Spicy Turkey Burger with Secret Sauce

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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 and a mouthwatering secret sauce! It’s quick and easy and can be on the table in less than 30 minutes!

Looking for easy dinners?? Try these Frozen Burgers in the Oven, Crockpot Pulled Chicken, or this Ground Chicken Sloppy Joes!

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

What you’ll love about this recipe:


  • EASY WEEKNIGHT MEAL – It’s quick and easy to pull it together making it a great crowd-pleaser meal on the weekend or a family-friendly meal on busy weeknights.
  • JUICY TURKEY BURGERS – Say goodbye to dry and rubbery turkey burgers! These are irresistibly juicy. The special sauce takes them over the top!
  • FLAVORFUL BUT ADJUSTABLE – These delicious turkey burgers are packed with bold flavor but you can adjust the spice level to your liking.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this delicious Spicy Turkey Burger with Special Sauce:

INGREDIENT NOTES

Turkey: Typically ground turkey comes “lean,” usually 90% lean or more. I try to avoid using very lean ground turkey so it’s best to stick to 90-93% lean.

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 increase the mayo in the turkey meat.

Toppings: Go with your favorite burger toppings – mine are lettuce or greens, tomato, red onion, and mashed avocado.

Hot Sauce: I love Texas Pete hot sauce but feel free to use Tabasco or your favorite!

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 printable recipe card below!

Step 1: Stir together ranch dressing and hot sauce. Refrigerate this secret sauce until ready to use.

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

Hot sauce and mayo being mixed in a small bowl for the secret sauce.
All ingredients for spicy turkey burgers in a glass bowl before being mixed,

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

Step 4: Shape into 4 even burger patties about 4 inches across and approximately 1/2″ thickness.

Spicy turkey burger mixture in a glass bowl.
Raw turkey burger patties on a baking sheet ready to be cooked.

Step 5: In a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat, heat a few teaspoons of oil. Add the turkey burger patties to the hot skillet.

Step 6: Cook turkey patties 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° F. Remove from heat and allow to rest for a few minutes.

To assemble the burgers, slather secret sauce on the buns. Place turkey patty on the bottom bun and add your favorite toppings. Enjoy immediately.

Raw turkey burger patties in a skillet.
Spicy turkey burgers in a skillet being browned.

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 formed patties on a baking sheet lined with a piece of wax paper. This makes it super easy to transfer your patties when it’s time to cook them.
  • 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. One to two tablespoons is still kid-friendly!

Confidence Tip

These are the best turkey burgers for a make-ahead meal. Simply combine turkey patty ingredients and prep all your favorite toppings. Store everything separately. When ready to enjoy, just cook the turkey patties and assemble!

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 heat 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. You may want to separate the burger patties with a piece of parchment paper so they don’t stick to each other.

ADDITIONS & SUBSTITUTIONS

ADDITIONS:

  • Give it more heat. Add a few pinches of red pepper flakes or chili powder to kick up the heat level.
  • Cheese: You can never go wrong with a slice of cheese added to these turkey burgers! Use sliced pepper Jack cheese for even more spice!
  • Toppings galore. Add bacon strips, caramelized onions, or smoked Gouda for a smoky flavor to your delicious burger.

SUBSTITUTIONS:

  • Ground meat: Lean ground beef can also be used to make beef burgers or ground chicken to make chicken burgers.
  • Buns: My personal fave is a Brioche bun, but if you want to go healthier whole wheat buns are a great option.
  • Skip the bun. Make lettuce wraps and place turkey patties between lettuce leaves for a more wholesome low-carb option.
  • Condiment tweaks. Any brand of hot pepper sauce works (such as Tabasco). I love the secret sauce but feel free to experiment with your favorite flavors. Spicy chipotle turkey burgers sound incredible! Or swap the secret sauce with spicy mayo.

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

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. You can also try swapping it with Greek yogurt to give it that extra moisture and flavor.

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. The best way to test for doneness is to insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the burger pattie and when the internal temperature registers 165°F – the burgers are done.

What do you serve with these spicy burgers?

Serve these juicy burgers as you would any other burger. Classic accompaniments are a side of French fries or sweet potato fries. This Sweet Corn Salad, Green Goddess Salad or Macaroni Salad are also perfect pairings. But you can even serve this on a busy weeknight to your family – it serves as a complete meal because it has the perfect ratio of protein, veggies, and carbs.

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Spicy turkey burger with avocado, onion and tomato on a cutting board with Texas Pete® Hot Sauce in the background.

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!
4.94 from 15 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!
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Nutrition

Calories: 548kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 82.8gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2.2gCholesterol: 166mgSodium: 1353mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4.6gCalcium: 62mgIron: 4mg
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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 🙂