Keto Turkey Burgers Recipe

Jump to recipeThe BEST keto turkey burgers recipe - it's juicy, flavorful, and served with the most amazing sauce! You can make these in the oven, in a pan, or even on the grill.

By Maya Krampf

32 Comments

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These keto turkey burgers are a hit with the whole family and won’t break your carb bank! They are extra juicy, packed with chipotle seasonings, and served with a chipotle mayo that gives them SO much flavor and a hint of heat. This easy low carb dinner is ready in less than 30 minutes.

If you thought classic burger recipes were out on your keto diet, you’ve got to try my beef burgers, keto hamburger buns, and burger in a bowl next!

Are Turkey Burgers Keto Friendly?

Yes, as long as there are no breadcrumbs added, ground turkey burgers are naturally keto friendly. (And, turkey is keto in general.)

Why You’ll Love This Keto Turkey Burger Recipe

Hint of spice, with chipotle flavors
Super juicy turkey burgers
Simple ingredients
Ready in less than 30 minutes
Zero grams carbs
Delicious dinner for the whole family

The Best Turkey Burger Ingredients

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for healthy turkey burgers, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

For the Chipotle Turkey Burgers:

Avocado oil – Because turkey is a lean meat, we add avocado oil to prevent drying out and also to make this recipe’s macros more keto friendly. Adding oil is the best way to cook ground turkey and keep it juicy! Olive oil will work as well.
Coconut aminos – You can also use soy sauce, if you are ok with soy and gluten, but this is why I don’t use soy sauce.
Spices – Crushed chipotle pepper, smoked paprika, cumin, dried oregano, and sea salt. You can adjust the amount of chipotle pepper based on whether you like a spicy keto turkey burger or a more mild one; the amount on the recipe card below is moderately spicy.

TIP: The crushed chipotle chile pepper is the secret ingredient that gives this turkey burger recipe so much flavor! It’s made out of chipotle chile peppers, which makes a difference in 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 fewer other flavors. 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.

Fresh cilantro – If you don’t like cilantro, try some red onion instead.
Ground turkey – While any type of ground turkey will work, I recommend avoiding fat-free, which is incredibly dry. Lean is fine. You can also swap this with ground beef or ground chicken if you prefer.

For the Chipotle Mayo:

Mayonnaise – You can buy it or make your own clean avocado oil mayo.
Chipotle chile powder

For Serving:

Fresh Salsa
Sliced avocado
Fresh cilantro
Squeeze of lime juice (optional)
Buns or lettuce – You can use homemade low carb burger buns from my Easy Keto Cookbook or lettuce wraps using leaf or butter lettuce.

How To Make Keto Turkey Burgers

This section shows how to make keto friendly turkey burgers with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.

Mix seasonings. In a large bowl, whisk together avocado oil, coconut aminos, crushed chipotle peppers, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, cilantro, and sea salt.
Add meat. Add ground turkey to the bowl and mix with your hands just until combined.

TIP: Don’t overmix. To ensure a super juicy turkey burger, be careful not to over mix the turkey meat, because otherwise it will be too tough.

Form burger patties. Divide burger meat into 4 sections and form patties. Make a thumbprint in each.

Cook turkey patties. You can bake and then broil, or simply pan fry them. Be sure the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

Mix chipotle mayo. Whisk together mayonnaise and chipotle chile powder.

Rest. After cooking, let the burgers rest for 5 minutes.
Serve. Serve these low carb paleo turkey burgers with desired toppings in a keto burger bun or lettuce leaves.

Ways To Cook Turkey Burgers

These burgers can be baked, pan fried, or grilled! Here is how long to cook turkey burgers using each method:

In The Oven: Cook turkey burgers in the oven, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, for 16-18 minutes until almost cooked through. Then, broil for 2-3 minutes until browned and fully cooked.
Pan Fry: Cook turkey burgers in a large skillet on the stove over medium heat to medium high heat for 4 to 5 minutes per side. This is my favorite way to cook them.
Grill: Cook turkey burgers on an indoor or outdoor grill, over medium to medium high heat, for 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Storage Instructions

Store baked keto turkey burgers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Can you freeze turkey burgers?

Yes, you can freeze them after cooking, or if you want to meal prep them ahead, 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.

Reheating instructions:

Reheat keto turkey burgers in the oven or a hot skillet, just until warm, so they don’t dry out.

What To Serve With Easy Keto Turkey Burgers

Serve these burgers with a low carb side dish for a complete keto meal:

Tools To Make Low Carb Turkey Burgers

Meat Thermometer – Use a thermometer to cook your turkey burgers perfectly each time.
Sheet Pan – I love the quality of these pans, and also love that they are made in the USA.

