Name: Paleo Chipotle Baked Turkey Burgers Recipe in the Oven
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 28 min
Ingredients: 3 tbsp Avocado oil; 1 tbsp Coconut aminos; 1 tsp Crushed chipotle chile pepper ((or less if you don't want much heat)); 1 tsp Smoked paprika; 1/2 tsp Cumin; 1/2 tsp Dried oregano; 1 tbsp Fresh cilantro; 1 tsp Sea salt; 1 lb Ground turkey; 1/2 cup Mayonnaise; 1/2 tsp Chipotle chile powder

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With so many people starting a new diet in just a few days for the new year, I wanted to share a paleo baked turkey burgers recipe that will fit into any low carb, keto, paleo, whole30, or general clean eating diet. But, that doesn’t mean you have to eat boring food. These chipotle turkey burgers are super flavorful and juicy.

I hope you’ll enjoy these paleo turkey burgers in the oven now and make ’em on the grill later next summer!

Spices for Chipotle Turkey Burgers

The key to the best chipotle turkey burgers is a good mix of spices. But, that list doesn’t have to be a mile long to be delicious!

Here is what you need:

Crushed chipotle chile pepper
Smoked paprika
Cumin
Dried oregano
Fresh cilantro
Sea salt

Of course, the star is crushed chipotle chile pepper, which is different from regular crushed red pepper,

Crushed chipotle chile pepper is specifically made out of chipotle chile peppers. Crushed red pepper is usually a blend of ancho, bell, cayenne, and other dried red peppers.

The difference is in the flavor and level of heat. Chipotle chile peppers have a smoky flavor and moderate heat, whereas “regular” crushed red pepper is mainly just hot and sharp, with less other flavors.

You can get crushed chipotle chile peppers here. Although you could swap in regular crushed red pepper in chipotle turkey burgers, they would be a lot more spicy and you’d lose the chipotle flavor.

How To Make Baked Turkey Burgers in the Oven

With your spices in hand, here’s a quick step-by-step walk through of how to make baked turkey burgers in the oven. I have some important tips here to make sure they don’t get dry!

First, make sure your turkey meat is cold. Don’t let it sit at room temperature and work quickly after removing from the fridge, because letting the meat get warm will result in tougher burgers.

Mix the spices with some avocado oil, then pour that over the meat and use your hands to mix together:

When making paleo turkey burgers, be careful not to over mix the meat, because otherwise it will be too tough. This is true for any burger recipe, but especially for turkey burgers in the oven, because turkey meat has less fat to keep them juicy.

Next, divide the meat into four patties on a foil or parchment lined baking sheet. Make a thumbprint in each one, so that it doesn’t bow out during baking:

Bake ’em until almost cooked through, but not quite.

Then, place the baked turkey burgers in the oven again under the broiler for a couple of minutes to brown as much as you’d like. Two to three minutes is a good amount of time to get them golden and also finish cooking inside.

Paleo turkey burgers are done when they are about 160 degrees inside. The temperature will rise another 5 degrees when resting, but just make sure they are 165 degrees inside before consuming.

Like any good burger, letting them rest is important to make sure that they stay juicy. If you cut into them immediately from the oven, the juices will run out and they will be dry.

Baked Turkey Burgers at 400

The time to bake turkey burgers at 400 degrees F depends on how thick you make the burgers, your pan, and your oven.

Always gauge doneness by appearance and internal temperature, but a general guideline is 15 to 18 minutes in the oven followed by 2 to 3 minutes under the broiler.

The time in the oven will vary depending on how done you like them, but don’t skip the broiler step so that they are nice and browned. Just make sure they aren’t fully cooked to your liking before you broil, otherwise they’ll be too dry after broiling.

Why do we make baked turkey burgers at 400? This is the perfect balance between making them quickly and drying out the meat.

Ground turkey is leaner than beef, so will dry out more quickly at higher temperatures. On the other hand, a lower temperature will never brown and takes longer.

So, baked turkey burgers at 400 is a happy medium, and the high-temp broil at the end is a must for browning, too.

Can You Make Paleo Turkey Burgers Grilled or Sauteed?

Sure, you can! The process would be similar to baking.

Paleo turkey burgers are best to grill or saute over medium heat. This is enough to get them browned, without too much heat drying them out.

Here is how long to cook them on the stove top or grill:

Grill turkey burgers for 3 to 4 minutes per side
Saute turkey burgers for 4 to 5 minutes per side

Of course, the time will vary depending on how done you like them.

Paleo Sauce: Chipotle Mayo!

The chipotle may might be my favorite part about these chipotle turkey burgers! And, it’s so easy to make.

Simple stir together some mayonnaise (highly recommend 5-minute homemade avocado mayo) and chipotle chile powder. If you’d like, a squeeze of lime is delicious in there, too.

The chipotle mayo in this baked turkey burgers recipe also uses a variation of chipotle chile peppers, but this time it’s ground chipotle chile powder. Again, the difference between this and regular chili powder is the flavor and heat. You could try grinding up the crushed chipotle peppers you bought for the actual burgers for use in the chipotle mayo, but I haven’t tried that yet.

How To Serve Paleo Turkey Burgers

Chipotle turkey burgers need some good fixings! Try these:

Homemade salsa with fresh tomatoes
Sliced avocado
Fresh cilantro
And of course, chipotle mayo!

The pictures also show some homemade low carb burger buns from my Easy Keto Cookbook, but a lettuce bun is delicious, too.

If you don’t want to turn on your oven, you can also make these as air fryer hamburgers – use the same method.

Need some ideas of what to serve on the side? Try low carb tortilla chips or more low carb side dishes here!

How To Freeze Chipotle Turkey Burgers

You can easily make paleo turkey burgers ahead of time. Simply form the patties (work quickly so they stay cold for juicy burgers later!), but don’t cook them. Place them in a freezer bag and freeze immediately.

When you’re ready to cook them, defrost them in the fridge and then follow the normal baked turkey burgers recipe.

Do not thaw the burgers at room temperature (again, tough burgers!). It’s best not to cook turkey burgers right from frozen either, because the outside will be prone to drying out before the inside is cooked through.

Tools To Make Paleo Turkey Burgers:

Click the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.

Mixing bowls – This set has the perfect sizes and is easy to clean.
Baking sheet – For making the baked turkey burgers recipe. This set is reasonably priced and has many uses.
Whisk – For making the chipotle mayo! It’s not too big or too small, and more sturdy than others I’ve tried.