns with ranch/hot sauce mixture, add turkey patties and your favorite toppings and enjoy immediately.

Notes

Note 1: Feel free to customize the amount of hot sauce you use on your burgers! The spiciness mellows out during cooking, but still leaves behind the great bold flavor. 1-2 tablespoons is still kid-friendly! Also, any hot pepper sauce (like Tabasco) will work, too!

Nutrition

Calories: 548kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 82.8gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2.2gCholesterol: 166mgSodium: 1353mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4.6gCalcium: 62mgIron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




11 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    These spicy turkey burgers look incredible! I love turkey, but it’s hard to find turkey recipes, I can’t wait to try this one!

  2. 5 stars
    Hot sauce is such an easy way to add flavor to turkey burgers! 🙂 I bet these are delicious.

  3. 5 stars
    We LOVE turkey burgers in our house and this recipe is a winner! We used a little less hot sauce for the kiddos and they gobbled them up 🙂