Keto Turkey Burgers Recipe

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32 Comments

Laura Luna
0 August 24, 2023Reply

Thank you for this recipe! Even my baby loved it! For sure these were the best turkey burgers I have ever had.
Lynniepooh2
0 June 3, 2023Reply

Saturday cooking day consisted of making these for my weekday lunch at work. Of course I couldn’t wait to try one and Im so glad for my impatience. Perfect spices to go with turkey, who knew! Not dry at all like turkey can be sometimes and the perfect change from beef. The mayo is the perfect match and so delicious. My mouth is happy.
Jeti
0 April 23, 2023Reply

This was good and fast and easy! I didn’t make the whole recipe as I just wanted one turkey burger for myself so I took 5 oz of raw ground turkey and added reduced quantities of the oil and spices and fried it in a pan. I didn’t have regular coconut amino acids but I did have a smokey version so I used that. I used dried red and green peppers so it didn’t have any heat. It fried up nicely and didn’t fall apart. I didn’t make the sauce as I was out of calories for lunch but will try that next time. It’s a keeper and I plan on making the full recipe and saving the extras for an easy lunch or dinner in the future.
Brett
0 April 15, 2023Reply

So delicious and moist. I make these in the oven. Be sure to use a pan with sides because you will have a lot of liquid that seeps out of the burgers. I believe this helps keep them from drying out. I will be making these burgers over and over. The whole family loves them.
Corinne
0 February 19, 2023Reply

These are so flippin good – I’ve made them 3 times now. First 2 times they were pretty dang hot for me. I can’t handle much heat, though. So I liked em (my fiancé LOVED them), but I wasn’t crazy about them like him. This time I halved the chipotle pepper and ohhh wowow!!! Now I’m hooked! Topped with bacon, cheese, avocado, dill relish, chipotle Mayo and used some store bought keto hamburger buns. Absolutely DELICIOUS!!
Risa
0 April 11, 2022Reply

This sounds delicious! Just wondering how the patties stay together? I usually have trouble with that while making burgers. Thanks!
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 April 12, 2022Reply
  
  Hi Risa, If this is an issue for you, I recommend that you try the oven method because there is less moving of the burgers and less of a chance they will fall apart while cooking.
Andre
0 March 20, 2022Reply

I never expected these burgers to be so darn good! My wife and I had them for lunch yesterday and have brought up how great they were a couple of times since.
Carmen Destro
0 March 7, 2022Reply

Best Turkey Burgers Ever 😋 Soooo Juicy, & quick, can’t get better than that 😊
P Whitworth
0 September 14, 2021Reply

chili lime turkey burger recipe in cookbook fell apart when cooking but tasted ok with BBQ sauce. Will fix this again without forming burger shape.
Amy L Huntley
0 August 30, 2021Reply

I love that you can get the same delicious flavor and the burger is so much healthier! They only way I will eat a burger now.
Robin Donovan
0 August 30, 2021Reply

These were delicious and so easy!
Swathi
0 August 27, 2021Reply

Delicious!
Natalie
0 August 27, 2021Reply

Such a great & delicious recipe with all the different ways you can make this! The turkey with the mayo is such a flavorful combination!
Kristyn
0 August 27, 2021Reply

That chipotle mayo adds so much flavor! Turkey burgers are so good! They are a nice change from hamburgers.
Eden
0 August 27, 2021Reply

These burgers are delicious! We all loved them and can’t wait to make this again for dinner.
Tammie Rainworst
0 August 27, 2021Reply

So much flavor! We love these burgers!
Natalie
0 August 27, 2021Reply

Perfect dinner idea. Yum!
Camille
0 August 27, 2021Reply

So delicious!
Natasha Cox
0 September 14, 2020Reply

This burger recipe is so easy to make and delicious!! I served on chaffles for buns one night and with bacon mushroom and swiss and burger salad the next. The thumb print trick was neat! I made a bunch of these then reheated in the oven for dinner for the next couple nights. Thank you for another great family friendly recipe!
Kris
0 July 4, 2020Reply

Hi – if I wanted to sub ground chipotle powder instead of crushed in the burgers because that’s what I already have – can you please recommend how much? I’m thinking maybe half or 1/3 the amount perhaps? Thank you.
- Wholesome Yum M
  0 July 6, 2020Reply
  
  Hi Kris, This really depends on how much heat you want in your burgers. If you want a mild heat I would use quite a bit less, like 1/4 tsp. I wouldn’t use more than 1/2 tsp. of ground chipotle chili pepper in this recipe.
Michelle
0 January 7, 2020Reply

Where do the coconut aminos come in?
- Wholesome Yum M
  0 January 7, 2020Reply
  
  Hi Michelle, Good catch! Add the coconut aminos in step 2. I’ll be sure to correct that, thank you.
Renee
0 May 20, 2019Reply

I can’t wait to try this! I noticed in the photo the burger is on a bun, but there aren’t directions for the bun in the recipe. Can you tell me where to find the directions for the bun, Please ?
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 May 20, 2019Reply
  
  Hi Renee, The burger buns are from The Wholesome Yum Easy Keto Cookbook!
Alisa
0 January 9, 2019Reply

I actually love turkey burgers more than beef burgers, because they do take on seasonings so well. This recipe is delicious – I’ll have to add it to my rotation.
Jerusha
0 December 27, 2018Reply

I’m looking for a bun recipe for my son. This one looks tasty. Do you have a recipe for it that you can share? Thanks
- Wholesome Yum L
  0 July 11, 2019Reply
  
  Hi Jerusha, I don’t currently have that recipe available on my website but you might like this Keto Low Carb Hamburger Bun Recipe.
Chrissy
0 December 26, 2018Reply

These look amazing! I know you mention freezing in patties before cooking – do you think you could freeze after cooking as well? Or would they dry out that way? Either way, I’m so excited to make these in the new year!
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 December 27, 2018Reply
  
  Thank you, Chrissy! I think they would be pretty dry if you freeze after cooking.
Wilhelmina
0 December 26, 2018Reply

These burgers look so delicious! I can’t wait to try them!